Evolution of a Lunch (or Lunch Update)

Currently, my weekly lunches alternate between a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a turkey sandwich, an apple, a couple big carrots, and maybe some no salt tortilla chips.

One thing I've noticed, and, we've all probably heard before, is how much more work it is to chew an apple with the skin and raw carrots than it is a bag of chips or French fries.  I mean I can fill a full ziplock bag with a couple carrots, eat it for 10 minutes, when it seems like I could eat the same volume of potato chips in a couple of minutes.

This really drove home the idea that this convenience food is practically "prechewed" for us, and the result is eating more high calorie low nutrient foods.

So basically, I need to focus on eating more raw fruits and vegetables high in fiber content if o want to be all that I can be.

Here is an article and an excerpt from it on this subject:

 Food manufacturers are always searching for the perfect “mouthfeel,” which is why fat is so prevalent in processed food. Fat not only bestows crunch, creaminess and contrast, but it also blends flavors and even acts as a lubricant, allowing people to eat faster. “Fat adds to a smooth, even bolus (the wad that forms when you chew food) in the mouth,” says Kessler.

Another texture trick is to presoften food by mashing it. “The substrate of today’s foods has been removed, meaning processed food is basically prechewed,” notes Kessler. This allows us to eat things like chicken tenders more quickly and easily, which can lead to unconscious eating — and overeating. 

“We used to have foods that took more work,” Civille explained in a recent NPR interview. “In the [45 years] that I have been in the food business, we used to have foods that we chewed 15 times and 20 times and 30 times before we swallowed. Now, there’s rarely a food out there, outside of a sweet, chewy candy, that you have to chew more than 12 times before it’s gone.” Instead, after a couple quick chews and a swallow, “you’re in for the next hit to get more pleasure.” (For more on exactly how the food industry manufactures the perfect texture, see “Anatomy of a Chicken Nugget” below.)

https://experiencelife.com/article/scary-food-science/

Let's Froth

So ever since I went to France I have been enjoying lattes or cappuccinos or whatever. I have been trying to replicate them at home and was inspired to buy one of these battery powered milk frothing wands.



However, the one I ordered didn't work quite that well and a friend from the lab said he has a frother and said the youtube reviews are not realistic. There had to be a better way right?

So I followed some instructions I found online and decided to mod my frother. The plan was to take a standard USB cable and use the 5V leads to supercharge this mofo. Two AAA batteries at 3V? Lol, lets go for 5V with no power drainage.

Step 1: find old USB cable, cut one end off (the correct end) and find the leads.

Step 2: Skip ahead. I soldered the leads directly onto the motor and did some cleanup.

Step 3: put back together.

Step 4: Hot glue the cord onto the back end to relieve tension on the soldered leads.

Step 5: acquire milk

Step 6: achieve 3x volume increase!

Step 7: enjoy the froth

I am still finding the right balance of heat, milk fat content, and container size for optimal forthing. However, I am now frothing as well as in these videos and better than I can get at Dunkin or Hatebucks.

Meeces to pieces

Mice. Another very important piece of computer hardware. I have rocked the Logitech MX518 for so long. I love it so much. A couple bonus side buttons for quick Bone Spear in Diablo II is so amazing. It's always felt just a little small in my hands though. My fingers tend to scrunch up in the front in order to click. Maybe I'm holding the mouse weird. With keeping up with my recent keyboard purchase, I decided to buy a new mouse as well.

I found the Logitech G502 Proteus Core while googling "best gaming mouse." Tons of people say this thing is super comfortable. I had some Best Buy gift certificates to burn thorough and this thing was on sale for $60 so I figured why the hell not.

This mouse is nice. It has weights that fit into the bottom of the mouse. They can be placed on either side or towards the front or back of the mouse. Each one weighs 3.6 grams which is not much at all but makes a world of difference. I have one towards the back to give a nice balance to it.

It has different DPI settings so you can change it up depending on what type of game you're playing. It even has a "sniper" button that you hold down to bump the DPI down to carefully get that perfect headshot and then let go to go back to normal. In addition to two side buttons, it has another on top and a scroll wheel toggle that switches between the scroll wheel clicking with each scroll or a smooth scroll. I really like the finger spacing too.

All in all, I am pretty happy with my purchases. Really wish I had the Razer keyboard but I love my mouse. Now I just need a new desk and chair. Here's a pic of my setup.

Das fur

I game a lot. 90% of the time it's on PC with a mouse and keyboard. So when it comes to keyboards and mice, I'm constantly looking for comfortable and nice feeling equipment. Plus I've noticed my wrists hurting just a bit after gaming sometimes. I take breaks but decided to upgrade my keyboard to a mechanical keyboard. I've read some articles that they can relieve the amount of stress on your hands by not having to push the keys all the way down in order to register a key press. Plus I love that click sound that they are known for. Reminds me of being in grade school and typing on the old Apple IIe's. So I decided to try two different ones out.

After reading this article (Five best mechanical keyboards according to Lifehacker readers) I picked a Das Keyboard to go after. Then I saw how expensive they were. So I waited. And waited. Finally woot! had a deal on a refurbished Das Keyboard 4C Professional for $90. Not bad. Now while I was waiting on this to ship I bought a Razer BlackWidow Ultimate for $118 just to try out. I bought it from Best Buy so I could return it within 14 days. I'll list the pros and cons of each one.

Das Keyboard

Pros:

• Compact. This is nice as it doesn't take up a whole lot of room on my desk. It's kinda weird getting use to not having a numpad on the side but I don't miss it.
• Cheaper. The Razer is $110-130 depending on where you buy it.
• MX Cherry Brown switches. So the whole point of mechanical keyboards (besides the sound) is that you don't have to press the keys all the way down in order to register a key press. There are different switches that have different actuation points and the amount of pressure needed to depress the keys. Here's a really nice article on MX Cherry switches. So I chose browns because they still have a slight click but are not obnoxiously loud. They were also already out of the blues by the time I bought one :( .
• It has a ruler for a stand because why not.

Cons:

• I like the brown switches but they feel slightly stiff on the Das Keyboard. I don't know if it's because it's a refurb or what. Still love typing on it though.
• While they have a slight click, I do wish they were a bit louder. I really like that sound.
• Not backlit. I didn't think I would mind this but I really do.

Razer

Pros:

• Green switches. Razer created their own switches for their Ultimate keyboards. They have green and orange. People say the green are like blues and orange are like browns. This one had greens while Razer's Ultimate Stealth has oranges (Get it? It's quieter so they called it Stealth). I would say this is very accurate. The greens had a very sexy click with each press. I fucking loved it.
• Backlit. The back lighting on this keyboard is so insane. It was adjustable from all the way off to eye melting bright and everywhere in between. Very cool. Each key had it's own light too. Awesome.
• Software. Razer has software for personalized keys launching specific applications to macros. It was pretty robust.

Cons:

• This thing was huge. I have a big mouse pad and this keyboard was intruding on top of it so the angle was just slightly off kilter.
• I feel like the key spacing was a little wide. Maybe it's just me.

So they we have it. If I could, I would return the Das Keyboard and pick up the Razer. Although, I have read some bad things about Razer's quality and their things breaking after a year or two so at least I feel good about the Das not breaking down. Oh well. You live and you learn. Another thing I have noticed about typing on a mechanical is that I make a lot fewer mistakes than I did on a normal one. My typing speed has also increased. I love typing and gaming on it and would highly recommend them to anyone.

Frugal Blades Make Frugal Shaves

Received my 100 Derby brand DE safety razor blades. What is that, a two year supply?

Total cost $12, Or $0.12/blade. Estimating $6 a year, 

$0.04/shave.

New Vacuum Sealer

I bought a chest freezer and a vacuum sealer.

First harvest if the sweet mint I planted.

Mint Harvest

Food Saver bag

vacu sealed mint

Well, there you have it. Ready to capitalize on deep sales at the grocer and windfall produce harvests. This squirrels prepared for his nut!

Frugal Planters

I like the look of those 1/4  barrels that people sometimes use as planters.

Well, I found some old ones being discarded down the street and grabbed them. One was in decent shape but the bottom gave out on the other.

This Iis the barrel that had a bottom. I just filled it with dirt and oregano seeds.

For the barrel with no bottom, I just got a piece of scrap wood, trace the inside circle of the barrel for an outline and cut it to size with a jigsaw. Then I dropped it inside the barrel and stomped it down in place with my boot. Remarkably easy and effective solution. 

Here are some pics:

cut, in place

in

Upside down

In the yard

I like this fit and tgat you cant see the bottom

Filled, I did drill some holes for drainage before filling it with dirt

The only thing I bought for this project was the dirt. Feels weird buying dirt. Total cost $10.

DIY advanced coffee

I discovered on my trip to Europe that I like latte or cappuccino drinks. I have no idea which is which, but I enjoy the milk part. Sugar is still a big no for me. Anyway, I wanted to recreate the experience at home.

First heat water and brew coffee in aeropress.

Then poor your favorite milk (low fat works best FYI, but I'm using whole milk here) into a jar with a lid.

Shake vigorously and you'll aerate the milk.

Take the lid off and microwave for 30 seconds. It's foamy!

Pour coffee into mug.

Pour milk into mug.

Mix together. Look at how frothy this is!

Nice!

Inspire by: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-froth-milk-for-cappuccinos-in-the-microwave-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-100716

Pizza Steel: It's fur real

I did it. I bought a pizza steel. This thing is supposed to be a marked improvement over any old pizza stone and has the added benefit of being essentially indestructible while offering several more uses. Here it is in all its glory.

This thing is heavy. I opted for the 0.375" model and it must weigh about 20-25 lbs. Essentially this is a huge mass so it will have lots of thermal inertia while also being highly conductive so it can transfer heat to a load quickly and efficiently. Ceramic stones have poor thermal conductivity.

Let's make a 'za. Just your standard white pizza with onions, sausage, and homegrown green and purple basil. Oh yeah...check out my new peel! It is much slimmer than my wooden one so it will be easier getting under a pie and removing it.

Normally with the pizza stone I would have to par-bake the crust first for three minutes or so. And even then the crust is usually not completely crisp in the center of the pizza when it's all done. With the steel, I just put the entire pizza in at once. I also noticed how well it was able to get that cheese bubbling.

I got a nice crispy crust that was much more evenly cooked than anything I could ever get with the pizza stone.

Look at that thing. Purrfection!

Overall, I am so happy I made this purchase.

And this steel has other uses...anyone hungry for burgers? Stay tuned...

Socialismizing with Sawsheezle: On tour in Europe: Part 1

I recently flew back from Europe and boy are my arms tired (gratuitous RyDub joke)! Seriously though, my arms aren't tired, nor is any part of my body, no nothing about this trip was tiring, rather, it was quite eye opening. We can debate later how many commas I should be using.

So why was I there? I was invited to give a special talk at an academic conference in Lille, France. To get there, I had the choice of flying to either London or Paris and since I was already heading to France (and because I have no interest in going to Paris) I decided to start the journey off in foggy ole London town.

The trip begins...some photos will be scattered throughout.

So we left from DC en route to London and everything just splendid. I was looking forward to this trip, but had been so busy lately I hadn't really put any thought into it: I was just going to go and take it all in without an agenda. I wasn't quite sure what to expect either. London wouldn't be like I have pictured it from a collection of BBC and Channel 4 comedies could it? I was somewhat surprised by what it was like there.

When we got to the airport (and the hotel), one thing became very apparent: all of these service workers were foreign. The same thing tends to happen here in the states, but not to these numbers as minorities seem to be hired in great numbers at these transportation hubs. What I immediately noticed is that London is an international city. Again, go figure, but it was different than what you might see in LA, Chicago, or perhaps even New York: it was difficult to run into any locals.

Now the UK had just had their election the eve before and the conservative party won. Other more radical right-wing parties were gaining traction leading up to the election and many have speculated why they were becoming more popular. London is one of the most expensive cities in the world and while millenials are almost completely being shutout of the housing market there, older generations are finding the London they knew, along with lots of jobs, have become unaccessible to them.

Now don't me wrong, London was and is beautiful and amazing. While housing in ultra expensive, food seemed to be reasonable. Meat was especially well priced and everything I saw at local markets and grocers appeared to be of much higher quality than what we have available to us in the States. This is where I began to notice some things that were strange to me.

England is the land of Kings and Queens, or at least I have heard that saying before. But seriously, they had and still have, although only as a figurehead though, a monarchy. They have a royal family. We fought for our independence partially due to their having a monarchy so seeing this up close and personal was both breathtaking and off-putting to me. On the first day of our trip we went to Windsor Castle. From wikipedia:

Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. The castle is notable for its long association with the English and later British royal family and also for its architecture. The original castle was built in the 11th century after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I, it has been used by succeeding monarchs and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. The castle's lavish, early 19th-century State Apartments are architecturally significant, described by art historian Hugh Roberts as "a superb and unrivalled sequence of rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste".[1] The castle includes the 15th-century St George's Chapel, considered by historian John Martin Robinson to be "one of the supreme achievements of English Perpendicular Gothic" design.[2] More than 500 people live and work in Windsor Castle.

Windsor castle is simply an amazing place and a living piece of history. Here's a shot from the walkway. The cathedral is on the left.

I can't show you everything here so go back and check out that wikipedia link. But what I wanted to express here is that after touring Windsor Castle I couldn't help but understand why people throughout time have risen up and fought back against their rulers. The inequality that must have existed during the age of kings must have been incomprehensible, and I am so proud to live in a country that doesn't have a monarchy...even if theirs is just a figurehead.

One thing that immediately stood out to me was in the gift shop. Every little trinket I saw said "Made in UK". Can you imagine that? Has anyone toured near the White House lately? Where would you expect things to be made in our gift shops? The answer is obviously China. It wasn't hard to see that the UK takes pride in their local producers and had some level of protectionist trade policies put in place to help their locals out. We then headed to Eton College a near 600 year old boarding school where the ultra elite send their kiddies to become heads of state and business leaders. Again, here's a beautiful photo:

This is where GW would have gone to school if he wasn't American (he may be a citizen, but he's not American). Eventually we mosied over to Buckingham palace:

Which was impressive as well. It wasn't hard to see that the UK is a place of great inequality and they are the European country the most like the USA. While they have a national healthcare system, they do not have universal free education. Students are expected to foot the bill just like us and then enter a job market in which their parents won't leave. Couple in automation destroying millions of jobs and you have a recipe for disaster. At least you should, but I never really saw any homeless there. Maybe two guys total and I went around the entire city. Maybe I missed them? But in Chicago or, hell, even in State College you would see many more homeless and distressed people. Why is this?: Socialism.

More commentary to come.