'Help Now' from Brainfuse

Get help with  homework, create an online study group, learn a Microsoft Office software program, create a resume or study for the citizenship test.
 
The library's new "Help Now' service from Brainfuse is being offered on our webpage thanks to the generousity of the Library Foundation. The Foundation was started in 1996 by a group of individuals whose mission was the preservation and advancement of the Public Library in South Brunswick.

Here is what Brainfuse can offer you :
 
Homework Help: Enter the online classroom and receive live, online homework help from a Brainfuse tutor.

Skills-Building: The skills building service helps you master an academic concept through expert tutoring and state-aligned online lessons, HelpNow Skills Building has been designed for a variety of age groups and academic needs.

24/7 Help Center: Submit a homework question and a tutor will provide you with a response (usually within 24 hours).

Foreign Language Lab: The Foreign Language Center provides expert homework assistance and support for students who are learning a foreign language. Expert tutoring is currently offered for Spanish, and a host of helpful online resources for learning other languages is forthcoming.

Writing Lab: HelpNow offers two types of writing assistance:

Live Writing Assistance: Connect with an online tutor for expert writing assistance with our live help feature. Live help is particularly helpful during the initial stages of the writing process when you are working on the organizational and thematic features of your paper.

Intensive Writing Lab: For a more thorough analysis, simply select "Writing Lab" from the launch menu and submit your writing via our secure messaging feature. Within approximately 24 hours of submitting your paper, you will receive a detailed analysis of your paper in your message center inbox. Our writing experts are trained to focus their analysis on voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and organization.

STUDY TOOLS

Test Center: Visit the online assessment library to take practice standardized tests (SAT, ACT, GED and more) and practice subject specific tests, like math and science. Get results instantly and, if you choose, share your results with one of our tutors for a targeted skills building session.

Flashbulb -- Mobile friendly flashcards: Enjoy 24/7 access to an extensive library of online flashcard sets in hundreds of subjects. You can also create your own flashcards and multiple choice quizzes for efficient self-study on both computers and mobile devices.

What services are available for adult learners?

Our Adult Learning Center provides comprehensive academic support from trained adult education specialists in areas such as US Citizenship testing, resume and cover letter assistance, and core skills building including Microsoft Office help.

Find Brainfuse and many other valuable online resources on the library's website today!

For questions contact :  Mary Donne Head of Information Services

Something's Fishy Around Here

So my husband goes fishing whenever he can, and - sad but true, and the cause for much kidding - for the past two years he has not caught even a single keeper, much to my chagrin as a lover of fresh seafood.

But lo and behold, the other day:  success!  Stripers, nice ones, caught off the coast in our friend's boat.  Was the secret that he took our youngest son along? Not sure.

But even better, he cooked the fillets up, using Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris cookbook.  Delicious, low in fat, high in protein, and fresher than you can even imagine.  Now I just need to figure out how to get to Paris sometime...

Roasted Striped Bass adapted from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 or 3 strips bacon, chopped up (2 oz.)
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1 28 oz. can diced plum tomatoes (I like Muir Glen brand, Fire Roasted or not)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp. regular salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1  2 to 3 lb.striped bass fillet (or other thin white fish fillet)
1 lb. shelled and deveined large shrimp (I always keep a bag from Costco in the freezer - just thaw under cold running water for 10 minutes, and drain well)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the bacon and onion.  Saute about 10 minutes, until the onion is soft but not browned.  Add the garlic and saute another minute.  Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and wine, and simmer 5 more minutes.

Put the fish in a 13 x 9 inch glass pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Strew the shrimp on top.  Pour the sauce over all and bake about 20 to 30 minutes, until the shrimp is done and the fish flakes easily.

I have cooked a number of recipes from this book of Ina Garten's.  The Croque Monsieur is great - a super grilled cheese and ham sandwich with bechamel sauce on top.  We had it cut up small for snacks...it is really rich and fabulous - not for everyday consumption, but totally worth a splurge.

Get this book and others at our Library today - remember, if the book's not here, you can always put it on hold and pick it up when it comes in.

Diane Whitman
Reference Librarian
Dreaming of being barefoot in Paris

Free Books for Kindle

We have been helping many  library patrons download e-books to their Kindle from the library's web site. It is a wonderful benefit of being a library member.  You can even download kindle books without a Kindle.  Here's how :

1.     Go to library website www.sbpl.info

2.     Click on the Download Audiobooks & eBooks button to the left of the screen.

3.    Next page tells you that your library is Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium. You  need to know your library card number, pin, Amazon Login and you need your Kindle WiFi turned on .

4.     Click on Download link to enter ListenNJ.

         Once in ListenNJ login to your Digital Media Account.

5.     We suggest using the Advanced Search option. Set search to ‘Format - Kindle,  Subject - of your choosing and then click on the  Copies Available box if you do not want to wait.

6.     Choose a Kindle Book from the search results and add to cart.

7.     Proceed to check out, confirm and ‘Get Kindle Book’.

8.     Log in to your Amazon Account with email and password when prompted.

9.     Click on ‘My Library Book’ and select kindle name or kindle app.

10.   The ListenNJ book should then appear on the Kindle or Kindle app. You may have to click on menu to see the list.

11.  All ListenNJ/Overdrive kindle checkouts are managed on your Amazon account by clicking on ‘Manage My Kindle’.

      12. Books titles are deleted from the Kindle itself from the title list. Highlight the title, click on the    left directional arrow (delete command will appear) and then click on the center OK 

To get help with this please contact the Information Desk.

Mary Donne, Head of Information Services

Thanksgiving in Paradise

In one of my previous blogs on travel, I shared our dilemma about where to take a November vacation.  Well, we just returned from Aruba, where we spent Thanksgiving week, and I can tell you that we made a great choice!  Aruba advertises itself as "one happy island" and that is certainly true.  The natives enjoy a high standard of living from the influx of tourist dollars which results in a happy population who are welcoming, friendly and helpful.
 


Brown Pelican

 Aruba is a vacation paradise that caters to the American tourist.  The country accepts American currency - in fact, the first and sometimes only prices given are the prices in US dollars - no money changing or conversions necessary!  And the food ranges from American standards such as T.G.I. Fridays and Tony Romas to Brazilian, Dutch, Belgian, Caribbean, French, Japanese, Chinese and other interesting cuisines from around the world.  There are too many good restaurants that you can't try them all!  The best meal we had was in a restaurant at our resort called Le Petite Cafe which featured hot stone cooking at the table.  Basically, they deliver the food raw, sitting on a (very) hot stone.  The food is starting to cook (seer) as it arrives and the rest is up to you to heat to your desired doneness as you cut each bite.  You get your meal prepared just the way you like it.



Iguana

 The daily temperature tops out at around 89 degrees but there is almost always a breeze which makes being outdoors - sunbathing, shopping, dining or just walking around - more than tolerable.  It is, however, only 12 degrees north of the equator (and 15 miles from Venezuela) so even on cloudy days, don't be fooled into thinking that the sun is other than strong, strong, strong!  You really need to wear sunscreen (at least 30) at all times as you can get a burn even in the shade (and I can personally attest to that!)   We did experience a few brief rain showers that cooled things off and kept the island lush and green but the showers quickly gave way to sun.  We were told by the natives that the weather patterns over the past four to five years have changed enough to negate the adage that "it never rains in Aruba" - apparently there have even been whole months in the past few years where it has rained all day, every day for weeks at a time causing flooding and a lot of disgruntled vacationers.  The "rainy" season is probably November, December and maybe a few weeks into January but there is really no difference between summer and winter or day and night for that matter.

The island has really only been developed for tourism since the last Venezuelan oil refinery closed in 1985, so most of the hotels and tourist areas are new and upscale and construction of new resorts is continuing at a moderate rate.  Aruba, as well as other Caribbean islands, has definitely felt the effects of the recession in the US.  There are many vacant stores and some over ambitious Venezuelan construction projects have been abandoned.  It is the only blight that I saw on an otherwise beautiful island.

There are three main areas on the western side of the island where all of the "action" is located.  The oldest "tourist" area is in the capital city, Oranjestad, near the marina where the cruise ships dock.  The second area just to the north is called the low-rise hotel area which is located on Eagle Beach.  The newest area is the high-rise hotel area on Palm Beach, to the north of Eagle Beach.  To go between these areas, you should take a taxi, which are plentiful and inexpensive.  There is a safe bus system that tourists use, but the bus stops everywhere making the journey long and tedious.  However, once you are in one of the tourist areas, everything is in waking distance.  And every area has a full selection of everything you need - restaurants, shopping, entertainment, casinos, night clubs, recreation opportunities, water sports, land tours, grocery shopping (and even Wendy's and McDonald's) - everything you need for a family vacation or a romantic get-away.



Most of the hotels are full resorts including access to the beach, pools, restaurants, a casino, a spa, gym, and activities for children, teens and adults.  Many are timeshare properties that "rent" vacant units to guests.  We stayed at the Playa Linda Beach Resort which is a timeshare property with one and two bedroom units with full kitchens and balconies all with an ocean view.  There were many owners at this resort who have clearly been coming for years and know each other and the regular staff.  The resort advertises itself as "your home away from home" and it certainly felt comfortable and safe. 



Bananaquit

 Water sports (snorkeling, fishing, scuba diving, parasailing, kite surfing, banana boat, tube and water skiing to name a few) and land adventures (horseback riding, trekking in three and four wheel ATVs, hiking) abound, but you can also just relax on the beach under a thatched "chickee" hut or beside the pool and catch up on your reading and napping, which is what we did almost every day.  Watch out for lizards large (iguanas) and small (gecko like lizards of every shape and color) warming themselves on every rock and enjoy the beauty of the many exotic flowers and birds that are all around.  We saw Brown Pelicans plunging head first into the sea to catch a tasty fish, watched Magnificent Frigatebirds soar high in the sky and enjoyed the song of the friendly Bananaquit as they visited the many tropical flowers in bloom everywhere and our table looking for juice or fruit.



Magnificent Frigatebird

 At the newest mall (not quite done), there is a new bowling alley that features glow-in-the-dark nighttime bowling, popular with the teens and there is a surf simulator to give you the thrill of surfing of the safety of land.  There are even cinemas that feature all the latest releases.  We saw Johnny English with the ever zany Rowan Atkinson which was a scream and we saw it at half price on two-for-one Tuesday.

All-in-all, Aruba was everything that people say that it is...a great vacation spot...guaranteed.

Children's Book Flash Video On iPad from SBPL

The South Brunswick Library website has  two great online children's video book services that use flash video.  They are Bookflix and Trueflix. 

Bookflix is for grades K-3.  It offers unlimited access to classic children's video storybooks that a child can read along with again and again.

TrueFlix™ is the only online resource that leverages the award-winning True Books content to help students hone literacy skills, build knowledge of subject-area content, and cultivate 21st Century skills through the inquiry process. It's intended audience is grades 3 thru 6.

To make a long story short for a long time we could not use these services on our iPad. South Brunswick  school librarians were especially disappointed since the iPad  is being used more and more in today's classroom.

The library recently demonstrated library apps on mobile devices.  Jim Colquist attended this demonstration and  he offered to explore ways we might be able to use Bookflix and Trueflix on an iPad.  


Jim is now our most recent library hero.  He emailed us to say that the browser Photon, available from the App Store for a small fee, allows users to view flash videos including Bookflix and Trueflix. 

Here is what he shared :
************************************************************************

- download Photon browser from the app store

 

- navigate to South Brunswick Library's database link  from photon

 

- BEFORE clicking Bookflix or Trueflix links....hit the lightning bolt icon on photon browser to put you in flash mode.    This will reload the page. You need to do this on the database link, otherwise you will not be directed properly to the "TrueFlix (outside library) " "BookFlix (outside library)" when you click them.

 

- log in with library code and you will be able to use either site. 

There are some minor limitations:

- paging down on the database link page is a little slow in flash mode...so takes a second to move down to the Trueflix link.

 

- the video can't be displayed full screen like most iPad video. But it does work and the audio plays.

 

************************************************************

Try this fix and start enjoying free, quality children's book videos from your library today on your iPad.

For more information on this article contact : Mary Donne Head of Information Services

 

 

I Found a Farm at the Library

In these unstable economic times around the world a young American author named Jenna Woginrich is inspiring readers of her books, tweets, and blog posts to take charge.  To learn to be more self-sufficient while being environmentally conscious. Jenna is no whiner. She is on her feet trying, making mistakes, and learning. You can occupy Wall Street if you want.  No offense to the occupiers, but I admire someone like Jenna. She is truly a doer!

I discovered Jenna's first book while looking for recipes in the 640 section of the Library shelves.   I happened to notice the title Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life. This  immediately got my attention because anything about "handmade" is impressive to me.  It means that someone has slowed down, taken time to be creative and clever, broke a sweat, taught themself something, saved money, and even helped the planet to boot.  What's not to love?! 

 In her book she talks about how she started off as a young, single woman with a desk job and a city apartment who wanted to build a more self-sufficient lifestyle by learning homesteading skills. She didn't own land or have much practical experience beyond a few forays into knitting and soap-making.  She did have a strong desire to opt out of what she saw as a consumer-driven culture. After moving to a rented farmhouse, she learned to raise chickens and bees, and to grow her own food. All the while supporting herself with a full-time job as a graphic artist. 

Along the way, she learned that an abundance of enthusiasm and a willingness to experiment could make up for a lack of knowledge, and that reaching out to others for mentoring and guidance could help her reconnect with her community.

In the book I found simple sewing patterns and simplified recipes for pancakes, quiche, and bread among other ideas.

Made from Scratch shares the deep satisfaction Jenna found by learning to provide for herself. Her youthful (she is in her mid-20s) outlook is positive and humorous as she shares stories of her ups and downs with her two sled dogs (yes, she even taught herself how to drive a sled team!).  In addition she talks about lessons learned to knit a sweater, play a guitar, make jam, even raise baby chicks.

Her voice is inspirational and encouraging as she goads readers to take small steps toward self-reliance as she does.  For Jenna, it's about learning the simple skills most of us have forgotten, and finding joy in the process.

Since the printing of that first book, Jenna bought a small farm in upstate New York and continues to learn new things, such as training a pony to pull and playing a banjo. She is writing her fourth book now about how she has managed her first year as a property owner, part-time new farmer, and still full-time graphic artist. 

Her story is less unique than you might think. Raised garden beds in Brooklyn backyards has taken on a kind of movement (search videos on You Tube). Upstate New Yorker farmers Josh and Brent of Beekman Farm have a book and now weekly TV show about their "conversion" from working for others to self-reliance on the farm.


One way Jenna has helped herself survive is by inviting readers of her blog to paid workshops in her home, where she shares her hard-won knowledge on a variety of topics.  In March I am looking forward to attending her workshop on Urban Farming, a course for suburbanites like myself who want to be better backyard gardeners and canners for benefit of health and wallet.  
 
To learn more about Jenna Woginrich and her homestead on Cold Antler Farm, just search in Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger, and of course, on the 640 shelf at your local library.

Chocolate Frosting and Food Snobs

Chocolate Frosting and Food Snobs

Me? A food snob? Not really…I’ll admit, I do love the heirloom tomatoes and the baby white turnips and everything from the organic farm, but I’m not above using a cake mix in a pinch. But puh-lease do not use frosting from a can?  Ever. It’s just not worth it – the calories, the effort, anything! It tastes artificial, grainy and bad, and furthermore, it’s too soft to decorate with too.

This week I made three desserts for staff birthdays. One was the Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake from The Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn – just devil’s food cake mix, 21 oz. cherry pie filling, 2 eggs and ½ teaspoon of almond extract. Mix as usual and bake. I happen to have a 12 inch round cake pan (because I made my own wedding cake – I know, what was I thinking), so I made it in that instead of a 13 x 9 pan because I thought it would look more festive.

But the frosting, ahh the frosting…it was delicious. It was from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes. Rich, chocolatey, and decadent, but definitely not lo-cal and yes, a little time consuming. After all, it’s Martha, what do you expect?


Here follows two good chocolate frosting recipes: the aforementioned one from Martha, and the other from the America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook. The ATK recipe my daughter made for me for my birthday (I'm trying to lose a few pounds, especially before the holidays!), and it was really delicious, and, as she says, “insanely easy” and “more like 3 minutes”.


Five Minute Lowfat Chocolate Frosting, adapted from the America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

3 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder – preferably Dutch processed*
7 Tablespoons 1 percent lowfat milk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate (microwave it)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, pulse the sugar and cocoa together until mixed. Add everything else. Process until smooth.
(130 calories per 2 Tablespoons.)


* Note: Dutch processed cocoa tastes better and blends better than regular cocoa powder – you can buy Dutch processed Rademaker unsweetened cocoa at Wegman’s, or Droste or Lindt from a gourmet store; failing that, use Hershey’s regular unsweetened cocoa powder.



And now for the full fat version:

Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting, adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

8 oz. (2 cups) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder – Dutch processed (see note above)
¼ teaspoons salt
6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature (temp is very important here)
¾ stick (6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temp
9 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted in a double boiler, and cooled for 20 minutes
¾ cup sour cream, room temperature

Sift together the dry ingredients – sugar, cocoa and salt.

Beat cream cheese and butter together at medium high speed in a mixer until pale and fluffy. On low speed, add the sugar mixture and mix thoroughly. Then add the cooled chocolate and the sour cream and beat on high until smooth.   (Enjoy in moderation - ha!)


It’s hard not to like a chocolate cake with a great frosting.  Be sure to err on the side of underbaking with a chocolate cake, though:  3 - 5 minutes less will do.  A chocolate cake should not be dry.

 And just between you and me - don’t tell anyone it’s from a mix!

(All of the above mentioned books are available in our Library.)

Diane Whitman
Reference Librarian
Little White Liar