MrsDrPoe: Quiche

It's another What's for Dinner Wednesday here on the blog!  Tonight I'm going to share with you one of my favorite dishes, quiche.

Ingredients: pie crust, 5 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup cooked, chopped chicken*, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese*, 1/4 cup bacon bits*.

Scatter chicken, bacon, and cheese in the bottom of your favorite pie-crust (unbaked is best).  Beat eggs, milk, and seasonings together with a fork in a medium bowl, and pour the mixture over the meat and cheese.

Bake at 350 until the egg is cooked and set and the crust is browned (about 40 minutes).  Enjoy!

*These ingredients are optional and can be changed to fit whatever you have on hand.  There is a multitude of veggies, meats, and cheeses that you can combine (or omit) to make this dish your own.

MrsDrPoe: Then Sings My Soul, Book 3

For the next Reading Review, I present to you "Then Sings My Soul, Book 3; The Story of Our Songs: Drawing Strength from the Great Hymns of Our Faith" by Robert J. Morgan.

This is another book that I received free from BookSneeze.  I was very excited when I saw the title listed, and I knew that this would be a great birthday gift for Mr. Poe after I was finished reading and reviewing it.

"Then Sings My Soul, Book 3" is divided up into four parts.  The first part gives a brief overview of the history of various styles of hymns (ancient hymns, English hymns, contemporary hymns, etc.).  The second part contains brief histories of the authors of certain hymns; conversely, the third part contains slightly longer histories of six hymns themselves.  The final portion of the book gives some great advice on how singing, understanding, memorizing, etc. hymns can help us personally and makes a good point that Christians should embrace both ancient and modern hymns in worship.


My favorite part of "Then Sings My Soul, Book 3" is the fact that 4-part choral sheet music is included for almost every hymn mentioned in the book; it's fantastic to be able to learn/practice singing the hymns as you learn more about the people and circumstances that brought them into existence.  Parts 3 and 4 were my favorite of the book because they were very detailed.


As I was reading, it seemed like the majority of first two parts of the book were too short.  Realizing that the intent of the author was to simply include brief histories, I would say he accomplished his goal but often left me wanting to know more.  I would also caution readers that some of the theological views indirectly expressed by Mr. Morgan as well as the hymn authors themselves are not in accordance with the teaching and examples given in the New Testament.  

Overall, I enjoyed "Then Sings My Soul, Book 3," and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about hymns.  Mr. Poe is excited to read the book as well, especially since it contains the stories behind three of his favorite hymns in it.

MrsDrPoe: Deals, 2/5

It's another Money Monday here on the blog!  Here are some of the drugstore deals this week:

CVS
Zarbees Children Cough Syrup ($6) - get back $6 in ECBs

Wags
St. Joseph Aspirin ($2) - get back $2 in RR
Pampers Jumbo Pack Diapers ($9.99) - get $2 in RR, use $1.50 PG 1/29
Arctic Naturals Total Omega ($15) - $15 MIR in Wags Feb Savings Booklet
Sundown Vitamin D3-1000 IU ($4) - $4 MIR in Wags Feb Savings Booklet, $1/1 RP 1/01, 1/22

MrsDrPoe: House Progress, Week 5

It was another long weekend of work at the Poe house!  Here's what we accomplished this week:

Living and Sun Rooms: continued laying flooring (almost done!!)
Stairwell: removed all wallpaper, trimmed and painted most difficult-to-reach places
Upstairs Hallway: one coat of paint
Master Bedroom: painted (three coats...ugh)
Master Bathroom: removed wallpaper and painted over carpeted portion by closets
S End Table: one coat of paint


We still haven't totally finished a room yet, but we're getting so close!  For this Foto Friday I'd like to start a three part series on painting tips; today's topic will be...

Painting 101: "I Don't Think We Got the Tools to Pull This Off!"

To do any job right, you need the right tools.  Here are some tools we've found useful (and not so useful) in our painting endeavors:


Primer - we've heard mixed reviews for the paint-with-primer; but it's pretty costly (plus the folks at the store will tell you "it's advised to coat with a primer before using the paint-with-primer to fully cover dark colors").  For dark rooms, we apply one coat of primer first; be careful, however, in selecting one.  Oil-based primers can be painted over with Latex paint, but the fumes are terrible, and they only clean up with mineral spirits.  Latex primer smells much better and cleans with soap and water.


Angled Brush - this is the best brush for edging/trim work and for getting into corners.

Rollers - rolling the paint on the wall gives it a much smoother finish than brush painting.

Tray - if you're rolling, a paint tray is a must for getting paint onto your roller (and your edger).

Edger - these special rectangular devices for creating smooth, crisp lines around the ceiling, baseboards, and molding that you may encounter when painting and a blessing and a curse.  They greatly reduce trimming time; however, loading the right amount of paint on so that you get coverage without oozing paint onto the trim is difficult.


Wet Rag - no matter what you're using, you're probably going to get paint somewhere where you don't want it.  This trusty tool can help you keep your white trim white (not white with orange splotches).


Ladder - for trimming (and rolling without a pole), you'll need a ladder to reach the high spots.  I have found that there is no better ladder than this:

It has a place to both set a paint can on top, with grooves to keep you from knocking it off, and a hook to hang it from the top of the ladder, so you don't cover yourself in paint trying to reach.  Multi-position ladders are also great for hard-to-reach places like our stairwell.

Pole - to save time and ladder climbing, you can purchase a pole that screws into the bottom of most rollers to extend your reach.  We've had different people tell us that a broom handle DOES and DOES NOT work well for this job...personally, we've always used a pole specifically for painting.

Do you have any painting tools that make the job a lot easier?

MrsDrPoe: A Psalm of Waiting

For this Theology Thursday on the blog, I'd like you to read Psalm 37 with me.  Lately I have been singing "Teach Me, Lord, to Wait," really praying that God would help me work on my patience and my short fuse.  Of course like all things we pray for, we must pray with an understanding that God might not help us exactly in the way we would prefer or that might be most convenient (i.e. I might be ok practicing patience by waiting on dinner another couple of hours, but God may teach me to wait with a flat on the interstate).  While I've found myself practicing patience in some unexpected ways lately, this Psalm is particularly comforting.  I hope it provides some comfort for you as well.

Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.  

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 

Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring [it] to pass. 

He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm.  

For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.

For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 

But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth.

The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.

 The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct.

Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken.  

A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. 

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the LORD upholds the righteous.

The LORD knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. 

They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 

But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.

The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives.

 For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. 

 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. 

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.  

I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.

He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.  

Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore.

 For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. 

 The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever. 

 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. 

 The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.

 The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him.

 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged. 

 Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. 

I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree.  

Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. 

Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace.  

But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. 

But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble.

And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.

MrsDrPoe: Tuna Melts

Welcome to another edition of What's for Dinner Wednesday here on the blog!  Today's meal is quick, easy, and a great use of leftover tuna salad...Tuna Melts.

Ingredients: tuna salad*, sliced Italian bread, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Spread the salad on a slice of bread and sprinkle a desired amount of cheese over it.  Place on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 until cheese is melted, bread is toasted, and salad is warm (about 5 minutes).  Enjoy!

*Any creamy mayonnaise-based spread can be a tasty substitute for the tuna salad.

MrsDrPoe: Mr. LaGrone

It's another edition of Poes' Pals here on the blog!  Today we present to you another new friend of ours from the big city, Mr. LaGrone:

Mr. LaGrone is a funny, intelligent, and spiritually-minded guy.  He graduates this semester from Georgia Tech and will begin a two-year stint in the Teach for America program beginning this fall.  While we are sad that we will have only been able to spend about a year with him before he leaves, we are encouraged by his example to leave home to help others.  His leadership in the congregation will also be missed, especially among the younger children that he has helped to teach the Word.  We have been very thankful for our chance to know Mr. LaGrone! 

MrsDrPoe: Examples of Lift and Drag

For this Thesis Tuesday here on the blog, I'd like to share an example of the concepts of lift and drag that we have been talking about for the past two weeks.

Example: The average pressure and shear stress acting on the surface of the 1m square flat plate are as indicated i nthe Figure.  Determine the lift and drag generated if shear stress is and is not neglected.

Given: alpha = 7deg, pTa = -1.2 kN/m*m, pBa = 2.3 kN/m*m tauTa = 5.8e-2 kN/m*m, tauBa = 7.6e-2 kN/m*m
Find: D and L with and without shear
Solution:

A = 1 m*m, Theta = 90deg - alpha = 83deg

D = int(p*cos(theta))dA + int(tauw*sin(theta))dA 

Using average values to avoid integration:

DS = (pBa - pTa)*cos(theta)*A + (tauTa + tauBa)*sin(theta)*A = 559.544 N

Dns = (pBa - pTa)*cos(theta)*A = 426.543 N

L = -int(p*sin(theta))dA + int(tauw*cos(theta))dA

Again using average values to avoid integration:

LS = (pBa - pTa)*sin(theta)*A - (tauTa + tauBa)*cos(theta)*A = 3.458e3 N

Lns = (pBa - pTa)*sin(theta)*A = 3.474e3 N 

Next week, get ready to study some internal flows!

MrsDrPoe: Deals, 1/29

It's another Money Monday on the blog!  Apparently Easter candy is out in full force this week.  Here are the deals:

CVS
Hershey's Chocolate Bunny, Cadbury Egg, Reese's Egg ($0.87) - get $0.87 back in ECBs
Hallmark or American Greeting Cards ($0.99+) - get $3 back in ECB WYB 3
Pringles ($1.49) - get $1 back in ECBs WYB 4, $1/4 PG 1/01, RP 1/29

Wags
St Joseph Aspirin ($2) - get $2 back in RR
Pur-Absorb Iron Suppliments ($10) - get $10 back in RR
Blink Tears Eye Care ($8) - get $8 back in RR, use $1/1 SS 1/15 (you make $1!)
Pringles ($1.50) - $2 back in RR WYB 4, use $1/4 PG 1/01, RP 1/29
Pepsi and Dr. Pepper 2 liters ($0.98)

MrsDrPoe: House Progress, Week 4

It's another Foto Friday on the blog!  As promised, here's our progress from the fourth week of home renovations:

Kitchen: painted the hardware black
Living and Sun Rooms: began laying flooring
Upstairs Closets: trimmed and painted white (2 coats where necessary)
Upstairs Baseboards: painted white
Spare Bedrooms: trimmed and painted 2 coats of brown


We're super close to being able to put carpet down upstairs and also to show finished pictures of the living and sun rooms!  The picture I'd like to share with you today comes from Mr. Poe's closet:

This section is about 2.5 feet deep and has a maximum width of 8 inches.  I have no idea why it exists.  So for something a little different today, I'd like to poll my readers...

what should we store in this very narrow, awkward space?

MrsDrPoe: A Caricature of God

It's another Theology Thursday on the blog, and as always, I invite you to open your Bibles with me as we look at another portion of God's Word.

As I mentioned last week, I'm currently in a class on the Judges.  While studying about Gideon a few lessons ago, a verse in the sixth chapter of the book got me to thinking:

v.13 - Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us?  And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."

In this verse (emphasis mine), it seems like the children of Israel were teaching their children something about the Lord, but it seems like they were only teaching of the Lord's power and might- of the plagues that allowed the nation to leave Egypt.  These parents have apparently neglected, however, to teach their children about the law of the Lord and the fact that He is a just God who judges righteously.  Hence they are in the situation they are in- under subjection to the Midianites because they neglected to follow the way of the Lord.


While it could be argued that 'something is better than nothing,' it is very important for us to not only have a full picture of God in our own minds but to also teach that full picture of God to our children.  God IS NOT the nice old grandfather who only loves and that sweeps all of our sins under the rug.  As we see from His dealings with the children of Israel, those who do not follow God's law will be punished in one way or another.  God IS loving and merciful; although the children of Israel don't 'deserve' it, He sends them deliverance when they repent.


We must avoid caricatures of God that emphasize one or more of His 'more desirable' qualities while neglecting the others; we must see and teach the full person of God, even if we can't understand how justice, righteousness, mercy, power, love, etc. can all perfectly coexist.

MrsDrPoe: Big Salads

What's for Dinner this Wednesday?  It's big salads here at the Poe House!  This meal is a fantastic way to use up a multitude of soon-to-expire items in your fridge.

Ingredients*: lettuce, spinach, cabbage, celery, carrots, green peppers, onions, water chestnuts, green peas, lunch meat, left-over ham/turkey/roast, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, croutons, dressing.


Toss all the ingredients after slicing/chopping (except for cheese and croutons) in a large serving bowl or several individual serving bowls.  Add remaining ingredients to individual portions right before serving.  

Any leftovers can be refrigerated and eaten another day; however, refrigerating the cheese and croutons in the mix often causes them to be soggy and gross. 

*Use your favorites or whatever you have on hand.

MrsDrPoe: What to Expect the First Year

For the latest Reading Review, I present the follow-up book to "What to Expect When You're Expecting," "What to Expect the First Year" by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandee Hathaway, B.S.N.*

This book is a fairly easy read, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  There is a multitude of information between the covers; I'll definitely be purchasing a reference copy of my own**.  The work is broken down into months, with each containing what your baby may be able to do, what things you may be having questions about, and things to expect from well-checkups.  Illustrated guides to holding, bathing, breastfeeding, and other activities are included, as well as growth and immunization charts, first recipes, common childhood infections, tips for helping older children and pets get used to the new addition, and a review of items to buy for baby.

I really don't have any negative comments about this book; although, as Ms. Murkoff herself cautions, nothing in her book should trump what your doctor tells you.

*Mr. Poe and I are not pregnant, but we would like to have children one day, so I'm reading about it now before it's upon me and I have no time to read. 

**I recently found a copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" at a thrift store for $1.50.  Be sure to check out used books before paying full price at a bookstore or even the reduced price on Amazon.

MrsDrPoe: Lift

It's once again Thesis Tuesday here on the blog!  Today we'll be discussing another external flow property, lift.

For asymmetrical objects moving through a fluid, there exists a resultant force from pressure and shear stress normal to the upstream velocity, termed lift.  It can be calculated as:

L = -int(p*sin(theta))dA + int(tauw*cos(theta))dA

however, as previously mentioned, these distributions are difficult to determine.  Thus, the lift coefficient is often used:

CL = L/(0.5*rho*U*U*A)

As with the drag coefficient, CL = f(shape, Re, Ma, Fr, epsilon/l).  The Froude number is only important if there is a free surface present.  Surface roughness is often unimportant in therms of lift as well.  The importance of Ma is low except for high-speed subsonic and supersonic flows.  Reynolds number also yields no great impact; however, for high-Re flows, shear stress has little effect on the shape of an object is the key factor in the lift force placed on it.

Bodies designed to generate lift, like airfoils, typically do so by generating a pressure distribution that is different on the top (low) and bottom (high) surface of the body.  For symmetric airfoils to generate lift, they must be moving through the fluid at some angle of attack.  For asymmetric airfoils, there is some non-zero angle of attack for which no lift is generated.  If the angle of attack is too large, however, the boundary layer along the airfoil separates and is unable to reattach to the body.  This event is known as stall, and it is especially dangerous if it occurs for low-flying aircraft.  For calculation of CL, the planform area (A = b*c) is used, where b is the length of the airfoil (into the page), and c is the chord length.  Thus, the lift is the dynamic pressure times the planform area of the wing.  The wing loading or average lift per unit area of the wing (L/A) is also useful for design, as is the aspect ratio (b*b)/A.  From these characteristics, it can be determined that longer wings are more efficient, but more difficult to maneuver in flight.

Since, for most cases, the shear stress is not important for calculating lift, the potential flow solution can be employed to determine this force.  For airfoils at angles of attack not equal to zero, the potential solution alone causes incorrect streamlines at the trailing edge of the airfoil.  This can be corrected with the addition of circulation or clockwise swirl to the solution.  While this may seem random, arbitrary, or inappropriate, this addition has well founded physical and mathematical grounds.


Next week, we'll look at calculating lift and drag.  Happy studying!

MrsDrPoe: Deals, 1/22

There aren't tons of deals to report this Money Monday, which is probably good for me since we've been so busy lately!  Here are a few of the free/really cheap items out there this week:

CVS
Estroven 28ct ($9.99) - get $9.99 back in ECBs

Wags
Ultimate Flurry Protein Bar ($1.99) - get back $1.99 in RR
$10 back WYB $20 in Gas-X ($5) or Ex-Lax ($5) - $2/1 SS 12/04, SS 10/23 (buying four and using a Q for each make them $0.50 apiece)