Facebook cover photos - just for fun.

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I like playing with The Gimp. If you're not familiar with The Gimp, it's basically an open source, free imaging tool that does many of the same things that Photoshop can do. Here's a small collection of random things I've done with The Gimp.

These are all formatted to fit as a Facebook cover photo. Feel free to download and share. (To get to the "real" photo, click on the image, wait for the full size to load, the right click and choose "save image".)

A few of these might be kind of "out there". I produced them by asking for random words on Facebook, then trying to put them all in one picture.

Dalek

Fake Nature

Coffee

Insomnia

Light Show

Love

Still Life with Vampire

Why?

The Ubiquitous Big Toy Hydrangea

Phylogenous Finnimbrun Yak

See How Much I Love You

Fake Space

I like: Refrigerator Biscuit Donuts

These are really super easy to make, and are probably really super bad for you, but oh OH so yummy.

I don't know where the idea came from, my Mom can probably tell you, but we used to make these all the time when I was a kid and we have happily carried on the tradition with my kids.

The recipe is simple, turn on your deep fryer to about 400 degrees or if you don't have a deep fryer use a pot and shortening on about medium high until it's super hot.

Take a package of refrigerator biscuits (the kind that "pop" open when you pull the wrapper off) and separate them. Poke your finger through the middle to make holes and stretch them a bit (make sure your hands are clean!) Then drop them into your fryer. After about 15-20 seconds, when they are golden brown on one side, flip them. Another 15-20 seconds and then take them out. Place them on a paper towel to drain. When cool enough to handle, top them however you like. We like sugar and frosting. Sometimes we use cinnamon and sugar.

Then SCARF them!!

Being basically fried dough and sugar, they certainly aren't a treat you want to have all the time, but we do it once every other month or so, just for fun. And since they are fun, I'm not even going to speculate on healthy options. I guess using whole wheat biscuits and olive oil for frying might be a little healthier, but where is the fun in that?  

Do you have any family fun food traditions that you share with your kids from your childhood? I'd love to hear them.

I like: The Storyteller

The Storyteller was John Hurt (now known as Ollivander from the Harry Potter movies), who told stories to the camera, often with comments from his muppet dog, voiced by Brian Henson.

The stories were unfamiliar to American audiences, but were folk tales from Europe and Russia. As the storyteller told the stories, they were acted and illustrated by colorful characters and creatures from the muppet creature shop.

I don't know why only 9 episodes were produced, because it was very well done.

I recently caught all 9 on Netflix and my kids loved them.

This is just one example of the genius that was Jim Henson. There are few people that touch every family in modern homes. Probably only two, Walt Disney, and Jim Henson.

Best known for Sesame Street characters and Muppet Show and movie favorites, Henson also branched out to less "cuddly" creatures. Movies such as Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal are two examples. The Storyteller is another.

While the focus is more on human actors, the influence of "muppet" effects is evident throughout the series. But, as usual with Henson productions, the stories shine through. It's very well done.

This very short lived series from 1988 would fare much better today on a children's network like Nickelodeon or even PBS, though I'm not sure if the cost of muppetry would outweigh digital methods. Check it out if you can, especially if you have little ones.