This blog is an outlet, a hobby I started as a new mom. The date stamps of my blog posts clearly reveal that sometimes I've had more free time than others. Then I stopped blogging altogether to pursue other interests. Now I am back, but the focus will be slightly different. My posts up to… Continue reading New Opportunities
Gingerbread Cookies Then and Now
I love holiday food. A current favorite is "Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies" from Table for Two. My kids call them gingerbread cookies and love them. Just like the name says, these cookies are soft and chewy with a great blend of spices. A very different cookie from the hard gingerbread cookies used to… Continue reading Gingerbread Cookies Then and Now
Why Does Meat Turn Brown?
I bought a lot of ground beef on sale, then I forgot about it! I had planned to separate it into smaller portions, wrap it up, and put in the freezer. But after a long shopping trip with kids, I just stuck it in the refrigerator. I forgot about it for days. When I finally… Continue reading Why Does Meat Turn Brown?
Apples
In every grocery store I shop at, apples take up the most real estate in the produce section. All year long, while other fruits come and go, shiny round apples sit waiting to be bought. Why are apples so popular? Besides the great taste and crisp texture, apples are hardy and useful. Read on to… Continue reading Apples
Five things you should know about superfoods
What is so super about superfoods? That is a trick question. Technically nothing. Any food can be called a superfood because it is not a legal or medical term. So far the only foods making it onto superfoods lists are fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. Those are great foods for you! So eat superfoods, but… Continue reading Five things you should know about superfoods
Pink or No Pink?
Every place has their own ideas about food. For example, I went to a burger restuarant, placed an order, and the waiter asked, "Pink or no pink?" Um, what in the world did he mean? He clarified, "Would you like your hamburger pattie pink on the inside?" Eww! If I had been in a small eatery… Continue reading Pink or No Pink?
Can Seams
The previous post was about canned foods. This one goes a step further and talks about can seams, where the body of the can and the lid of the can interlock. Can seams are a brilliant invention, and how they are formed is pretty interesting. Warning: this post is a bit like a technical manual.… Continue reading Can Seams
Canned Food
It is time to delve into what I used to do for work. I spent a few years in a lab that tested the quality and safety of several different foods. Most of the foods were canned so I learned a lot about canning. The canning process is brilliant. Canned foods will never match what… Continue reading Canned Food
The Candy Cane
History According to tradition, candy canes were invented in Cologne, Germany in 1670. The choirmaster wanted a way to keep the children quiet during the living nativity held on Christmas Eve. He asked a candy maker for sweet sticks. To justify having the treats in church, he asked to have them made with a hook… Continue reading The Candy Cane
Color-Changing Cabbage Experiment
Did you know that you can change the color of red cabbage without using any dyes? Red cabbage gets its great purple color from anthocyanins. Anthocyanins, like most plant pigments, change color based on the pH of their environment. So when red cabbage is put into an acidic or basic solution it looses its characteristic… Continue reading Color-Changing Cabbage Experiment
A Dash of Science 