Rabu, 17 Juni 2009

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Movie Trailer

ce Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs also known as Ice Age 3 is a 2009 3-D computer animated film. It is the third installment of the Ice Age series.

It was announced and approved by Fox president Hutch Parker on January 30, 2007. It was initially slated for a December 12, 2008 release, but the scheduled release date has since been moved to July 1, 2009.

The film is being produced by Blue Sky Studios and features Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Simon Pegg, and Chris Wedge and will be distributed by 20th Century Fox.

It will be released in RealD where available. The release garned some controversy when Fox announced that it would no longer pay to supply 3D glasses to theaters [1] , which led a threat from a number of exhibitors to only show the film in standard 2D projection

Plot

Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), Diego (Denis Leary), Ellie (Queen Latifah), Eddie (Josh Peck), Crash (Seann William Scott) and Scrat (Chris Wedge) encounter a dinosaur population which survived extinction in its tropical paradise, which existed below the thick layers... until now. Meanwhile, Crash and Eddie are up to their usual crazy selves. Manny and Ellie are going to have their first baby, and Manny wants everything to be perfect when his baby arrives. Diego is tired of being treated like a Housecat and ponders the notion that he's being too laid back. Sid is jealous of Manny and Ellie and he starts to wish for a family of his own, so he steals some dinosaurs eggs. But Sid gets captured by a crazed dinosaur, which leads his herd to try and rescue him. While dodging danger and dinos left and right, the herd meets up with a relentless, one-eyed dino-hunting weasel named Buck (Simon Pegg). Scrat also meets a feisty female squirrel named Scratte.

Selasa, 16 Juni 2009

bears Catching Salmon

Salmon and other predatory fish also devour the euphausiids. So the drop in the population of these large zooplankton near the coastal areas, may be part of the reason the salmon failed to return to the rivers of western Alaska, said Hunt. According to the NOAA report (Brodeur et al. 1998), the salmon populations over the past two summers fell 53 percent below what was expected, putting many fisheries out of business. In addition, more salmon are being found off the coast of Siberia and on Alaska’s southern shores outside the Bering Sea. The salmon that do return to western Alaska vary in age and strength. In earlier years with low turnout, the healthier, larger salmon would normally make up the majority of the returning fish.

The disappearance of the zooplankton probably isn’t the only reason the fish counts are down and the birds are dying, but the disappearance contributes to the problem. Steve Zeeman, a biological oceanographer at the University of Maine and a colleague of William Balch, explained that the disappearance of the zooplankton has to do with size. The diatoms that usually dominate the shelf are quite a bit larger than the coccolithophores. Since larger microscopic animals like euphausiids survive by feeding on larger one-celled plants like diatoms, the absence of the plant will cause a drop in the animal population. "And we then see a decline of wildlife along the food chain," said Zeeman. His conjecture is supported by the NOAA report (Napp et al. 1998), which states that the short-term change in zooplankton coincides with the change in the Bering Sea’s phytoplankton.

source earthobservatory.nasa.gov

Sabtu, 06 Juni 2009

Amazing Borobudur Temple Indonesia

Borobudur is a ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist Monument in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.[1] A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.


The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the journey the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.

Evidence suggests Borobudur was abandoned following the fourteenth century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam.[2] Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the then British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3] Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction

Amazing flying fish!

The Exocoetidae or flying fish are a marine fish family comprising about 50 species grouped in 7 to 9 genera. Flying fish are found in all of the major oceans, particularly in the warm tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Their most striking feature is their pectoral fins, which are unusually large, and enable the fish to take short gliding flights through air, above the surface of the water, in order to escape from predators. Their glides are typically around 50m, but they can use updrafts at the leading edge of waves to cover distances of at least 400m.

Flight Time Record

In May 2008, a Japanese television crew (NHK) filmed a flying fish (dubbed "Icarfish") off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan. The creature spent 45 seconds in flight. This is thought to be one of the longest recorded flights by a specimen of that family. The fish was able to stay aloft by occasionally beating the surface of the water with its caudal fin.[2] The previous record was 42 seconds


Amazing! Bird sounds from the lyre bird

A Lyrebird is either of two species of ground-dwelling Australian birds, most notable for their superb ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment. Lyrebirds have unique plumes of neutral coloured tailfeathers.




Lyrebirds are among Australia's best-known native birds, even though they are rarely seen in their natural habitat. As well as their extraordinary mimicking ability, lyrebirds are notable because of the striking beauty of the male bird's huge tail when it is fanned out in display; and also because of their courtship display.

Species

There are two species of lyrebird:

  • Albert's Lyrebird (Menura alberti) is slightly smaller at a maximum of 90 cm (male) and 84 cm (female) (around 30-35 inches) and is only found in a very small area of Southern Queensland rainforest. They have smaller, less spectacular lyrate feathers than the Superb Lyrebird, but are otherwise similar. Albert's Lyrebird was named in honour of Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.

Jumat, 05 Juni 2009

Malaysian territorial violations in Ambalat draw strong criticism

I love Indonesia, Merdeka!!!

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Territorial violations in the Ambalat by Malaysia has drawn strong criticism especially from the House of Representatives, the military and other circles in Indonesia.

It is true that Malaysia was granted sovereignty over Sipadan and Ligitan islands by the International Court of Justice in 2002, but the ruling left maritime issues and border demarcation unsettled. No wonder, the territorial violations often occur in Ambalat which is actually not part of Malaysian territory.

The House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday lodged a protest against members of Malaysia`s armed forces for frequently violating the territorial borders between the two countries, particularly in Ambalat off the East Kalimantan coast.

"We protest the Malaysia`s action," DPR Chairman Agung Laksono said at parliament building here.

The protest came a day after National Defense Forces (TNI) chief Gen Djoko Santoso said that members of Malaysia`s armed forces had often been committing territorial violations in Ambalat.

Djoko said that at several meetings with Indonesia, Malaysia was continuing claiming the block as part of its territory.

"This is apparent in the copy of a Malaysian diplomatic note on the deployment of Indonesian military forces in the Ambalat Block," he said.

Agung said Malaysia`s violation of territorial borders with Indonesia was against the ASEAN Charter.

"The act is a provocation. Malaysia must stop it," he said adding that the House, along with the government, must launch a protest against the action to prevent it from recurring.

He said the violation of territorial borders could disrupt the relations between the two countries. "It is very regrettable that Malaysia as our immediate neighbor has been committing this violation," he said.

The Ambalat and Bukat blocks off the East Kalimantan coast are part of the Indonesian territory. The government has assured Zaitem, a subsidiary of ENI SpA of Italy, of its continued exploratory rights in the blocks.

In response to the Malaysian territorial violations, some experts urged the government to seek a diplomatic solution to the dispute, while maintaining its stance that the country`s possession of the disputed oil and gas-rich area remains non-negotiable.

International relations expert Dewi Fortuna Anwar said the violations were against the law and hurts the feeling of ASEAN brotherhood. But the issue had to be resolved through diplomatic channels to prevent an armed conflict.

Dewi underlined that diplomacy should be backed by military strength.

"Diplomatic efforts are the priority, but the government should not be too focused on paper and documents. Military is an indication that Indonesia doesn`t hesitate to take stern measures and it`s very important to let them know that they can`t just walk all over us," she said recently.

Dewi said the government could even use the current anti-Malaysia sentiment here as a tool to strengthen its bargaining power during the talks with Malaysia.

"Another measure is to develop the area in a bid to provide stronger proof of our possession of it. Continuing the construction of a lighthouse there is a good way -- of course with the Indonesian Military guarding the areas," she said.

The calls for prioritizing a diplomatic solution came as the two countries dispatched their warships and war planes to the area, and amid reports at home quoting some politicians as suggesting the government opt for an armed action.

Claims by Indonesia and Malaysia on the Ambalat area in the Sulawesi sea near the land border between East Kalimantan province and Malaysia`s Sabah state, recently emerged after the Malaysian government awarded in February an oil production sharing contract to Royal Dutch Shell.

The two states on March 5, 2005, came close to military confrontation over the areas. But Malaysia on March 8 said it was taking control of the areas, while Indonesia said it was for a peaceful solution.

On March 7, Malaysia`s Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Indonesian President Yudhoyono announced on various occasions agreed by telephone that their foreign ministers would discuss the matter further and that the two states were seeking a diplomatic solution.

Both states have sent their warships and war planes to the disputed areas in recent days. The attempt to defuse the crisis came after Malaysia accused Indonesia of trespassing in its territory when a navy patrol ship crossed about eight nautical miles (9.2 miles/15 kilometers) into Malaysian waters.

The Royal Malaysian Navy had sent two warships to patrol the Malaysian waters. Premier Badawi said: "To prevent any undesirable incident which may create tension in the relations between Indonesia and Malaysia, both of us agreed to discuss the matter at diplomatic level. Hopefully, in this way, any problem, God willing, will be resolved in a peaceful manner".

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was on March 9 to leave for a three-day visit to Jakarta for talks with his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda, on the overlapping claims. On March 7, President Yudhoyono visited an island near the disputed sites off Kalimantan, and said: "The problem should be solved without any confrontation, especially armed confrontation".

One solution might be the establishment of a joint economic zone. In this way, the two states would share royalties while maintaining strong convictions over the validity of their competing claims.

Although military deployments are widely seen as no more than posturing, officials in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur are concerned about the possibility that a miscalculation by commanders in the area could produce an incident which would make a diplomatic solution harder to reach.

The 15,235 square kilometers Ambalat block is rich in oil and gas reserves which could be exploited for 30 years.


Senin, 25 Mei 2009

Wow! Giant octopus - extreme animals

Octopuses are characterized by their eight arms (as distinct from the tentacles found in squid and cuttlefish), usually bearing suction cups. These arms are a type of muscular hydrostat. Unlike most other cephalopods, the majority of octopuses – those in the suborder most commonly known, Incirrina – have almost entirely soft bodies with no internal skeleton. They have neither a protective outer shell like the nautilus, nor any vestige of an internal shell or bones, like cuttlefish or squid. A beak, similar in shape to a parrot's beak, is the only hard part of their body. This enables them to squeeze through very narrow slits between underwater rocks, which is very helpful when they are fleeing from morays or other predatory fish. The octopuses in the less familiar Cirrina suborder have two fins and an internal shell, generally reducing their ability to squeeze into small spaces.

An octopus moving between tide pools during low tide

Octopuses have a relatively short life expectancy, and some species live for as little as six months. Larger species, such as the North Pacific Giant Octopus, may live for up to five years under suitable circumstances. However, reproduction is a cause of death: males can only live for a few months after mating, and females die shortly after their eggs hatch. They neglect to eat during the (roughly) one month period spent taking care of their unhatched eggs, but they don't die of starvation. Endocrine secretions from the two optic glands are the cause of genetically-programmed death (and if these glands are surgically removed, the octopus may live many months beyond reproduction, until she finally starves).

Stauroteuthis syrtensis, a finned octopus of the suborder Cirrina

Octopuses have three hearts. Two pump blood through each of the two gills, while the third pumps blood through the body. Octopus blood contains the copper-rich protein hemocyanin for transporting oxygen. Although less efficient under normal conditions than the iron-rich hemoglobin of vertebrates, in cold conditions with low oxygen pressure, hemocyanin oxygen transportation is more efficient than hemoglobin oxygen transportation. The hemocyanin is dissolved in the plasma instead of being carried within red blood cells and gives the blood a blue color. Octopuses draw water into their mantle cavity where it passes through its gills. As mollusks, octopuses have gills that are finely divided and vascularized outgrowths of either the outer or the inner body surface.

How to Make a Flavorful and Delightful Barbecue

If you are tired with the same barbecue recipe that you prepare for your family during picnics or family gatherings or your guests might now be turning their heads away from your barbecues during parties or socialization, you might be needing some barbecue recipe rescue. You can try new barbecue recipes but you can also dash up the taste of your good old barbecue by following these tips:


Add fruits and veggies to your barbecue. Why not try adding pineapple chunks and cucumber cuts to your barbecue? This will make your barbecues look delightful and more presentable when you serve them to your family or guests. Adding fruits or vegetables also adds vitamins that are good for the body. Pineapple chunks, for example are rich in Vitamin C. If you want your barbecue to look appealing even to health buffs, adding some vegetables and fruits is a good idea that you can try.

Make the meat tastier. Many people apply the barbecue sauces into the meat 20 minutes or an hour before grilling. The flavor, however, cannot seep into the meat. You can do something about this by soaking the meat into the marinade or barbecue sauce overnight or longer before grilling. If you are afraid that the meat can get spoiled, place the meat and the marinade in the refrigerator. You will notice that the meat is tastier when it is soaked longer in the marinade.

Serve more tender meats. Nobody wants to eat chewing gum like meat in barbecue so it would be a good idea to serve meats that can be easily chewed and eaten. You can do this by marinating the meat longer. Some people also add white wine in the marinade. Another good idea is to choose for younger and tender meats that you intend to use for the barbecue.

Add something to spice up the taste of your barbecue. If you are making your own barbecue marinade instead of buying ready to use barbecue sauces, you can make the marinade more flavorful by using lots of spices like garlic, onion and pepper. Alternatively, you can add pineapple juice to your marinade to give it a tangy taste and more vitamins C. Try this the next time you prepare a barbecue marinade and you can tell the tasty difference.

The next time you are preparing barbecue for your family or for your friends, make your barbecue more flavorful and more delightful by following these tips. The difference can truly make your barbecue everybody’s favorite.

Minggu, 24 Mei 2009

Sumba Surf Trip Vacation Destinations

Sumba is an east-Indonesian island, located south-east of Bali.

It is an island clothed in mystery, and known for centuries as the Sandalwood Island. Sandalwood was the only known cure for many diseases until penicillin was invented. The Sumbanese traded with the Chinese until the 16th century, after which the Arabs became the most important trading partner until the early 20th century. More Sumba from East Sumba .com

Sumba Map:Sumba Map

Travel Indonesia-Jakarta cityview

Jakarta (also DKI Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. It also has a greater population than any other city in Southeast Asia. It was formerly known as Sunda Kelapa (397–1527), Jayakarta (1527–1619), Batavia (1619–1942), and Djakarta (1942–1972). Located on the northwest coast of Java, it has an area of 661.52 square kilometres (255.41 sq mi) and a population of 8,489,910.[1] Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political center. Jakarta is the twelfth-largest city in the world; the metropolitan area, called Jabodetabek, is the sixth-largest in the world.



First established in the fourth century, the city became an important trading port for the Kingdom of Sunda. As Batavia, it grew greatly as the capital of the colonial Dutch East Indies. Renamed Jakarta in 1942 during Japan's occupation of the Java, it was made the capital city of Indonesia when the country became independent after World War II.

Major landmarks in Jakarta include Indonesia Stock Exchange, the Bank of Indonesia, and the National Monument (Tugu Monas). The city is the seat of the ASEAN Secretariat. Jakarta is served by the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, and Tanjung Priok harbour; it is connected by several intercity and commuter railways, and served by several bus lines running on reserved busways.

Sabtu, 23 Mei 2009

How to make delicious sayur lodeh

There is something deeply gratifying about coming home to a warm stew on a rainy winter night, and all the more so when the ingredients needn't be cooked to a pallid sodden shadow of what they were before they left the grocer's custody. When the calorie count is inversely proportional to its come-hither index, you know this one's a keeper!


That's what I thought when I had my bowl of Sayur Lodeh:


Frankly, I'm no authority on whether it should be considered a curry or a stew, if these are even mutually exclusive food groups. The flavour is evocative of a curry, but the cooking method is what I'd term stewing. At the verge of a boil, carrots, string beans and cabbage (in that order, since carrots take a notoriously long time to cook) are plonked into the fragrant curry thickened with just enough coconut milk to make the broth translucent. The whole vat should then simmer until the vegetables just start to lose their crunch.

Fried tofu squares and softened glass noodles are added towards the end as well as more coconut milk if desired. I'd like to say "Serve immediately", but as with all curried things, I'm often inclined to let Sayur Lodeh sit around and age so that the vegetables imbibe the character of the curry and shed some of their inherent individual flavours. If you live in a tropical climate, do let it sit in the fridge. 2 days is my minimum prescription.

How to: I'm not sure everyone has patience for this. Write me! :) I'm still trying to work out the shortcuts!

Variations: Adding cakes of compacted rice (called ketupat in Malay) turn this into a one-dish meal, and transforms its name to Lontong. Hard-boiled eggs and shrimp go quite well with it, too.

Body count: probably 20 or more tiny prawns perished to provide a tablespoonful of belachan for flavouring the curry.
source http://khao-piyo-mauj-karo.blogspot.com

How to make gado gado / Indonesian Salad

500g cabbage shredded blanched and refreshed in cold water
500g bean sprouts blanched and refreshed
250g green beans trimmed blanched and refreshed
6 small cooked new potatoes sliced or chopped into quarters
1/3 cucumber sliced
3 eggs hard boiled shelled and sliced or cut into small wedges
prawn crackers (optional)

The sauce
1 tbspn vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
1 large clove garlic crushed
rounded tsp chilli powder
grated rind of 1/2 lemon
1 tbspn lemon juice
1 tbspn brown sugar
1 tbspn soy sauce
3/4 tspn salt
175ml coconut cream (tinned from supemarket)
4 rounded tbspn smooth peanut butter
125ml water

To make the sauce heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and the garlic until transparent.
Add the remaining sauce ingredients.
Simmer gently for 15 min stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and making sure the peanut butter has dissolved.
Cool then add more water to produce a double cream consistency.
To serve arrange all the salad ingredients attractively in layers on a serving dish or on 6 small plates and spoon the sauce over.

This fabulous sauce from Indonesia can be used to dress whatever salad ingredients you have to hand. Just remember to add variety of colour flavour and texture.

source
www.lovelyrecipes.com

Minangkabau cuisine / Padang food

Serious tourists and guide books rave about padang food. What an adventure!



I don’t get it. There are a bunch of dishes of food stacked up in the window all day long with flies jumping all over it and it is supposed to be a great experience to choose what you get to eat. Most of the meat portions are skimpy at best and the chunks of fish are tiny.

The food is cold but they put it on top of warm rice (usually it’s warm). The drinks are all stacked up in the sun as well so if you get a coke or anything it is nice and warm. Warm coke, cold food.

At least there is always a pitcher of free water on the table that you might need to help wash down your meal if they loaded it with chili.

Fresh ikan bakar, hot off the coals blows away padang food any time.

Jumat, 24 April 2009

How to cook TAB TIM KROB (Red Rubies)

I find that using water chestnuts for this recipe will make the rubies taste better. Also, using red syrup instead of just red food colouring will give the rubies more flavour.

I bought some jack fruits this morning for garnishing, but just now my hubby finished eating them before I had the time to take the second picture of this dessert.

Ingredients:

1 cup water chestnuts or bengkuang aka jicama or turnip or Mexican potato or singkamas, diced

½ cup tapioca flour

150 gr sugar

1 cup coconut milk. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Set aside.

1 cup water

Red food coloring or any red syrup

Crushed ice

Jackfruit or young coconut (optional), slice it thinly.
Method:

1. Soak the water chestnuts in the syrup/red food coloring for 30 minutes until bright red.

2. Put the flour in a bowl/plate and add the water chestnuts and let the pieces become well coated.

3. Put in a colander or sieve and shake off any excess flour.

4. Boil water (4 or 5 cups), add the water chestnuts and simmer until they float to the surface. Drain and plunge in the cold water. Drain again and wrap in a cloth and set aside.

5. Mix the sugar and the water in a pot and boil over medium heat to make syrup.

6. To serve: put a little of syrup, some water chestnuts , crushed ice and coconut milk. Garnish with jackfruit/young coconut.

source http://community.kompas.com/read/artikel/2638

How to cook TOM YUM GOONG


I think this must be one of the most popular Thai dishes in the world. I love tom yum so much that I can eat it every day for a week. It never fails to bring a smile on my face whenever I get to eat a bowl of very delicious tom yum.

Please remember that prawns do not taste that good when they are tough to eat, so do not overcook them.

Prawn stocks

Ingredients:

Prawn shells and heads

2 stalks of lemon grass (white part only),lightly crushed

2 cm of galangal, lightly crushed

4 cup of water

1 tbs vegetable oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the prawn shells and heads to the pan and cook for 10 minutes over medium high heat, tossing frequently. Add two stalk of lemon grass and 2 cm of galangal (lightly crushed). Add 4 cups of water . Boil for 5 minutes or so and simmer around 30 minutes, until water is reduced slightly.

2. Drain and reserve the stock.

3. Discard the prawn shells and heads.

Ingredients:

6 fresh prawns. Remove the prawn heads. Peel the prawns, leaving the tails intact. Slit each prawn down the back and de-vein

200 g mushroom, halved

5 (or more) bird’s eyes chilli/chilli padi (aka cabe rawit), lightly crushed using a cleaver

5 slices fresh galangal

2 stalks lemon grass, tough outer leaves removed, slice thinly and diagonally

4 kaffir lime leaves, shredded

3 coriander/cilantro/Chinese parsley roots

Some coriander/cilantro/Chinese parsley leaves for garnishing

3 tbsp fish sauce

¼ cup lime juice

3 cup prawn stock/chicken stock

3 tbsp of nam prik pao/roasted chilli paste (available at asian supermarkets)

5 tbsp coconut milk or evaporated milk (optional)

Method:

1. Bring the prawn stock (chicken stock) to the boil, adding lemon grass, galangal and coriander roots and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.

2. Add the prawns and mushrooms and boil until prawns are pink.

3. Add nam prik pao, lime juice, bird’s eyes chillis, fish sauce, lime leaves and coconut milk. Lower the heat and cook for 3 minutes.

4. Taste seasoning. Feel free to add more fish sauce or lime juice or even bird’s eyes chillis.

5. Garnish with coriander leaves.

source http://community.kompas.com/read/artikel/2638

Kamis, 23 April 2009

How to make Apple Pie



Home Made Apple Pie

Apple pie is a part of almost all American Traditions. It has, in a way, become a tradition itself. It is what brings families around the table for dessert after a good, Thanksgiving meal. It is the fragrant aroma that fills Grandma's kitchen the night of Christmas Eve. It is that dessert Mom makes every Fourth of July. Say apple pie, and the first thing that enters people's minds is a flaky crust with a sweet, apple filling melting together with a scoop of homemade, vanilla ice cream. Let's face it, there is no dessert more looked forward to than a good slice of homemade apple pie.

This website is devoted to teaching people like you how to make an outstanding, mouthwatering, apple pie. No need to fear, we will take you through each step and include lots of pictures. This apple pie recipe is award winning, and it is sure to become one of your family's favorites. So, get that rolling pin out, and join us for a tasty adventure!
I find that there are two things that make this apple pie the best on the web. First, it has a delicious, homemade crust. The secret behind the crust is that it consists of both shortening and butter. This gives it the crumbliness of a shortening crust along with the flakiness of a butter crust. Next is its delicious filling. The first thing you will taste is the sweet vinegar and cinnamon coating; then, as this melts away in your mouth, the sweet, apple sensation kicks in. Combined with its salty crust and a good scoop of vanilla ice cream, no dessert can beat this pie.

Ok, let's get started! Just follow the simple step-by-step instructions. Once you have completed these steps, click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the page for the Apple Pie Filling Recipe.


Ingredients for Apple Pie Crust

Ingredients for Apple Pie Crust

Pie Crust Ingredients

This recipe calls for:

2 cups all-purpose flour

I teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons shortening

6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

hint: If this is your first time making this pie crust, make a double batch to be sure you have enough crust.




Utensils for Apple Pie

Utensils for Apple Pie

Pie Crust Utensils

For this recipe you will need:

1 Mixing Bowl

Rolling pin

Knife

Measuring spoons

Measuring Cups

Dough Blender (in picture, I know, it sounds electric, but it isn't)

Cutting Board

9 inch Pie Pan (smaller is ok, but no bigger)

Pie Crust Mix

First Step: Mixing the Pie Crust Ingredients

Warm the butter in the microwave until it is soft, but not melted.

Mix in a large bowl:

2 cups all-purpose flour

I teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Then cut in using the dough blender:

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons shortening

6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Apple Pie Crust

Pie Crust Dough

This is What your pie dough should look like once you are finished mixing.

Wrap Pie Dough

Wrap Pie Crust Dough

Second Step: Chill the Pie Dough

Wrap your pie crust in plastic wrap. Then place in refrigerator for 20 or more minutes, while you make the pie filling.


Now that the pie crust is complete, let's make the world's best apple pie filling. You may use any type of apples, but tart apples work the best.






Apple Pie Filling Ingredients

Apple Pie Filling Ingredients

Apple Pie Filling Ingredients

For the apple pie filling you need:

5 Tart Peeled Apples

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Apples for Apple Pie Filling

Apples for Apple Pie Filling

First Step: Slice Apples

Peel and slice your apples.

Soak them in water with a tablespoon of lemon juice. This will prevent the first apples cut from turning a funky color.

Apple Coating for Pie

Apple Coating for Pie

Second Step: Mix Filling

Mix in large mixing bowl:

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vinegar

Mixed Apple Coating

Mixed Apple Coating

Once you have finished mixing these ingredients together, they should resemble the picture to the left.

Apples With Coating

Apples and mixture

Third Step: Mix Apples

Now, drain the water off of the apples and mix them with the spices.

Apple Pie Filling

All Finished!

Now that you have finished the filling, it is time to assemble your pie.

Now that you have made the pie dough and apple filling, let's put this pie together! Make sure your pie crust has been at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator before assembling the pie.







Cut Apple Pie Crust

Apple Pie Crust

First Step: Cut

Now that your pie crust has had plenty of time to cool, divide it into two, equal halves.

Rolling Pie Crust

Rolling Pie Crust

Second Step: Rolling Pie Crust

Roll one of the balls of pie crust out until it is around 1/8th of an inch thick.

Crust In Pie Pan

Crust in Pie Pan

Third Step: Putting Crust in Pie Pan

Once you have rolled out the dough, wrap it around the rolling pin and unroll it onto your pie pan.

Once you have shaped it to fit the inside of the pan, take a fork and poke holes in the bottom of the crust. This will let the steam out as the pie bakes.

Apple Pie With Filling

Filling pie with apples

Four Step: Filling Apple Pie

Dump all of the apples in the pie. Place about 4 chunks of butter on top of apple filling. This will give the filling rich flavor.

Putting Pie Crust Dough on Top of Pie

Cover Filling With Crust

Fifth Step: Putting Top Pie Crust On Pie

Ok, we're almost done!

Roll out the remaining pie dough and place it on top.

Forning Edge of Crust

Edge of Crust

Six Step: Forming Edge of Pie Crust

Create a pattern around the edge of the pie by using the back of a knife.

Apple Pie

Let's bake Our Apple Pie!


We're almost done. Don't worry, baking an Apple Pie is not the hardest part, but letting it cool before eating it is!



Pie Befor going into oven

Tinfoil

First Step: Baking Apple Pie

Cut long strips of tinfoil and place them around the edge of the pie.

This will prevent the crust's edge from burning while it bakes. You will want to take the tinfoil off about ten minutes before the pie is done. This way, the apple pie will have a golden brown edge.

Bake your pie at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

hint: Place a cookie sheet covered in tinfoil on the lowest oven rack (not on the same rack as the pie) to prevent any overflow from reaching the bottom of the oven--easy cleanup!

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

Second Step: Brush With Egg White

For a glossy effect, brush a small portion of egg white on top of the crust when you remove the tinfoil.

source www.myhomecooking.net

Jumat, 27 Maret 2009

Long road Padang Maninjau

Start a DAY without stop saying.. BEAUTIFUL!

After exhausted conference. Thank's to Tatha, Rio (bombye), Kahlil, to arrange REALLY GREAT trip for UP delegates. 6 am. I was being picked up by Kahlil from the venue. Honestly It's so tired coz' I slept in 4.00 in the morning to chat with Edja and Irma. Owww... SO FUCKING TIRED! hahaha..
I arrived in Bombye house then I took a bath after full three days I didn't take a bath! hahah... Fiuh I also borrowed Imed T-SHIRT since no clean t-shirt in ma bag. Bombye threated us as special guests. He threated us for our breakfast "LONTONG KARI PADANG" so nice meal. Then we start our JOURNEY!! Woow.. so exited.


"PARADISE" BEACH

I sat at the front, next to Khalil as our driver of the day, then we just picked girls UP delegates in one of gas station, coz' they lived in Mira's house. After we fill the car and we got ready for our trip.
The OC brought us to beautiful beach, quite far, around 30 minutes from gas station and in the way there we saw many beautiful scenaries.. fresh air, sounds of waves, and many coral mountains, friends laughs, chat each others, heat of our body and wind blew touch our faces when we open car' windows... feel the nature taste. Great feelin' to be remembered.

Yeahh... we arrive on the beach!! wooowww... we found many new things that we can't see in our city. Traditional ship, three cute dogs, and cows. I just chat with some members about our Taiwanese friends that really want to introduce us to her country lives. I thought this one is more "VILLAGERS" than taiwanese talked about. Hahaaa.. and also the members agree with me. We took so many photos and felt the sea water on our feet, jumped on the smooth sand, collect many coral and unexpectedly we got "KUMANG", Sea animals. SO cute.... after we engage with sea atmosphere then we continued our trip to lembah anai..

LEMBAH ANAI
I decided to sat at the back, coz' I felt soooo sleepy. I just know Karin and David found the kumangs and play with them took the photo. But I think they have already in HEAVEN now. It's so cute with their "WHITE HOUSE" hahaha... SO TIRED then I just go sleep without nobody know me sleep. After they noticed that I got slept at the back, they took my photo! Lembah Anai quite far, I think 35-40 minutes from the beach and I don't know nothing until somebody made me woke up and we just arrived in Lembah Anai.

I didn't have any idea about Lembah Anai and what it will be looked like. I just know it as beautiful place and one of Padang Landmark. Hmmm.. I just walked with all members without bring anything. Ohh.. from far away we met other AIESECers from other LC that join post tour with other OCs. Hohoho... HI AIESECCCC!!!!
After shaked their hand, I felt their body so fresh. Still don't know why.... Then After I saw the ANAI with my own eyes... then I know the answer. The Lembah ANAI is waterfall near the street we can reach it and get into it. SO FRESHFULL. We roll our pants and put our feet in to the water. Hiii... the water so cold and fresh.. I thought to swim but I didn't bring any clothes (I'll do it next time! I promise to my self)


LUNCH TIME!!
DUDUDU... I thought Padang food will be expensive and hot again, but this time I met really GREAT CUCO PADANG food in our way to Maninjau! Hardly explain I ate ayam pop, jengkol, and daun singkong! hahah.. COOL! But After that I went to bathroom for ***. hahah....
In the end we just pay around $2/person. So cheap. I saw this restaurant had ever been visited by our President Yudoyono and also has several achievements. Ckckck... We love you LO we do!!!


MANINJAU
We got lost from restaurant to the Maninjau... I don't know why Kahlil can get lost. But finally we can find Maninjau without find other cars (we are separated in two cars). Kahlil and all members decided to stop in WARUNG. Eihh.. we saw there's a monkey and three dogs. I thought the monkey so cute and also I can touch it. Everybody touch and hug it. After 5 minutes the monkey became stressful and bite me. fufu... luckily I wore jacket. DAMMIT!
We were trying to contact people in other car but we can't get any signal. Luckily somebody was called by Tatha and they told us to get closer to Maninjau. Great SCENARY and it's like HEAVEN!!!!! We order coffee in the bar and also hot milk! we drank and chit chat with Mira and Kahlil also Bombye about HOW BEAUTIFUL PADANG IS!
Then as usually WILLY, TATHA, IMED always act as sexy couples... wondering they are in their honey moon...



BUKIT TINGGI

We arrive in Bukit tinggi at 5.30, one of leisure place in Sumatra. It's great city with JAM GADANG as its landmark. I think it's unique coz' it was built in 18th century and has been renovated three times. The uniqueness from this landmark that the number 4 in its clock is different romans, it's not used IV but IIII. We also met again with many AIESECers here and shout HI AIESEC loudly from inside of car. Then many people see us as annoying stranger. hahaha... After we bought some souvenirs and I bought shirt to change coz' I have no more, we continue the journey that we CALLED, "TURN TO THE RIGHT, AND STRAIT!" we will arrived then in PAYAKUMBUH! AH! The Willie's family was waiting for us for DURIAN PARTY for willie' durian tree back side of his house in his lovely HOMETOWN!

source: aidysteveany.myaiesec.ne

DANAU TOBA (LAKE TOBA)

DANAU TOBA (LAKE TOBA)

A bird-eye view of the lake
Photo.
Photo: H. Haerumen Js

A. LOCATION

  • North Sumatra Province, Indonesia.
  • 2:21-2:56N, 98:26-99:15E; 905 m above sea level.

B. DESCRIPTION

Lake Toba lies in the northern part of Barisan Mountain Range, which is volcanic and traverses Sumatra Island from northwest to southeast as its backbone.
The laketrough is surrounded by precipitous cliffs 400-1,200 m high. Based on the topographic feature and the wide distribution of volcanic ejecta around the lake, some geologists and valcanologists have considered it to be a giant caldera or cauldron.


The water surface of L. Toba is 905 m above sea level and about 1,100 km2 wide. The total area of the lake, including the areas of Samosir and Paradapur Islands, amounts to 1,780 km2. The mountains around the lake are called Batak Highlands. The only draining river from L. Toba, the Asahan, flows southeastwards dissecting the gentle slopes of the pyroclastic plateau.

C. PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS (Q)

Surface area [km2] 1,100
Volume [km3] 1,258
Maximum depth [m] 529
Water level Unregulated
Normal range of annual water level fluctuation [m] 1.5
Catchment area [km2] 3,440

D. PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES (Q)

D1 GEOGRAPHICAL

  • Sketch map: Fig. ASI-10-01.
  • Names of main islands: Samosir (640 km2) and Paradapur (7 km2).
  • Number of outflowing rivers and channels (name): 1 (Asahan R.).

D2 CLIMATIC

  • Climatic data at Parparean, 1961-1980

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Ann.
Mean temp. [deg C] 19.3 19.0 18.9 19.3 19.4 19.1 19.0 18.8 19.0 19.4 19.4 19.1 19.1
Precipitation [mm] 100 105 115 132 124 102 83 110 148 174 182 178 1,732
  • Solar radiation: 15.7 MJ m-2 day-1.
  • Water temperature [deg C]
Station Surface
Haranggaul 27
Tigaras 27
Tomok 26
Simanindo 27
Pangururan 27
Nainggolan 27
Prapat 27
Porsea 26
  • Freezing period: None.
  • Notes on water mixing and thermocline formation Mizuno observed an extremely homogeneous vertical distribution of water temperature from the surface down to 300 m depth on 23 January 1976 (13).

    Fig. ASI-10-01
    Sketch map (altitude in ft)(14).

E. LAKE WATER QUALITY (Q)

E2 pH,

1979
Station Surface
Lotung 8.4
Situmeang 7.9
Bukit 8.4
Tongging I 7.0
Tongging II 7.9
Onan Runggu 7.6
Prapat 8.2

E4 DO [mg l-1],

1979
Station Surface
Lotung 6.7
Situmeang 6.8
Bukit 9.3
Tongging I 6.3
Tongging II 7.0
Onan Runggu 7.0
Prapat 8.0

E5 COD [mg l-1],

1979
Determined by KMnO4 method.
Station Surface
Haranggaul 2.30
Prapat 2.80
Mogang 2.24
Onan Runggu 2.15
Porsea 2.06
Hashinggahan 1.30
Tomok 1.53
Sabulan 1.72
Muara 1.36
Balige 1.24

E8 PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATION

  • Total-P [mg l-1], 1979
Station Surface
Haranggaul 0.31
Hasinggahan 0.32
Tomok 0.66

E9 CHLORIDE CONCENTRATION [mg l-1],

1979
Station Surface
Haranggaul 8.6
Prapat 8.3
Mogang 10.1
Onan Runggu 10.4
Porsea 10.3
Hasinggahan 11.8
Tomok 11.0
Sabulan 9.2
Muara 9.6
Balige 9.5

F. BIOLOGICAL FEATURES (Q)

F1 FLORA

  • Emerged macrophytes: Nelumbo nucifera, Nymphaea sp.
  • Floating macrophytes:Eichhornia crassipes, Lemna minor, Azolla pinnata, Spirodella polyrhiza.
  • Submerged macrophytes:Potamogeton malaianus, P. polygonifolius, Myriophyllum spicatum, Ceratophyllum demersum, Hydrilla verticillata, Chara sp.
  • Phytoplankton:Amphora, Cocconema, Asterionella, Synedra, Gomphonema, Orthosira, Navicula,Mastogloia, Pleurosigma, Nitzschia, Genicularia, Botryococcus, Synechococcus,Anabaena, Oscillatoria.

F2 FAUNA

  • Zooplankton: Cyclops, Cladocera.
  • Benthos: Macrobrachium sintangensis, Brotia costula, Thiara scabra, Melanoidestuberculata, Melanoides granifera, Anentome helena, Lymnaea brevispira, L.rubiginosa, Physastra sumatrana, Corbicula tobae.
  • Fish: Tilapia mossambica, Aplocheilus pachax, Lebistes reticulatus, Osphronemus goramy, Trichogaster trichopterus, Channa striata, C. gachua, Clarias batrachus, C. nieuhofi, C. sp., Nemachilus fasciatus, Cyprinus carpio, Puntius javanicus, P. binotatus, Osteochilus nasselti, Lissochilus sp., Labeobarbus sora, Rasbora sp.

F4 BIOMASS

  • Submerged macrophytes [g (wet wt.) m-2]
Station Potamogeton sp. Myriophyllum spicatum Others Total
Lotung 2,470 130 <25 2,600
Onan Runggu 2.800 150 0 2,950
Parbaloan Urat 1,833 310 520 2,663
Tongging 1,947 157 <25 2,104
Lumban Sitorus 150 1,640 0 1,750

F5 FISHERY PRODUCTS

  • Annual fish catch [metric tons] 1978: 2,820.

F6 PAST TRENDS

  • Annual fish catch [metric ton]
Year Production
Tilapia mossambica Cyprinus carpio Others Total
1967 1,039 207.8 831.2 2,078
1976 - - - 2,211
1977 - - - 2,569
1978 2,175.1 4.6 640.2 2,820

F7 NOTES ON THE REMARKABLE CHANGES OF BIOTA IN THE LAKE IN RECENT YEARS

Increasing: Tilapia mossambica. Decreasing: Cyprinus carpio.

G. SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS (Q)

G1 LAND USE IN THE CATCHMENT AREA

1981

Area [km2] [%]
Natural landscape
Grass (alang-alang) 955 40.6
Scrub 59.24 2.5
Forest 159.66 6.8
Reforestation 388.70 16.6
Regreening 228.28 9.7
Agricultural land 512.08 21.8
Plantation 20.88 0.9
Others 23.56 1.1
Total 2,347.50 100
  • Main types of woody vegetation:Tropical high mountain forest; Pinus merkusii forest; Macadamia hildebrandii forest.
  • Main types of herbaceous vegetation:Imperata cylindrica with Rhodomyrtus tomentos, Melastoma sp. and Gleichenia linearis.
  • Main kinds of crops: Rice, sweet potato, maize, vegetables.
  • Levels of fertilizer application on crop fields: Moderate.

G2 INDUSTRIES IN THE CATCHMENT AREA AND THE LAKE

: No information.

G3 POPULATION IN THE CATCHMENT AREA

1980
District Area[km2] Population Family Population density [km-2]
Tapanuli Utara 2,420.5 309,111 66,744 128
Tanah Karo 63.0 3,901 731 62
Dairi 45.0 9,011 1,810 200
Total 2,528.5 322,023 69,285 127

H. LAKE UTILIZATION

H1 LAKE UTILIZATION (Q)

Source of water, navigation and transportation (amount of cargo in 1978: 1,922 metric tons), sightseeing and tourism (no. of visitors in 1978: 44,625). recreation (yachting), fisheries.

H2 THE LAKE AS WATER RESOURCE

: No information.

I. DETERIORATION OF LAKE ENVIRONMENTS AND HAZARDS (Q)

I1 ENHANCED SILTATION

  • Extent of damage: Not serious.

I2 TOXIC CONTAMINATION

: No information.

I3 EUTROPHICATION

: No information.

I4 ACIDIFICATION

  • Extent of damage:
    None.

J. WASTEWATER TREATMENTS (Q)

J1 GENERATION OF POLLUTANTS IN THE CATCHMENT AREA

f) Measurable pollution without wastewater treatment.

J3 SANITARY FACILITIES AND SEWERAGES

  • Percentage of municipal population in the catchment area provided with adequate sanitary facilities (on-site treatment system) or public sewerage: None.
  • Percentage of rural population with adequate sanitary facilities (on-site treatment systems): None.
  • Municipal wastewater treatment systems: None.
  • Industrial wastewater treatment systems: None.

K. IMPROVEMENT WORKS IN THE LAKE

None.

L. DEVELOPMENT PLANS (Q)

  1. Integrated management on Toba Lake catchment area.
  2. Hydroelectric power plant under construction.

M. LEGISLATIVE AND INSTITUTIONAL MEASURES FOR UPGRADING LAKE ENVIRONMENTS (Q)

M1 NATIONAL AND LOCAL LAWS CONCERNED

  • Names of the laws (the year of legislation)
    1. Act of the Republic of Indonesia No 4 concerning Basic Provisions for the Management of the Living Environment (1982)
    2. State Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia No.29 on Environmental Impact Assessment (1986)
  • Responsible authorities
    1. & (2) The State Minister for Population and Environment. Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Forestry and Local (Provincial) Governments

M2 INSTITUTIONAL MEASURES

  1. The State Minister for Population and Environment responsible for coordinating environmental managements
  2. Ministry of Public Works responsible for lake utilization
  3. Ministry of Home affairs responsible for regional development
  4. Ministry of Forestry responsible for forest management and soil conservation

M3 RESEARCH INSTITUTES ENGAGED IN THE LAKE ENVIRONMENT STUDIES

  1. Centre of Environmental Studies (University)
  2. Institute of Hydraulic Engineering Agency of Resources and Development

source www.ilec.or.jp