4 Science Articles You Might Enjoy

From Denny: Since I have too many interests I've parked them on other blogs in addition to this one. Apparently, most people start a blog, lose interest, abandon the first one to start another blog. Not me. I just keep expanding to ADD more blogs! (totally crazy, I suppose - but hey! I'm happy...)

Anyway, articles about how the brain works, astronomy, psychology, some math and physics on basic levels is what I park over at the blog The Soul Calendar. It keeps climbing in the traffic rankings quite nicely and I happily write about whatever catches my interest for the week! Life is good!

I'm still poking around the web for children's resources for parents and science projects readers might find interesting. If you know of any sites or projects, speak up and shoot me an email at warriorspearl@gmail.com, much appreciated!

Here are a few posts you might find an interesting read:

Is My Brain Making Me Buy Things I Don't Need?

Double Amputees Shed Light on Brain's Flexibility

Robolegs Help People Walk

Hurricane-Killing, Space-Based Power Plants

NASA Photo by Image Editor @ flickr

Recipe: Irish Mist Cake

From Denny: Following are 4 videos demonstrating how to make this easy cake. Lots of people love Irish Whiskey and this is certainly one interesting way to "drink" the libation! :)

They take their time making the cake as this is an unprofessional video where a couple of regular people enjoy the romp through their version of the Food Network. Amusing as well as instructional.


Photos by stevegarfield @ flickr

More April Fools Day Funnies

For more April Fools Day hoaxes from the math and science geek crowd, hike yourself on over to one of my other blogs: The Soul Calendar - go here.

On that blog I place a lot of articles about the mind, how the brain works, some astronomy (killer eclipse photos) and anything else mildly geeky I enjoy when I read magazines like Discover. Enjoy!

Photo by Tambako the Jaguar @ flickr.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Pancakes

From Denny: Ready for a cool idea for a brunch or weekend breakfast like we often do in Louisiana? Here's one of my all time favorite recipes I've developed over the years. You can find many variations of this pancake recipe throughout Louisiana. This is a great way to use up mashed or baked sweet potato leftovers from a previous meal!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

From: Denny Lyon

Yield: about 20 pancakes


Ingredients:

1 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs, beaten

1 ½ cups lowfat organic milk

1 ¼ cups melted clarified butter or canola oil (clarified butter tastes better! Once it’s clarified it’s as healthy as canola oil cholesterol wise.)

1 ¼ cups mashed, cooked fresh sweet potatoes (or canned)


Directions: In one larger bowl combine the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. I like to use a wire whisk to combine so it is well distributed.

In a smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients of the eggs, milk, butter, and sweet potatoes.

Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Just mix it only until blended. Drop batter by spoonfuls (I like to use a gravy ladle as it pours onto the ladle easier.) Try a small test pancake to check the heat of your burner. Depending upon whether you are using gas or electric will determine if you require medium or medium low heat.

You can cook these pancakes like regular pancakes except you do need to watch them a bit more since the sweet potato has a lot of sugar in it and can burn easier than a regular plain pancake. Fry on about medium heat until browned on one side well and then turn over to brown the other side for not quite as long.

Serve with clarified butter (you tend to use less as the taste is wonderful!) and we like heated (melted) orange marmalade into which we dip each perfect bite of pancake.

Makes about 20 sweet potato pancakes.

Photo by foodistablog @ flickr

Recipe: Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

Yield: One 9x13 cake

From: Brenda Caruso, Port Allen, Louisiana

This is one of those really easy cakes that does not require a lot of technical ability or knowledge, perfect for a beginner to get their feet wet in the world of baking and easy enough to do with children. And it’s chocolate! It breaks all the baking world’s rules: no need to properly cream the sugar and butter and no waiting to ice a cake after it is cooled down from the oven. This crazy cake gets iced while hot!


Ingredients for Cake:


2 sticks butter

4 Tablespoons cocoa

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 eggs

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda


Ingredients for Frosting:

1 stick butter

6 Tablespoons buttermilk

4 Tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box confectioners’ sugar

1 cup chopped toasted pecans


Directions for Cake: Bring 2 sticks butter, cocoa and water to boil.

Put sugar in large bowl. Pour the hot cocoa mixture over the sugar. Mix in flour, eggs, buttermilk and baking soda.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350° F. for about 30 minutes. When cake is done, test with a toothpick and it comes out clean; remove from the oven.

Directions to make Frosting: Melt 1 stick butter and mix with 6 Tablespoons buttermilk, 4 Tablespoons cocoa, vanilla, confectioners’ sugar and pecans to make frosting. Ice the cake while still hot.

Photo by Harris Graber @ flickr

Funny Friday the 13th!

Photo by nao-cha @ flickr of dog Cocoa

From friends over at Twitter:

"Very funny page for Friday the 13th, both versions - peterdrew@keithbaxter It's Friday the 13th! Beware...
http://snipr.com/dp10t DUDE!! not nice scaring me like that :=)"

From Denny: Just click on the title as the address is linked. Enjoy!

How Long Will You Live?

How Long Will You Live?: "There is an old-timey Cajun way of contemplating sunsets, by measuring and knowing the number of sunsets you've been given. It changes the way you'll look at your personal sunsets. If you were to live one hundred years, you'll only have 36,500 sunsets in your personal century. Doesn't sound like a lot of sunsets for one hundred years of wisdom, does it?" 3 videos.

By Jerilee Wei
Photo by William Dalton @ flickr

Recipe: Romantic Chocolate Fondue for Two

Romantic Fondue for Two

From: Chocolate Lover's Cookbook for Dummies
by Carole Bloom (Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2002), spokesperson for NCA's fellow industry group, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association

Ingredients:

7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons orange liqueur or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cubes of pound cake or angel food cake

Whole fresh strawberries

Thick slices of banana

Dried apricot halves



Directions: In the top of a double boiler, combine the chocolate and water. Stir over warm water until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Add the cream, orange liqueur or vanilla, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Stir until the mixture is smooth.

Transfer the mixture to a fondue pan and keep it warm over a low flame. Arrange the cake and fruit on a serving platter.

Supply each guest with a fondue fork so they can spear the item of their choice and dip it in the fondue mixture.

Yield: 6 servings

Remember: Your fondue mixture must be kept warm so that it will stay liquid. The best way to do this is to use a fondue pot that has room for a candle or a liquid heat source underneath.

1st Photo by Traveling Fools of America @ flickr
2nd Photo by -Gep- @ flickr

Recipe: Chocolate Carrot Cake

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE

From: mOOnchild

Ingredients
For cake layers:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon each baking powder and baking soda

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 medium carrots, shredded coarse (about 2 cups)

For cream cheese frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup confectioners' or powdered sugar

For chocolate glaze:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 ounces fine-quality BITTERSWEET chocolate
(not unsweetened)

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup confectioners' or powdered sugar


CAKE LAYERS:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. and grease and flour two 9 by 2-inch round cake pans, knocking of excess flour. Into a bowl sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together eggs and oil on low speed until combined well. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in carrots and devide batter between pans. Bake cake layers in middle of oven 35 to 50 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pans on a rack 10 minutes and invert onto rack to cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and confectioners' sugar and beat untl creamy. Spread frosting on top of 1 cake layer and top with other layer

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

In a small saucepan combine glaze ingredients and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and glaze is smooth. Remove from heat and cool glaze slightly. Spread glaze over top and sides of cake and chill 1 hour, or until set.

Serves 6 to 8.


Photo by scubadive67 @ flickr

Simple Easy Ways to Update Loved Recipes to Healthy

Simple Easy Ways to Update Loved Recipes to Healthy: "Bon Appetit!
There are small tweaks you can do to update and still retain the pleasure of eating well! 4 videos."

Have you learned how to make ghee or clarified butter yet? It's easy AND healthier! The taste is awesome too.

In this article I took an already tasty Swiss Green Bean Casserole and tweaked it to a healthier and still tasty version. Try it yourself on your old but well-loved recipes!

By Denny Lyon
Photo by iLoveButter @ flickr

Creole Vs. Cajun - Kissing yet Distant cousins

Creole Vs. Cajun - Kissing yet Distant cousins - "To start with, as far as Creoles go, it seems that if you put two New Orleans historians in a locked room and ask "What exactly is a Creole?" only one will come out alive."

By NOLA in the ocho
Photo by snuzzy @ flickr

Newest Health Care Plan: Food as Medicine

Newest Health Care Plan: Food as Medicine - "OK, so what does the minor political rant have to do with food as medicine you ask? Plenty. When jobs are scarce or people are underemployed – like most of America right now with 100,000 each week entering those unhappy ranks – people make really bad food choices.

Because of job and ensuing financial stress they go to sugar, lots of carbohydrates and low quality meats. With stress on the rise during this tough economic time worldwide, wallets and bank accounts depleted, it’s time to think of food as medicine."

By Denny Lyon
Photo by Zest-pk @ flickr

Ten Illustrated Quotes: Humor

Ten Illustrated Quotes: Humor: "Collecting humorous quotes is always a laugh out loud moment well spent. Well, I’m always advising people to live out loud…"

We do so love a good laugh down here in Louisiana, enjoy!

By Denny Lyon
Photo by Midnight-digital

Recipe: Macaroon Kiss Cookies

The photo is similar only of peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies to give anyone who is unfamiliar with this kind of cookie a better visual. Sorry I couldn't find a photo of the actual cookie. This is an easy recipe and a real yum! factor for fans of coconut, cream cheese AND chocolate!


Macaroon Kiss cookies
Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, softened

3oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 teaspoons orange juice

1 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

5 cups flaked coconut

Chocolate kisses

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Directions:

Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy.

Add egg yolk, almond extract and orange juice; beat well.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt, gradually add to creamed mixture.

Stir in 3 cups coconut. Cover tightly and chill 1 hour.
Shape dough into 1" balls, roll in remaining coconut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Remove from oven; immediately top with a chocolate kiss. Let cool on a wire rack.

Photo of peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies by bonimo @ flickr

Molecular Gastronomy – Where Science Meets Cuisine

Molecular Gastronomy – Where Science Meets Cuisine: "The science of molecular gastronomy has given us knowledge about why foods do what they do, under what circumstances, and how. And it has fascinated us by busting myths..."

By Sallys Trove
Photo by Claire L. Evan @ flickr

Louisiana Culture: Love of Eggplant Recipes

Louisiana Culture: Love of Eggplant Recipes - Fun article about Louisiana food culture. 3 eggplant recipes and 4 cooking videos will have you well on your way to cooking this versatile vegetable!

By Denny Lyon
Sauteed Eggplant with Cheese and Honey Photo by avlxyz @ flickr

Louisiana Culture: Heavenly Hash Cake (and recipe)

Louisiana Culture: Heavenly Hash Cake: "Heavenly hash “cake” is quite popular with home cooks. It is basically a marshmallow cake mixed with nuts and some chocolate and then bathed again in a chocolate glaze to seal the marshmallow. If you love marshmallows you will love this 'cake.'"

Photo by Flirty Kitty @ flickr

Obama is now the 44th President!

Just finished watching Obama's speech and other news coverage - what an historic time, what emotion for millions around the world. There must be millions of people crowded together on the Washington Mall. It reminds me of when the Pope in Rome, Italy celebrates Mass in St. Peter's Square and a million strong gather.

Interesting is that the ceremony ran a little long and by so doing Obama became the 44th President exactly at noon BEFORE he took the oath of office four minutes later. How many of you knew that bit of trivia?

Congrats Mr. President! May you be successful in all endeavors.

Denny

A new day is here!
Photo by stephentrepreneur @ flickr

Swamp Dragons

Photo by William A. Franklin @ flickr

Swamp Dragons - You will enjoy this Louisiana native's tale of her growing up years! Alligators can get up to 14 feet long and weigh up to 1,000 pounds!

Just how much do you really like chocolate?

Just how much do you really like chocolate? - As I write on HubPages, they have this area where you can make requests for other people to write about your question - or "hub" as they call it. This writer answered my request and her chocolate story of a friend was most unusual!

Photo by hfb @ flickr