Kris Carlson's Weblog

Delicious Shrimp and Wild Rice

I have eaten this dish many times over many years.  It never loses it's deliciousness.  The original recipe is for many people, I think 50, but we usually prepare it in 1/8 proporion.  Even though that would be 7 people, I submit to you, 1/8th with feed 2 hungry people, but more like 4 average healthy people.  So, prepare at your discretion.  I provide both for your convenience, and mine.  Oh, and if you enjoy eating something that is 1 molecule away from the plastic you use to store left-overs in, use butter instead of maragine.

Original:

Ingredients - Weights - Measure - Directions

Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice Blend - 2lbs. 4ozs. - 1 pkg (I've never seen a package this large) - Coll, using basic recipe on package

Water - 7 lbs. - 3 1/2 quarts

Margarine - 2 oz. - 1/4 cup

(Cooked rice mixture) - (8lbs. 8oz.) - (1 gal. 1pint)

Margarine , melted - 1lb. - 2 cups - Saute celery and onion till tender.  Add shrimp and heat.  Stir into hot cooked rice.

Celery, Chopped - 1 lb. - 4 cups

Onion, chopped - 1 lb. - 2 cups

Shrimp, cleaned and cooked - 4 lbs. - 4 qts.

Note: (E.P. weight cooked)

Adjusted recipe at 1/8th for fewer people, but still a good portion.  If your'e feeding teenagers, cut 1/4 or double the 1/8th recipe.

to be continued...

 

 

Solo Almond Crescents - Cookies

1 cup butter softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. almond extract

1 can Solo Almond filling

2 cups all-pupose flour

confectioners sugar

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in Almond extract and almond filling until blended.  Stir in flour with wooden spoonto make stiff dough.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until dough is no longer sticky.  Preheat over to 325F.

Dust hands with flour.  Shape teaspoonsfulls of dough into small tapered crescents about 2 1/2 inches long.  Place on ungreased backing sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.  

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cookies are firm and light brown.  Cool on baking sheet on wire rack 1 minute.  Remove from baking sheets and cool on racks.  Dust with confectioners sugarwhile cookies are still warm.  Cool completely.  Store in airtight containers.

Traditional Peanut Brittle

2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup water

2 cups raw Spanish peanuts

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. butter

1 to 2 tsp. vanilla extract (to taste)

2 tsp. baking soda

Heat and stir sugar, syrup and water in a heavy 3-quart saucepan until the sugar dissolves.  Add salt.  Cook over medium heat to soft ball stage (234 degrees F).  Add peanuts at 250 degrees.  Cook to hard crack stage (290 degrees), stirring often.  Remove from heat. 

Note: Please be very careful with this stuff.  Keep small children at least 20 feet away, and anyone else as well.  This can be done by one person, so keep everyone else away from this mixture.

Quickly, stir in butter and vanilla.  Note: you will not be able to add the vanilla to taste at this point.  You will have to test the taste after it has cooled.  After the butter has melted and is mixed in (only a few seconds), quickly stir in the baking soda.  Beat to a froth for a few seconds.  Pour at once onto 2 well-buttered 15-1/2 by 10-1/2 by 1 inch pans.  Do not spread with spatula unless you want to loose the bubbles.  The mixture will spread fairly well with gravity.  You can lift the pan (with oven gloves) and tilt to spread.  If desired, cool slightly and pull with fork to spread thin (I never do this because I like the foam and bubbles in the mixture.  It's easier to eat).  Break up when cool.

Enjoy!!!

6 months probationary period passed

I am past the 6 months probationary period at the U of M.  It was a bit rocky at first, but I will leave out the details.  

The job is going good.  I've been able to take the Oracle University Admin II course for 11g R2 database.  I am now firmly on the path to OCP.  There is more training ahead for me, due to the implementation of Exadata at ITS.  I'm very excited about that.  I just happened to have joined the group at the right time, and am able to take advantage of the education credits for the Exadata package.

My next post will be congratulating myself on a successful OCP campaign.

-- Kris

 

New Job

I will be starting a new job with the University of Michigan on Monday 4/16/2012.  I will be in the ITS Core Infrastructure Services department as a Database Administrator.  I get to learn SQL Server, as well as continue to expand my knowledge as an Oracle DBA.  I will get to focus on DBA now, and go for the Oracle OCP Certifications. 

My last day at Wellness & Prevention, Inc., formerly known as Healthmedia, Inc. was yesterday 4/12.  I didn't want my last day at work to be Friday the 13th.  A lot of my coworkers asked me if I was taking any time off?  When did I start?  I think they were surprised to think I was starting on Monday.

I sent a farewell email yesterday, and the response was nothing short of incredible.  The outpouring of well wishes was incredibly touching.  I knew I would miss working with the many friends I have made over the past 4 years, but I didn't realize how I was perceived in the organization, and how many people I have touched in a positive way.  I was surprised by the number of people who actually knew what my job was, and asked what they were going to do without me.  Well, the company will find someone to pick up where I left off. 

I am very excited about this new opportunity.  I am looking forward to learning new things, and becoming a really good, knowledgeable and competent Oracle DBA.  Same for SQL Server and MySQL. The department has all 3 databases, and I will get to administer all 3 if I want to and demonstrate a level of competency.  I will find ot Monday, but I will get to take courses for free as well.  This could be the start of a UMich Ph.D. in Math.  Now that would be cool.

-- Kris

Socialism

"The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out 
of other people's money."

—Margaret Thatcher

Review, review and review

Review, review and review some more, that's what my best teachers used to tell me in school. The reason I say they were the best is because I just remembered how important it is to review things. For example, your lecture notes and material you have already covered; and not just once or twice, but several times until the information becomes burned into your memory.

I mention this because I just read over some of my posts and said to myself, "you can write better than that." I know that because I have done better than that in the past. What it takes is practice, an effort to improve, and lots of review to help determine progress and improvement. OK, so I should be writing better than I have been.

What's kind of wierd is that it's 4:40 AM and I am sitting here typing and thinking about this stuff. I should be in bed sleeping. I'm going to bed.