Online Challenges Can Be Discouraging - or Fun!

Last week I was excited because I thought the shopping cart was finally installed and ready to work. I was busy the rest of the week with other projects but returned to the shopping cart last night all excited because now I should be able to start stocking it with the models I had already prepared.

Not so. I was able to login to the admin/dashboard at first, but as soon as I tried to make any changes and save them, I was kicked out and the login would not work! What??! I struggled to get it all reset, but the old error message showed up, so that first problem is not truly resolved. And their support has NOT responded to me. I admit to getting rather discouraged.

I went back to looking over the possible shopping cart systems I could install, and I saw short-comings in all of them. It would almost appear I have to solve this original problem - all by myself?

Ah, but this morning I turned to the LORD, and He showed me in more verses to remind me to lean on HIM. HE has all the answers.

Of course that is not the only project I'm working on. The big one looming before me is the rebuilding of the site that I first started in 1999 and which has over 1000 pages. But I've learned so much more about how a site should be structured and every page should point back to the main purpose of the site. So I've been spending my mornings (except for my RoseBouquet Tuesdays) and the first hour or two of the afternoon, on assessing the true purpose of this site, and how I shall make every section relate to my novel and contribute to a focus on it. As I see this taking shape I began to get quite excited with anticipation.

This may well take 5-6 months, but wow, if I can start to sell my novel - and also some devotional type of ebooks that connect to the theme, this is going to be a powerful website!

Yesterday afternoon I was designing some background images for this re-born site, and I came up with 4 ideas. Now I'll have to do some trial pages to see which I like best. Or, if I can't decide, I may have to choose some for specific sections of the site. I like variety. I like roses. I think I'm going to have a good time with this project! Besides, if I allow myself to play with those rose graphics in GIMP another day or two I may have ideas for most of the sections to have their own look n' feel!

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Three Meals from One Cup of Rice

Do you ever have to make a small amount of food last much longer than usual?

As a frugal single I have discovered that I can make three meals from one cup of rice. Of course, if you are cooking for a family of several people, you can change your catch phrase to "one cup of rice for every three people around the table."

How do I figure this?

Well, when I'm thinking ahead, and see that I'm low on some meats, or other basic ingredients, my next thought it, "Well, I can boil some rice, and by the time I come back into the kitchen I'll have the basic materials for 3 more meals." I have a number of possibilties.

1. The boiled rice will fill my medium pot up to about 2/3 full. I divide that into 3 Tupperware containers. Two I put in the fridge for future meals. I use the one right away for a stir-fry meal, where I chop up one clove of garlic and part of an onion, and toss them into the medium-sized frying pan with some olive oil. If I have some meat handy, already-chopped, or easily chopped into bite-size pieces, I toss them in too.

If I have veggies handy, as left-overs in the fridge, or in a bag of frozen veggies in the freezer, I add a handful or two to the pan.

If I am short of things to add, I don't mind just adding some scrambled eggs, and some spices and herbs. My favourite being summer savory. If it still looks like it needs something more, I will crumble into the mix a slice or two of cheese. In no time it is ready to slide into a plate for my meal!

2. The above can be changed with many variations, and it will often surprise you at how good it tastes.

3. Another option is to mix a quick pudding mix, and some cut up fruit. Or, just a few spoons full of yogurt and some cut up fruit. That could also be frozen berries, tossed into the stir-fry long enough to get defrosted. This may seem more like a desert meal, but hey, it is healthy and filling!

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