Final Post for Web 2.0

I have found this exercise quite interesting. Had fun with tastespotting and shared foodgawkers with some of my collegues. Box.net would be good for sharing files eg between colleagues or team members and would be useful for a team effort for tasks. Picapp has up to date photos of recent events. Slideshare is a uesful site for sharing slideshows. Encompass is very interesting. I would recommend these sites to customers using the learnets when the need arises.

Week 6 - EnCompassCulture

Have just searched the website for books relating to food in the search box, found 23 books and these books looks really interesting. This website is quite easy to use. This website would be useful for readers advisory when the customer wants more books on a certain topic and would like more titles and authors. The website gives a short review of the book as well as links to reviews elsewkere on the net. This website could be recommended to the customers who are interested.

Week 5 - SlideShare

This website is easy to use, can use it to search for ideas/information. I have searched it for recycling and got a slideshow from EECA and also searched for hole in ozone layer. It gives quite a visual explanation about the topics which makes it easier to understand. I'm sure I'll use it again in the workroom or on the learnnet and promote this site if asked by customers.

Week 4: Tastespotting

Authentic Thai Tofu Satay
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: SERVES 2-4 as a Main Entree
Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 package firm tofu (approx. 12 oz./350 g)
1 red bell pepper
optional: 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
SATAY MARINADE:
1/4 cup minced lemongrass, fresh or frozen-prepared (see below for more on lemongrass)
1-2 fresh red chilies, OR 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, sliced
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 Tbsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
3 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
salt to taste
Preparation:
For complete instructions on how to buy and cook with fresh lemongrass, go to: All About Lemongrass.
Slice tofu into thick cubes or long pieces, as shown in the photo. Place in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blitz to create a dark, rich Thai marinade.
Taste-test the marinade for salt, spice, and sweetness. Note: with this mariande, you should first taste SALTY, followed by SWEET and spicy. Add a little salt if needed, or more sugar if not sweet enough. Add more chili for more heat, if desired.
Pour marinade over the tofu, turning tofu to cover all sides. Add the bell pepper pieces and onion wedges and gently turn in the marinade together with the tofu. Set in the refrigerator to marinate at least 1 hour, or cover and leave to marinate up to 24 hours.
Thread the tofu, bell pepper, and onion onto wooden or stainless-steel skewers (soak wooden ones in your sink 10 minutes beforehand to prevent burning). Retain the bowl with the leftover mariande for basting.
Lightly brush grill with oil, then set skewers over the fire. Grill until tofu and vegetables are lightly browned. As you grill, baste with leftover marinade. If desired, sprinkle some sesame seeds over each satay stick after basting.
Serve with Easy Satay Peanut Sauce , and plain rice, Coconut Rice , or Sticky Rice. ENJOY!
To Make this Dish in Your Oven: Be sure to soak wooden satay sticks at least 10 minutes before using this method. Lay prepared satay on a baking sheet (cover first with parchment paper, if desired). Set oven to BROIL, and place a rack on the highest or second-highest rung of your oven. Slide tofu under the broiler and broil 5 minutes per side, or until tofu is nicely browned and vegetables are lightly charred. Baste halfway through cooking with leftover marinade, and sprinkle over the sesame seeds just before serving.

I have selected this recipe after searching on the website for vegetarian food and this looks really delicious and would look forward to trying this recipe in the summer.

I am already regularly checking the another website foodgawker which has similar photos and information about food. This website is a very impressive one and I love gawking at the photos and maybe once in a while get inspired to cook some of the nice recipes. If there is something that I want to cook but do not have the recipe, I can enter the item into the search box and find the required recipe and use that. This website is very inspiring.

This week's blogging is very enjoyable, but check out Foodgawker too.

Week 3 - FeedMyInbox

I have an account with FeedMyInbox and subscribed to the NZ Herald and The Star newspapers.Have also included the top5 from the library website. This is very easy to use and I will be able to get updates from these websites in my inbox. I am sure customers will find it simple to use. I have just added TasteSpotting to FeedMyInbox as I really like this site too.

Week 2 - Picapp

Have inserted the above picture of the Minister Mentor of Singapore Mr. Lee Kuan Yew holding the touch of the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore as the Games are held there on August 14 -26, 2010.

This site is quite easy to use and would recommend it to customers who wants photos of recent events for their blogs. Also tried searching for photos of Miss Universe and got plenty of photos of Miss Mexico who won the contest.

Week 1 - Box.net online file storage

This online file storage would be useful for customers who does not want to email their work to themselves, not want to burn to cd or does not have a flash drive. However can use the 'lite' to store up to 1Gb of items, single file size of 25mb. In my opinion, customers can use google docs if they have a gmail account. However if there is a file which is too big to be sent by email then this online storage would be a great idea.

Orange Chiffon Cake

Ingredients
7 egg whites
170g castor sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
7 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
7 tbsp corn oil
5 tbsp orange juice
orange zest
200g self-raising flour, sift

Method
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Whisk egg whites, 1/3 of the sugar and cream of tartar in an electric mixer until just stiff.

Whisk egg yolks, rest of the sugar and vanilla essence until light and creamy. Add in corn oil, orange juice and thick coconut milk. Mix well.

Stir in sifted flour and fold in carefully and gently to mix.

Pour egg yolk mixture lightly into the egg white mixture. Mix evenly with a metal spoon or a plastic spatula.

Pour batter into an ungreased 22cm tube pan. Bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until cake is well browned and firm to the touch.

Remove cake from oven. Invert pan immediately. Leave to cool, then remove cake from pan with the help of a thin-bladed knife.

Musicality on youtube

Last Post for Web 2.0

I have enjoyed Web 2.0. Most useful is Zamzar as now know how to help customers when they need to convert files from pdf to MSWord or vice versa. Will try to keep up with blogging, however will keep using Facebook as will be able to keep in touch with my friends and relatives all over the world.

Week 6 - Facebook

I have created account on Facebook and found Titiksha and added her as a friend. Also found Manukau Libraries Facebook page and became a fan. Also posted comment on discussion of What are you reading - RIGHT this minute.

I have found Facebook easy to use. As the library have a Facebook page, customers if they become a fan can then get updates of the events of the day, book reviews and can jon in discussions of interested topics. I would promote the Libraries Facebook page for customers, maybe the ones who are computer savvy and interested in Facebook.

Week 5 - Music files and MP3s

Have tried MP3.com but was not able to download any music file. Then tried GarageBand.com and found it much easier to find the free music to download. There are all types of genres that can be downloaded. These websites are very good for artistes and musicians that want some exposure. Those customers who are downloads songs should be able to find the websites and follow the steps easily.

Week 4 - Books and social networking

Good Reads

Have had a look at the website, good for book lovers. Will be able to keep track of books that we are reading, to be read and books that have been read. Can also check out book reviews of the books we are reading or those that we want to read. This website will be good for readers that likes computers and technology, but those that are not would prefer the old fashion way of writing it all in a notebook. Manukau libraries has good website and we are able to keep track of our reading history if we opt in.

Week 3 Twitter

Have just signed up on Twitter, will be looking for more friends. Found my neice on it and found out what she's been up to. Very nice, looking forward to finding more friends on it.

Twitter is very easy to use and I'm sure customers will find it easy to use too. The library can promote its services and events through Twitter, reminding customers of the events happening and coming up eg, the closure of Pakuranga library from 1st to 9th May for refurbishments.

Just checked my twitter page and discovered a follower who I did not know and have just changed the settings on my twitter page as I want my tweets to be private and only available to twitters that i approve.

Week 2 - Zamzar

Sounds foreign, this program is very easy to use and would be very useful when customers need help on the learn-nets I converted a word document to pdf file and using the same file converted it back to doc. I found that there are many missing words in the document. I would not hesitate to promote this site to our customers. I would surely use this site again when I need it.

Tried twice to convert a flv file to gif but unsuccesful as wanted to save a youtube video so that I can view it later, no need to download each time I want to listen to it. Maybe try again later.

Week 1 2010

Back to blogging, Yeah.........Yeah

Good to be back blogging. Forgotten how fun it was. Will be spending some time on the computer now. I have just updated it and was very excited that my photo was included in the schmap website.

In the library environment, customers can be informed in a very fun, pleasing, funky way of the books that are being enjoyed by the library staff and customers. Anyone can comment on the stuff that interests them. This might encourage the younger generation back to the libraries.

WEB 2.0 here we come........

Update on Photo on Schmap - Adelaide