The Power of Observation

I've only been "reforming" for about 3 (?) years but since that time I've noticed something about the Reformed male. They tend to have very similar characteristics. I wish I could say the same thing about reformed females but, you see, we're all so unique and special and wonderful that I would be lying. ;) Anyways, I shared some of these thoughts with a friend (who is a practicing member of the Reformed male species) and he said I should share these observations with the world. So here goes:

You might be a Reformed male if:

1. No one has ever heard of the beer you are currently drinking.

2. You've named or plan to name your first son John, Jonathan, Benjamin, Charles, Gresham, Knox, Owen, Breckenridge, Calvin, Martin, Luther, Martin Luther, or Jean.

3. You have a beard (or wish you did).

4. You smoke a pipe.

5. You consult the PCA church directory when planning domestic vacations.

6. You dream of being accidentally left behind after hours in a seminary library

7. This is your dream Bible.

8. You have a dream Bible.

9. You've considered Wittenberg, Germany as a great honeymoon destination.

10. This was your groomsman's cake:

(photo)

11. This is your sweatshirt:



12. You know what PCA, OPC, URC, EPC, RPCNA, and APC stand for.

13. You refer to non-Christians as "unregenerates."

14. You give tulips, not roses, to your girlfriend.

15. You don't shop at Christian bookstores.

16. You've used the line, "Baby, your name must be Grace because you are irresistible" on women.

17. It's "Reformation Day" not "Halloween."

18. You've taped a copy of the 95 theses to the door of the nearest Catholic or seeker sensitive church on Reformation Day.

19. You can finish the names of each of these men:
A.W.
B. B.
R. L.
J. C.
C. H.

20. You end each email with "Soli Deo Gloria."


Well guys? Did I get it right? That was just a few of my observations from over the years. It was all in good fun so please don't hurt me!

Snickerdoodle Experiment - Results

Thus far I've only made it to "testing" the 24 hour batch so these results will focus on comparing the immediate batch and 24 hour batch. The only variable should be the chill time as oven temperature, bake time, and temperature of the doughs were meant to remain constant.

The immediate batch of cookies scored very well in regards to the three characteristics laid out in the previous post. Here is a picture of some ("some" because I scarfed down about 4 right when they came out of the oven-- in the name of research, of course) of the immediate batch. Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures; these were taken on my dino-cam.

Notice how they sink in; this is due to a high moisture content.
The immediate batch received an average score of 10 for Moistness, 8.5 for Crispness, and 10 for Sweet and Savory.

The 24 batch did not score as well. First, the second batch did not sink in which immediately indicated to me that these would not be as moist as the first batch. Here is a side by side comparison of the two showing the second batch's increase in poofiness (one of those technical food science terms). The 24 batch is on the left and the immediate is on the right.The second batch received an underwhelming average score of 6.5 for moistness, 8 for crispness, and 7 for Sweet and Savory. Comments regarding these cookies included: "Tasted more like a sugar cookie than a snickerdoodle," "lacked the complexity of the first batch" and "kinda hard."

In conclusion, I'm totally bummed about the second batch. I keep telling myself that maybe the 36 hour mark will magically transform the cookies like they did for the chocolate chip cookie experiment but I am not hopeful. I think that if I wanted to do this again, I might shorten the bake time for the 24 hour batch to hopefully promote moisture and decrease poofiness. Oh well. Lesson learned: bake the snickerdoodles immediately after mixing.

Snickerdoodle experiement

So I made snickerdoodles this weekend. I haven't made them since I was 12. I know this because it was the first cookie I ever made in home economics, back when the class was still called home economics, that is.

Anyways, I made them again and it got me thinking about the Great Cookie Experiement of 2008. If you recall, I set out to improve upon my chocolate chip cookies by letting the dough chill for 24 and 36 hours. It was pretty successful and yesterday I wondered if my findings could carry over to a different dough-- Snickerdoodle dough. There are some basic differences between the doughs so that's why I want to try this second venture in food science experiments.

First of all, snickerdoodles contain cream of tartar which is the white powdery substance found on the inside of wine barrels (Thank you, viticulture!). It is a stabilizer and provides that savory element to the classic snickerdoodle. Baking powder, if you didn't already know, is a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar, a leavening agent and a stabilizer in one convenient package.

In addition, snickerdoodles contain a higher ratio of dry to wet ingredients making the dough a bit drier than the standard chocolate chip cookie dough. My main curiousity is to see whether similar results from the chocolate cookie experiment are experienced again in the 36 hour chill time with respect to the ratio. I would surmise that it would make the cookie moister than the "initial" batch (that is, the batch that is baked immediately after mixing) because the extended time allowed the wet ingredients, much like the chocolate chip cookie results, to penetrate through gelatinous and oily barriers, which in this case would be in the form of eggs and butter, respectively.

Before I get into my results, I need to define what makes a "good" snickerdoodle cookie. After discussing this topic with the taste testers, we determined that there are three characteristics to a good snickerdoodle cookie:

Moistness: Center of cookie should feel moist. This feeling should also be experienced in cookies that are at least 1 day old.
Crispness: Edges and or tops of cookies should be cripsy (not hard and crunchy).
Sweet/Savory: An equal combination of sweet and savory should be tasted in every bite.

Cookies were rated on a scale of 1-10 based on these characteristics.

This post is getting too long so I'll save my results (with pictures!) for tomorrow. I have to say that the 24 hour batch is not promising. I'll share more soon. For now, I'll post the recipe I made for the snickerdoodles, in case anyone is interested in replicating the results (for the sake of good science, of course):


* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs, slightly beaten
* 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
3. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl, sifting slightly with a fork and slowly incorporate into the wet mixture. Blend well.
4. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Roll dough in sugar/cinnamon mixture and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets, pressing down slightly to encourage spread. Bake 9 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets and onto cooling racks. Enjoy!

Brian's ipod game

Here are the directions according to Brian:

"Here's a game for everyone who is so inclined to play (thanks Matt). I'd love for lots of you to comment/respond.

I put my iPod on random and have put the first line or so of the first 25 songs that came up.

Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to post with your guesses for both the artist and the track - do as many as you can. NO CHEATING by looking up lyrics. The winner gets to have the privilege of knowing that they have great musical taste, just like me.

If you like the game, you can use your own music and post the game yourself. It might be a fun way to get to know each other. Give it a try, and enjoy!"

1. Love divine so great and wondrous, deep and mighty pure sublime...
2. I have called you children. I have called you son.
3. You wear poverty like riches and your tears like spring rain.
4. In this world there's a whole lot of trouble (baby). In this world there's a whole lot of pain.
5. Gotta lot of things working against me, but I know I can't lose.
6. There is a river that washes you clean.
7. I'm not always like this. It's something I've become.
8. If not for you, babe, I couldn't find the door.
9. Time can take its toll on the best of us. Look at you, you're growing old so young.
10. God, I admit I haven't changed...
11. I've every reason on earth to be mad. Cuz, I just lost the only girl I had..
12. It took me ten good years to break in this old hat.
13. Slow down, you crazy child. You're so ambitious for a juvenile.
14. There must be some way out of here, said the joker to the thief.
15. If I go a million miles away, I'd write a letter each and every day
16. There's a restlessness in the soul of man. Nobody's tamed it yet.
17. Come broken and weary. Come battered and bruised...
18. Oh, my soul, sometimes we don't know what to do.
19. It's by far the hardest thing I've ever done, to be so in love with you for so long.
20. Rock of ages, when the day seems long.
21. Well, I'm gonna start out walkin' just you wait and see.
22. Oh my baby when you're older, maybe then you'll understand.
23. Please slow it down. There's a secret magic past world...
24. Why are there so many songs about rainbows?
25. When the music fades, all is stripped away.

Thanks Brian, now I have 25 songs stuck in my head. :) Also, I've learned I need more variety in my music as way too many of the same artists kept popping up.

Battle: Brownie!

So after perfecting the chocolate chip cookie, I've moved on to bigger and better things. Namely, brownies. Every chance I get, I've been baking brownies instead of my usual cookie affair. It is my new goal to perfect the brownie. I've spent quite a while pouring over cook books and websites on what makes the best brownie. Why? I'm a curious person. There are a few universal characteristics that describe the ideal brownie:

1. Moistness: Brownies should have the correct ratio between chewy and cakey. Too much on one side will make the brownies taste more like fudge. Too much on the other, will make the brownie more like a chocolate sheet cake.

2. Texture: There should be a crispness, not to be confused with a crunch, to the edges of the brownies.

3. Chocolatey-ness: That would be the technical term. The ideal brownie should have a depth to the chocolate flavor. Depth should not be confused with sweetness.

Bearing these three characteristics in mind, I experimented with different recipes. In keeping with my goal to minimize variables, I changed only one ingredient at a time. My first attempt was done at my parents' home and I don't believe it should count as there were too many variables to make it a controlled experiment. I bet you dying over this, aren't you Caroline?

So it was up to two brownie recipes. The first one I won't share because it wasn't as good as the final product. Brownie A, as it shall be known, used one egg. It had a decent moisture ratio but laid a bit flat. I would put it as a 6 on a scale from 1-10. The chocolate flavor was rich as I used dark chocolate. The flavor did not linger on the tongue long enough, however. Test subjects, courtesy of Salt Shakers, approved of this recipe due to it's texture and taste.

I changed the brownie recipe by adding 3 eggs instead of one. I surmised that three eggs would elevate the batter while simultaneously improving upon the moisture ratio. It turns out I was right.

This brownie appeared cakey-er, another technical term, but still had the same degree of moisture, according to test subjects. Texture appeared to change too as the crispness transferred, succcessfully, to the top of each brownie, appearing to seal in even more moisture. Chocolate flavor remained the same.

I'm currently experiementing on ways to enhance the chocolate flavor. I have three ideas that I will use for different brownies: coffee (brewed but cooled), cayanne pepper (step dad's idea), and cinnimon. When I get around to testing each one, I'll let you know which one worked the best. Remember, none of these flavors should actually be tasted that strongly but should add to the chocolate taste.

Now, for the recipe. Try it and let me know what you think:

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, melted
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease with butter a 8-inch square baking pan.

2. Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add the eggs to the top of the mixture; beat well with spoon and combine with mixture. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until brownies come out clean when checking with a toothpick. Cool completely. Cut into bars. About 16 brownies.

Lucy's day with the blue pen

So today I came home from work and had a wonderful surprise waiting for me. Lucy decided to play with the blue pen that was resting on my coffee table. I cleaned up the pen bits during lunch and after work I tried to take pictures of the rest of results from the interaction. Here she is in all her auburn, white, and blue glory:

Don't ask, because I have no idea, how she got all that ink on the top of her head. I can't believe how hard it was to get a picture like this! She moves so fast! Take a look at some of the rejects:





So, does anyone know how to get blue ink off of a dog?

Thank you food science

So my mom bought a super expensive all-natural facial thing that supposedly makes your skin glow, feel softer, even out its tone, etc. I took a look at the main ingredient and it appeared that it was L-Ascorbic Acid, which is vitamin C to you non-food science people. I told her, "Mom, you just paid a whole lot for some vitamin C. I bet I can make you a comparable facial for what you have in the pantry right now." Always spurring me onto scientific discovery, my mom was game. So here is what I made: I took granulated white sugar, raw honey, and half a lemon and made a great facial with amazing results.

First take about a teaspoon of white sugar. I presumed brown sugar would not work as it is too moist and contains molasses, something I'm not sure would work for the face. Who knows though. I chose sugar as in its granulated form creates a gentle abrasion to help slough off dead skin cells.

Next take a teaspoon or two (I'm not very precise when it comes to recipes... sorry) of raw honey. Commercially processed cheapo honey is most likely not all honey but contains added chemicals and what not, stuff we may not want hanging out on our face. Honey is full of anti-oxidants, which are known to resist "free-radicals" which can pre-maturely age and damage the skin. Honey will also help bind the other two ingredients together.

Lastly, take our friend L-Ascorbic Acid, which in this case is in the form of a lemon. Roll it prior to cutting to get the maximum amount of juice and then cut it in half. Squeeze that half into your mixture until it reaches a thin syrupy consistency. Stuff the other half in a chicken, which is what we did but you don't necessarily have to do that.

Finally, smear it on your face like no other! Keep it away from your eyes, obviously. Don't rub too hard; let the ingredients do their work. Breathe in and contemplate about the fact that you smell like Theraflu. Rinse.

I did this with my mom and it worked wonders. Her face did appear to glow and it was softer. I've done this about three times and I've seen some improvement to the glow in my face too. Also, I've decided to trade out my usual face toner for a bottle of lemon juice. I've used that twice a day and there definitely has been improvement. I highly recommend it. Let me know if you see results in yourself too!