Searing steaks lock in juices.
False - First, it helps give you a nice crunchy and flavorful snap when you take a bite. And secondly, you can get a prettier color on the outside, but it does not lock in juices.
Salting steak before cooking will draw out the moisture and leave you with a tough cut of meat.
Yes and no - It is true, if you are going to salt-pack a steak for an extended period of time, the salt will draw out the moisture. If you prepare a steak for grilling by adding sea salt and crushed pepper on the exterior just before placing it over the flame, there is not enough time for the salt to draw out moisture and you get a seasoned, great-tasting cut of meat.
Only flip your steak once.
False - If you flip your steak more than once you are not ruining it. It is simply a matter of personal preference. The effect on steak's taste is negligible. If you are regularly flipping your steak, chances are you keep the grill hood open, which means you are letting out heat. This will affect cook time, but if you make an adjustment for the lower temperature by extending time, it will be fine. Some people prefer to flip their steaks often because it helps prevent curling.
Sizzling steaks hot of the grill taste best.
False - Setting your steak out on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking it is a misconception, but resting your steak after cooking is not. Resting your steak for five minutes after coming off the grill will make it juicier. When a steak comes hot off the grill the exterior is very hot, and because of the temperature, there is little moisture on the surface. The center of the steak is considerably cooler and still has moisture. As a steak rests, the muscle fibers loosen and the juices will spread more evenly across the steak and not so much on your plate.
Apr 22, 2016
Summer Outdoor Lighting Tip
Bugs do not fly toward many LEDs, because bugs are attracted to ultraviolet light and most LEDs do not give off this type of light.
Wordology, Pareidolia
This is a psychological phenomenon involving a stimulus (an image or a sound) wherein the mind perceives a familiar pattern of something where none actually exists. Things leap to mind, like the man in the moon, Jesus Chicken, and Michael Jackson in a pan.
Hemp vs. Cannabis vs. Marijuana
The two subspecies of cannabis are known as Cannabis indica (hemp) and Cannabis sativa (hemp and marijuana). A third type found mainly in Russia, Cannabis ruderalis has a lower THC content than either C. sativa or C. indica, so it is rarely grown for recreational use and the shorter stature of C. ruderalis limits its application for hemp production. Cannabis ruderalis strains are high in the cannabÑ–noid cannabidiol, so they are grown by some medical marijuana users. (The term, marijuana originally spelled as "marihuana", "mariguana", etc., originated in Mexican Spanish.) Marijuana is now mostly an American term.
Tall, sturdy cannabis plants were grown by early civilizations to make a variety of foods, oils, and textiles. These plants were bred with other plants with the same characteristics, leading to the type of cannabis known as hemp. It is virtually impossible to get high on hemp, although it does have some medicinal benefits.
Other plants were recognized for being psychoactive and were bred selectively for medical and religious purposes. This led to unique varieties of cannabis known as marijuana.
The core agricultural differences between medical cannabis and hemp are largely in their genetic parentage and cultivation environment. Marijuana growers usually try to maintain stable light, temperature, humidity, CO2 and oxygen levels, among other things. Hemp is usually grown outdoors to maximize its size and yield, and less attention is paid to individual plants.
Cannabis plants contain unique compounds called cannabinoids. Current research has revealed over 60 different cannabinoids so far, but THC is the most well known. THC is credited with causing the marijuana high. While marijuana plants contain high levels of THC, hemp contains very little.
Countries like Canada have set the maximum THC content of hemp at 0.3%. Any cannabis with higher THC levels is considered marijuana. Medical marijuana produces anywhere between 5-20% THC on average, with some strains up to 25-30% THC.
Before 1910 Bristol-Meyer’s Squib and Eli Lilly included cannabis and cannabis extracts in their medicines to cure common household ailments. The US Bureau of Narcotics, during the 1930s, used the name “marijuana” when campaigning against the plant, and showing its new “foreign” identity. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 federally criminalized the cannabis plant in every US state.
All cannabis is federally illegal to produce in the United States. Both hemp and marijuana are classified as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (non-psychoactive hemp is not included in Schedule I). It is legal to import hemp products into the United States. The US Drug Enforcement Administration is preparing to decide whether cannabis should be reclassified under federal law during The first half of 2016.
In the US, eight states allow people with certain medical conditions to use marijuana. Seventeen states have passed laws opening the door to marijuana use as long as the drug is extremely low in THC, the intoxicating ingredient. Five states have removed the potential for jail time for those caught with small amounts of the drug. Some states both have approved marijuana use by sick people and removed jail sentences for recreational users, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada and Rhode Island. Four states and Washington, D.C., allow marijuana possession in small amounts by adults over 21 for any reason, including Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington.
Outside the US, hemp is grown in more than 30 countries. In 2011, the top hemp-producing country was China, followed by Chile and the European Union. Hemp production is also expanding in Canada.
Marijuana remains illegal in most countries, but a few, such as Israel and Canada, have recently started to regulate marijuana as a medicine. Legalization supporters consider possession either legal or tolerated in Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic, India, Jamaica, Jordan, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Hemp can be made into wax, plastic, resin, rope, cloth paper, fuel, detergent, paint, snacks, flour, beer, insulation, carpeting, paneling, auto parts, and an estimated 25,000 products. Thomas Jefferson drafted both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution on hemp paper.
Tall, sturdy cannabis plants were grown by early civilizations to make a variety of foods, oils, and textiles. These plants were bred with other plants with the same characteristics, leading to the type of cannabis known as hemp. It is virtually impossible to get high on hemp, although it does have some medicinal benefits.
Other plants were recognized for being psychoactive and were bred selectively for medical and religious purposes. This led to unique varieties of cannabis known as marijuana.
The core agricultural differences between medical cannabis and hemp are largely in their genetic parentage and cultivation environment. Marijuana growers usually try to maintain stable light, temperature, humidity, CO2 and oxygen levels, among other things. Hemp is usually grown outdoors to maximize its size and yield, and less attention is paid to individual plants.
Cannabis plants contain unique compounds called cannabinoids. Current research has revealed over 60 different cannabinoids so far, but THC is the most well known. THC is credited with causing the marijuana high. While marijuana plants contain high levels of THC, hemp contains very little.
Countries like Canada have set the maximum THC content of hemp at 0.3%. Any cannabis with higher THC levels is considered marijuana. Medical marijuana produces anywhere between 5-20% THC on average, with some strains up to 25-30% THC.
Before 1910 Bristol-Meyer’s Squib and Eli Lilly included cannabis and cannabis extracts in their medicines to cure common household ailments. The US Bureau of Narcotics, during the 1930s, used the name “marijuana” when campaigning against the plant, and showing its new “foreign” identity. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 federally criminalized the cannabis plant in every US state.
All cannabis is federally illegal to produce in the United States. Both hemp and marijuana are classified as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (non-psychoactive hemp is not included in Schedule I). It is legal to import hemp products into the United States. The US Drug Enforcement Administration is preparing to decide whether cannabis should be reclassified under federal law during The first half of 2016.
In the US, eight states allow people with certain medical conditions to use marijuana. Seventeen states have passed laws opening the door to marijuana use as long as the drug is extremely low in THC, the intoxicating ingredient. Five states have removed the potential for jail time for those caught with small amounts of the drug. Some states both have approved marijuana use by sick people and removed jail sentences for recreational users, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada and Rhode Island. Four states and Washington, D.C., allow marijuana possession in small amounts by adults over 21 for any reason, including Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington.
Outside the US, hemp is grown in more than 30 countries. In 2011, the top hemp-producing country was China, followed by Chile and the European Union. Hemp production is also expanding in Canada.
Marijuana remains illegal in most countries, but a few, such as Israel and Canada, have recently started to regulate marijuana as a medicine. Legalization supporters consider possession either legal or tolerated in Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic, India, Jamaica, Jordan, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Hemp can be made into wax, plastic, resin, rope, cloth paper, fuel, detergent, paint, snacks, flour, beer, insulation, carpeting, paneling, auto parts, and an estimated 25,000 products. Thomas Jefferson drafted both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution on hemp paper.
Open Closed Tab Trick
If you accidentally close a tab while in your browser, hold down the CTRL button (on the lower left or right of your keyboard) and the SHIFT key, then press the letter T. Your closed tab is back and ready to continue.
Apr 15, 2016
Happy Friday
Laughter is the language of the soul.
I always speak with laughter in my soul on a Happy Friday!
I always speak with laughter in my soul on a Happy Friday!
Wordology, Bollard
A bollard was originally a wooden or metal post that was used to moor a ship. In the 20th century, a bollard became a post meant to obstruct cars and other traffic or to separate cars from people, cars from buildings, etc. Many places decorate them to give some visual appeal.
In New York, bollards are most often found by fire hydrants. Wellington, New Zealand, has bollards with their tops curled into the spiral shape of plants. For decades, Amsterdam used bollards to distinguish people spaces from car spaces on streets without elevated sidewalks. In Mexico City some bollards are shaped like little pyramids.
In New York, bollards are most often found by fire hydrants. Wellington, New Zealand, has bollards with their tops curled into the spiral shape of plants. For decades, Amsterdam used bollards to distinguish people spaces from car spaces on streets without elevated sidewalks. In Mexico City some bollards are shaped like little pyramids.
Beer Myths Debunked
False - If Cold Beer Gets Warm, Cooling It Again Will Make It Stale
This is a myth brought on by marketers. The fact is, beer experiences substantial fluctuations in temperature during shipping. Of course, you do not want these changes to be drastic, and excessive heat will certainly ruin beer.
Maybe - The Color of the Bottle Affects Beer’s Shelf Life
It is not the color of the bottle so much as its translucence that affects beer’s long-term quality. Clear and green bottles allow in significantly more UV light than brown ones. If you store green or clear bottles in complete darkness, there is no discernible difference in shelf life from that of a brown bottle in similar conditions.
True - Putting Beer in the Freezer Is an Easy Way to Quick Chill It.
This is true as long as you do not freeze it. Beer will explode when frozen. Placing a beer in the freezer for a short period should be fine. According to the American Homebrewers Association, freezing beer alters the molecular structure of the proteins in the beverage. It can also reduce the carbonation level and, in the case of bottle-conditioned brew, possibly kill the yeast.
True - Beer Should Be Stored Upright.
There are a few reasons why beer should not be placed on its side, and this applies to both corked and capped bottles. Yeast is critical to beer, but the sediment it leaves behind has a way of corrupting flavor. You want the yeast sediment to settle at the bottom of the beer. According to Beer Advocate, prolonged storage on the side will create a “yeast ring” along the walls of the bottle. Upright storage slows the process of oxidation and prolongs the life of the beer.
False - Bottles Are Better Than Cans. This is a matter of personal taste. Canned beer has is often associated with mass-market. cheap beer and so the myth. It is not so much the receptacle, it is the beer that makes the taste. Many craft brewers have begun to can their beer. Some craft brew fanatics even swear by the distinctive flavor of canned brew. The Huffington Post conducted a blind taste test and found participants preferred the taste of canned beer to bottled three times out of four.
This is a myth brought on by marketers. The fact is, beer experiences substantial fluctuations in temperature during shipping. Of course, you do not want these changes to be drastic, and excessive heat will certainly ruin beer.
Maybe - The Color of the Bottle Affects Beer’s Shelf Life
It is not the color of the bottle so much as its translucence that affects beer’s long-term quality. Clear and green bottles allow in significantly more UV light than brown ones. If you store green or clear bottles in complete darkness, there is no discernible difference in shelf life from that of a brown bottle in similar conditions.
True - Putting Beer in the Freezer Is an Easy Way to Quick Chill It.
This is true as long as you do not freeze it. Beer will explode when frozen. Placing a beer in the freezer for a short period should be fine. According to the American Homebrewers Association, freezing beer alters the molecular structure of the proteins in the beverage. It can also reduce the carbonation level and, in the case of bottle-conditioned brew, possibly kill the yeast.
True - Beer Should Be Stored Upright.
There are a few reasons why beer should not be placed on its side, and this applies to both corked and capped bottles. Yeast is critical to beer, but the sediment it leaves behind has a way of corrupting flavor. You want the yeast sediment to settle at the bottom of the beer. According to Beer Advocate, prolonged storage on the side will create a “yeast ring” along the walls of the bottle. Upright storage slows the process of oxidation and prolongs the life of the beer.
False - Bottles Are Better Than Cans. This is a matter of personal taste. Canned beer has is often associated with mass-market. cheap beer and so the myth. It is not so much the receptacle, it is the beer that makes the taste. Many craft brewers have begun to can their beer. Some craft brew fanatics even swear by the distinctive flavor of canned brew. The Huffington Post conducted a blind taste test and found participants preferred the taste of canned beer to bottled three times out of four.
The Real Popeye
Frank "Rocky"
Fiegel (January 27, 1868 - March 24, 1947) was a real-life person
from Chester, Illinois who inspired the Thimble Theatre character,
Popeye.
Rocky was a well-known Chester individual and something of a local legend. He supposedly had an inordinate strength and often participated in fights. Like Popeye, he smoked a pipe and was toothless. He is said to have been kind to children as well. Incidentally, Wimpy and Olive Oyl were also based on real people.
Rocky was a well-known Chester individual and something of a local legend. He supposedly had an inordinate strength and often participated in fights. Like Popeye, he smoked a pipe and was toothless. He is said to have been kind to children as well. Incidentally, Wimpy and Olive Oyl were also based on real people.
Difference Between Perfume, Cologne, Toilette, and Other Fragrances
Fragrances are complex mixtures of what people in the industry refer to as raw materials. These raw materials can be extracts from natural sources or synthetic raw materials.
Oils are dissolved in a solvent (usually alcohol), to preserve pleasant scents. The higher the concentration of oils, the greater the strength of the fragrance. The strength determines how long an application lasts on your skin.
All fragrances are largely the same, but they are given a name based on the concentration of oil in alcohol and water, such as:
Eau Fraiche – The most diluted version of fragrance, usually with 1% – 3% perfume oil in alcohol and water. Usually lasts for less than an hour.
Cologne (Eau de Cologne) – Oldest term for perfume, used in North America for masculine scents. Light, fresh and fruity, typically composed of 2% – 4% perfume oils in alcohol and water. Usually lasts for about 2 hours.
Toilette (Eau de Toilette) – A light spray composition with 5% – 15% pure perfume essence dissolved in alcohol. Usually lasts for about 3 hours.
Perfume (Eau de Parfum) – Historically genderless, used to describe both men’s and women’s fragrances. The best term used to describe a fragrance. Contains 15% – 20% pure perfume essence and lasts for about 5 to 8 hours.
Perfume – A corruption of the Latin phrase per fumum (through smoke). The most concentrated and expensive of all fragrance options. Slightly oilier, perfume is composed of 20% – 30% pure perfume essence. A single application of perfume can last up to 24 hours.
Usually, the amount of concentrate a fragrance contains will affect its price.
Major brands create perfumes that are part science and part marketing. They have a familiar feel to all their perfumes. Ralph Lauren perfumes are made to have a family of familiar scents, such as the newest Polo perfume should smell comfortable, even though it is not the same original scent.
The shelf life of an average bottle of perfume is 3-5 years from the date of manufacture.
More money does not necessarily mean better colognes or perfumes. Some of the most popular fragrances are relatively cheap forumalea. It is possible to mix expensive raw materials and create bad fragrances. Most often price is determined by the marketing cost and the image associated with a brand, but not necessarily the cost of raw materials comprising the scent. Buy the scent, not the name.
Oils are dissolved in a solvent (usually alcohol), to preserve pleasant scents. The higher the concentration of oils, the greater the strength of the fragrance. The strength determines how long an application lasts on your skin.
All fragrances are largely the same, but they are given a name based on the concentration of oil in alcohol and water, such as:
Eau Fraiche – The most diluted version of fragrance, usually with 1% – 3% perfume oil in alcohol and water. Usually lasts for less than an hour.
Cologne (Eau de Cologne) – Oldest term for perfume, used in North America for masculine scents. Light, fresh and fruity, typically composed of 2% – 4% perfume oils in alcohol and water. Usually lasts for about 2 hours.
Toilette (Eau de Toilette) – A light spray composition with 5% – 15% pure perfume essence dissolved in alcohol. Usually lasts for about 3 hours.
Perfume (Eau de Parfum) – Historically genderless, used to describe both men’s and women’s fragrances. The best term used to describe a fragrance. Contains 15% – 20% pure perfume essence and lasts for about 5 to 8 hours.
Perfume – A corruption of the Latin phrase per fumum (through smoke). The most concentrated and expensive of all fragrance options. Slightly oilier, perfume is composed of 20% – 30% pure perfume essence. A single application of perfume can last up to 24 hours.
Usually, the amount of concentrate a fragrance contains will affect its price.
Major brands create perfumes that are part science and part marketing. They have a familiar feel to all their perfumes. Ralph Lauren perfumes are made to have a family of familiar scents, such as the newest Polo perfume should smell comfortable, even though it is not the same original scent.
The shelf life of an average bottle of perfume is 3-5 years from the date of manufacture.
More money does not necessarily mean better colognes or perfumes. Some of the most popular fragrances are relatively cheap forumalea. It is possible to mix expensive raw materials and create bad fragrances. Most often price is determined by the marketing cost and the image associated with a brand, but not necessarily the cost of raw materials comprising the scent. Buy the scent, not the name.
Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue
The Jimmy Carter Peanut stands 4 meters (13 ft) tall with a wide, toothy smile and no eyes. The peanut can be found on the side of the road in Plains, Georgia (Jimmy's hometown). The structure started out being constructed in Indiana in 1976 to honor Jimmy Carter’s visit to the state during his presidential campaign tour.
Before he was president, Carter was a peanut farmer. The statue has the same grin that was known so fondly as one of Carter’s traits during his years in office. It is the most photographed thing in Plains.
Before he was president, Carter was a peanut farmer. The statue has the same grin that was known so fondly as one of Carter’s traits during his years in office. It is the most photographed thing in Plains.
Zika Virus Update
There are now 346 cases of Zika confirmed in the continental United States, all in people who had recently traveled to Zika-prone countries, according to the most recent CDC report.
A Brazilian study released this week also links Zika to a second autoimmune disorder that resembles multiple sclerosis and involves a swelling of the brain and spinal cord. "Though our study is small, it may provide evidence that in this case, the virus has different effects on the brain than those identified in current studies," said Dr. Maria Lucia Brito, a neurologist at Restoration Hospital in Recife, Brazil. Six of 151 patients tested positive for Zika.
Scientists reported in the April edition of the New England Journal of Medicine that while evidence gathered does not provide conclusive proof that Zika causes microcephaly and other birth defects, an increasing amount of scientific research suggests that is the case. Still no need for panic.
A Brazilian study released this week also links Zika to a second autoimmune disorder that resembles multiple sclerosis and involves a swelling of the brain and spinal cord. "Though our study is small, it may provide evidence that in this case, the virus has different effects on the brain than those identified in current studies," said Dr. Maria Lucia Brito, a neurologist at Restoration Hospital in Recife, Brazil. Six of 151 patients tested positive for Zika.
Scientists reported in the April edition of the New England Journal of Medicine that while evidence gathered does not provide conclusive proof that Zika causes microcephaly and other birth defects, an increasing amount of scientific research suggests that is the case. Still no need for panic.
Girl Scout Cookies
Girl Scout cookies trace their roots back to 1917, when an Oklahoma scout troop sold cookies as a fundraiser at their local high school.
The cookies are produced by two bakeries: ABC Bakers (a subsidiary of Interbake Foods) and Little Brownie Bakers (owned by Keebler/Kellogg’s). There are some major differences between the cookies they produce, but the core five cookies are the same, although with different names: Thin Mints, Trefoils or Shortbread, Samoas or Caramel deLites, Tagalongs or Peanut Butter Patties, and Do-si-dos or Peanut Butter Sandwiches.
Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, and Do-si-dos, are produced by Little Brownie. Shortbread, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, and Peanut Butter Sandwiches are produced by ABC. The only cookie name shared by both companies is Thin Mints.
Other, newer names cater to specific audiences. Both Little Brownie’s Toffee-Tastic and ABC’s Trios are gluten-free. Little Brownie’s Thin Mints and ABC’s Lemonades, Thanks-A-Lots, Thin Mints, and Peanut Butter Patties are vegan.
About 25 percent of all Girl Scout cookies sold are Thin Mints. Samoas or Caramel deLites are second with 19 percent of sales. Once the cost of the cookies is repaid to the bakery, all of the net revenue raised through Girl Scout Cookie sales stays with the local councils and troops. Am waiting for a new flavor, bacon peanut butter sammie.
The cookies are produced by two bakeries: ABC Bakers (a subsidiary of Interbake Foods) and Little Brownie Bakers (owned by Keebler/Kellogg’s). There are some major differences between the cookies they produce, but the core five cookies are the same, although with different names: Thin Mints, Trefoils or Shortbread, Samoas or Caramel deLites, Tagalongs or Peanut Butter Patties, and Do-si-dos or Peanut Butter Sandwiches.
Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, and Do-si-dos, are produced by Little Brownie. Shortbread, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, and Peanut Butter Sandwiches are produced by ABC. The only cookie name shared by both companies is Thin Mints.
Other, newer names cater to specific audiences. Both Little Brownie’s Toffee-Tastic and ABC’s Trios are gluten-free. Little Brownie’s Thin Mints and ABC’s Lemonades, Thanks-A-Lots, Thin Mints, and Peanut Butter Patties are vegan.
About 25 percent of all Girl Scout cookies sold are Thin Mints. Samoas or Caramel deLites are second with 19 percent of sales. Once the cost of the cookies is repaid to the bakery, all of the net revenue raised through Girl Scout Cookie sales stays with the local councils and troops. Am waiting for a new flavor, bacon peanut butter sammie.
Apr 8, 2016
Happy Friday
"I think you can destroy your now worrying about tomorrow." - Janis Joplin
I never worry about tomorrow while enjoying a Happy Friday!
I never worry about tomorrow while enjoying a Happy Friday!
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