PHILOSOPHY SHOULD LEAD SCIENCE

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

 Any high school student will tell you that leaves of plants use carbon dioxide of the atmosphere and water absorbed by the roots to make starch in the presence of sunlight for use by the cells of plants. As a layman, certain doubts arose in my mind which I discussed with senior students and a professor in university. I should confess, instead of clearing my mind, it only helped to confirm my thesis that every cell in the plant (except dead cells !) re-uses the CO₂ and H₂0 , released during respiration, for synthesizing starch. This is purely a philosophical conclusion,as I lost touch with the world of science in March 1957 after B.Sc. examination.I shall enumerate some of my points :

1)      The extremely tender, minute root tips are always growing and require continuous supply of starch.In very tall trees,the distance from top leaves to the root tips may be as much as 300 metres.There is no proper mechanism for transport of starch over such distance,unless we can locate different channels for upward movement of water and downward movement of starch in dissolved form, right from root tip to leaf tip and back. Xylem and phloem tissues are mentioned as responsible for this movement,but in trees like teak, jackwood etc all tissues inside the bark except perhaps a thin  layer of cortex, are absolutely dead and impervious to water, being filled with wood oil and compressed by the weight of the trunk. That is why we are able to make furniture,boats,ships etc with wood. Actually, the clever tree is making use of the dead cells as a skeleton-like support for its branches and leaves ,the latter being mercilessly dropped after making use of them!

2)      In Silent Valley in Kerala, I was shown a very tall tree, hollow inside, with two convenient natural holes, one at the bottom and the other at the top. We can see the sky, looking up from the bottom hole! The tree is alive. How is water and starch transported when xylem and phloem are absent?  

3)      In Australia, ring cutting was extensively resorted to, for felling trees. The bark and a small part of cortex was removed by making an eight inch deep cutting round the trunk at the bottom. After about six months, the tree falls down dead. This clearly proves that the outermost live cells are responsible for water transport.

4)      We plant rose cuttings. The cells on one end develop into a shoot and cells on the other side produce roots .Plant cells are remarkably versatile.Every cell can split and produce all chemicals required for making a duplicate cell . It is impossible to believe that a root cell will wait for starch to come from leaves, when raw materials are available as a result of its own respiration, and it has the necessary technical know-how for making even complicated proteins. Do we not re-use waste in a space station? Are we cleverer than plants?

5)      There is no way for a plant cell , except in the leaves, to get rid of CO₂ produced during respiration. When I, earlier, circulated my doubts in this regard, via email,I got only one response .The botanist had only one word-‘diffusion’ to desciribe the process. In the humans, is it enough if we just say ‘respiration’? We study all detailed mechanism in human physiology. In the same way, should we not describe the method used by plants to obtain oxygen and get rid of CO₂? The professor also said the same thing.As adjoining cells are also producing CO₂, how is diffusion possible?The area surrounding the roots will become saturated with CO₂.The root will die. The conclusion is inescapable: cells are recycling water and CO₂ produced during respiration.

6)      When mango fruits are produced in bulk during the season,the number of leaves are actually curtailed! Will farmers curtail production of food grains when it is required in bulk? Laburnum tree becomes almost yellow with flowers in the season, leaves hardly visible. How is starch produced when leaves are reduced?

7)      Bamboo, papaya tree etc are hollow,in the case of the former, there are segments,each one a waterproof compartment . Coconut tree mysteriously carries gallons of water to make toddy. If you cut the tree, not a trace of water is found. Are trees using nano technology?

8)      In my view,the main function of leaves is to pump water up for which lot of energy is required.Naturally,they make large quantities of starch which attracted the attention of botanists who hastily came to the conclusion that only leaves are concerned in this process.

9)      Maximum number of fish thrive in the deep oceans eating planktons which make starch in strata which receive practically no sunlight.

In view of the above, I feel more research is needed before we come to a firm concusion about the mechanism for production of starch and its transportation.

Today, institutions like NASA have all the technical capabilities to study this issue which should not be left to the comparatively ill equipped botanists.

This weekend was the Muslim holiday of Eid-ul-Adha.  In celebration of this holiday my husband and I invited a few of our friends over for Eid dinner.  Even though I am from Pakistan, I am not incredibly fond of Pakistani desserts.  Hmm…don’t get me wrong I do like them, but give me cake, cupcakes, cheesecake, tarts, cookies, brownies over traditional Pakistani desserts any day (though I do love Pakistani main dishes and snacks etc).  I am feeling a little guilty to confess this-but, hey they’re MY taste buds right?!

Back to the Eid dinner, I made the traditional mutton dish of biryani, because this holiday is symbolizes the Hajj and the sacrifice of goats.  I also made other Pakistani main courses, which I will share photographs of with you.  But, nevermind them for now, for dessert I made fruit tart.  Anyone from Providence knows about Pastiche and their amazing fruit tart.  It’s a beautiful dessert with the light glaze on top giving the fruits an amazing jewel-tone.  I’m sure it’s their number one best-seller.  And no matter how many times I’ve eaten it, I still can’t get enough of it.

My love affair with the fruit tart probably started in my early teens when I first went to Pastiche.  In high school, my friend and I would try to make it in her kitchen using some recipe we found online.  How cool were we, baking in high school?

So, I did have a little experience making fruit tart (emphasis on a little).  But, as you recall I just made the quiche with a homemade crust, and not reading the recipe throughly, I did not notice that the recipe yielded two crusts.  So there I was, left with an extra crust.  What to do with it?  DESSERT!

I used the opportunity of having guests over to make the tart.  Otherwise, it would be quite possible that I would eat the whole thing myself.   Yes, it’s that good!  I referred back to my favorite, Ina Garten’s pastry cream recipe and added half a vanilla bean to it and it turned out delectable.  I don’t know if it’s as good as Pastiche’s fruit tart.  But, when there is no Pastiche around I think it hits the spot just fine.  :)

Fresh Fruit Tart

Serves 6-8

I used a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  The recipe is here. I baked it in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.  I poked holes on the bottom of the crust with a fork and covered with foil and used dry beans as weights on top of the foil, so the crust would not expand.  (This is a double recipe so halve it if you only want one crust).

Pastry Cream

adapted from Ina Garten’s pastry cream

Ingredients

4 large egg yolks (room temperature)

6 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup light cream or milk (I only had light cream on hand or skim milk and skim milk was not gong to cut it)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 a vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Glazed with 1 tablespoon strawberry jam diluted with 2 tablespoons boiling water

Method

Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (I used my hand mixer with the beater attachment) cream together the egg yolks and sugar for about 3-4 minutes on high speed until the mixture forms a ribbon when you lift it from a spoon.  Next, add in the half of the scraped vanilla bean, and corn starch on low speed.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring the light cream to a low boil.  Next, stream the milk into the egg mixture whole the mixer is on low.  Pour the contents back into the sauce pan and whisk constantly for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken.  Mine was ready in 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract, butter, and heavy cream.  Strain through a sieve then put the contents into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, directly on the pastry cream.  Refrigerate until cold.

To assemble the tart:  Fill the cooled pastry cream into the baked tart shell.  Garnish with fruits of your choice, I used blackberries and raspberries for the darker more autumn tones.  Then brush on the diluted jam so that the fruits glisten.  Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Photo by Janicke O.

Traditionally baked in a cast-iron skillet, this classic American cake is rich, buttery, sweet and can be made with apples, pear, peach, apricot and more.

1 1/2 (20-ounce) cans (14 pineapple slices, fresh or canned)

14 pitted sweet cherries

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 pecan halves

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 sifted cake flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

9 tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 F

Prep 10-inch Springform pan (optional)

Fruit Topping:

Drain pineapple slices and cherries and place on paper towel to absorb moisture. You will need 8 whole pineapple slices and 8 whole cherries. Halve 6 of the remaining slices and the remaining cherries.

1. In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar until moistened and remove from the heat. Pour mixture in a 10-inch spring form pan or keep in skillet.

2. Place 1 whole pineapple slice in the center of your 10-inch springform pan or skillet and 7 whole slices surrounding it. Place the halves slices side by side against the sides of the pan, the two cut edges down touching the brown sugar.

3. Place the whole cherries in the center of the whole pineapple slices; the halved cherries in the center of the halved cherries. Tuck the pecans into and gaps between the fruits.

Cake Batter:

1. In a medium bowl, combine yolks, about 1/4 of the sour cream, and vanilla. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix to blend. Add butter and the remaining sour cream, mix on low until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium or (high if using a hand  mixer) for 1 1/2 minutes to develop the cake’s structure. scrape down the sides.

2. Gradually add the egg mixture to the batter in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to strengthen the cake’s structure. Scrape batter into fruit-lined skillet or 10-inch spring form pan, smoothing evenly with spatula.

3.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and the cake tester inserted comes out clean. Run a small knife around the sides and invert at once onto a serving plate. If using a skillet, leave the skillet in place one or two minutes before lifting. Enjoy!

Galatians 6:6-10 (New King James Version)

Be Generous and Do Good

⁶ Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Abouna Anthony talked about this subject last week during the Saturday Liturgy. I will put my notes into understandable language here (my notes can be somewhat cryptic at times) :

Our lives on earth are exactly like picture of a man sowing seeds and receiving fruits. We cannot expect the fruits right away, just like the farmer cannot expect his crops to be ready the next day. In Mark 11:24, Jesus says, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” The seed is there, but it may be just a seed. The Farmer (God) knows it is there and it will grow. Abraham is the epitome of the seed analogy. He had the faith of seeds. He didn’t see what God was promising him, yet he believed. God promised him to be the father of nations, but he only had two sons. However, he believed. He “patiently endured”. The thing is, we don’t like this “patiently endured” stuff, but that’s why we don’t see our seed. That’s why we are often impatient, thinking God isn’t doing anything. But God is above time; He is not limited by days and hours and minutes. In the liturgy, we pray for the “seeds, the herbs, and the plants of this year.” We are not just praying for the physical plants and seeds, but we are also praying for the seeds inside us. What we need to do is pray for God to give us fertile soil and water our souls, trusting that the seeds will grow inside of us. So, “let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (v. 9) Your work is not in vain; your fruits will come up soon enough.

God bless.

Pray for those who are spreading Christ’s word and love, and for those striving to find Him.

Marina

Please keep the following in your prayers:

Mike Ibrahim

Abouna Paul and Sherry Girguis

My family

Approximately 73% of the products on the market, which claim to ZAP fat away are false.

The best way to lose fat is to eat 4 to 6 small meals per day.

Each meal should be spaced out approximately 3 hours from each other.

The meals are balanced with nutritional make-up and the portion sizes are controlled.

Here is a helpful aid to guide you.

Fiber is one of the key elements to weight loss.

The average Canadian, should be eating approx. 25-35 grams of fiber per day or 10 grams for every 1000 calories consumed. (Health Canada)

How does this relate to you?

There are many advantages to eating a high fiber diet:

• It keeps the digestion system running smooth and regular. (regular bowel movement)
• Helps maintain a healthy body weight.
• Prevent life threatening illness
• Reduces the risk of certain types of cancer (Colin)
• If you suffer from high cholesterol, a high fiber diet will reduce the amount of cholesterol found in your blood stream. (Lower your blood sugar level)

Fiber is categorized into two types.

1. Soluble – these types of fiber dissolve in water, and help reduce cholesterol in your blood. Examples are dry oats, legumes (kidney beans, lentils), brown rice, green vegetables and potatoes.
2. Insoluble – these types of fiber stay solid and do not dissolve with water. As a result, they promote regular bowel movement, and help prevent constipation. Examples of these fibers are wheat bran, seeds, whole grain, and the skin of fruits and vegetables.

I’ll save you the time and troubles of guessing what foods you believe are high in fiber.

List of Soluble & Insoluble Fiber Foods

http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/soluble-fiber-foods-list.html

Take the time to add some of these items to your grocery list.

Find out how you can incorporate them into your breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Always eat whole foods that are fresh, and avoid eating processed food.

The busiest season is upon us, and the only way to achieve your fitness and health goals is to prepare for the week.

Write down your grocery list, before you go shopping.

Plan your meals for the next 2 days.

Take a few minutes to visualize you preparing a healthy meal.

Now all you have to do is execute your visuals during the weekdays.

Anything short of maximum effort is an excuse to be fat and lazy.

ma’s job has her putting together boxes of produce much like a csa, but from several vendors, and targeted at low-income individuals on the east side of detroit.  sometimes she has leftovers that no one wants at the sites, and we are lucky enough to get the produce.  this last week it was about a dozen lemons.

i’ve long enjoyed the pickled lemons that are found in mediterranean markets, though i also love the south indian lemon pickles too.  with my love of fermenting food, i felt it wouldn’t be too hard to ferment my own pickles, starting with the mediterranean style, i’ll try the south indian style next time.  i looked up several recipes and made something up that sounded right to me.

step one – wash the lemons and crock

lemons and crock

these are nonorganic lemons so i took special care to wash them well and washed the crock out as well.  you of course don’t have to use a crock, you can use a food grade bucket or mason jar.

step two – quarter lemons and  cut out the pith

lemons cut into quarters

some recipes i looked at recommended cutting out the pith, and i like that idea, since the pith is bitter.  i figured the skin contains enough pith, and that cutting out the pith would help release some of the juice.

step 3 add the spices and salt

spices and salt added to the bottom of the crock

all the recipes called for cinnamon, so i added that, several recommended bay leaf, and then i added peppercorns, fennel, cumin and coriander for good measure.  maybe it’s overkill, but i think it will work out fine.  i added generous amounts of salt to the bottom

step 4 – pack in the lemons

lemons packed in the crock

i packed em on their end, which i felt would have them keep their shape better than putting them on the side.  i packed 2 layers, adding more salt and more spices in between the layers, and then added more salt and spices to the top.

salt and spices on the top layer

then add water so that it covers everything.  lemons don’t seem to float to the top unlike most other ferments i’ve done.

step 5 weight it down and add oil

oil on top and weight

unlike most other ferments recipes i consulted recommended adding olive oil to the top  to seal it against the air since the lemons don’t seem to rise up.  i was a little worried that the lemons might pop up so i did the usual method of a plate and weight, and then added oil over top.  finally i added a towel and tied it all tight like making sauerkraut.

this should ferment for at least 4 to 6 weeks.  i’ll test them in a few and see how they are.

Ça y est, l’hiver s’installe enfin et votre tonus semble vous échapper… il est temps de faire une cure de fruits et légumes frais (bio de préférence) !

Parmi les fruits de saison, nous retrouvons en premier les agrumes, riches en vitamine C, protégeant notre corps des infections. Il y en a pour tous les goûts : oranges, pamplemousses, mandarines, clémentines, … Les oranges contiennent par exemple 50mg de vitamine C pour 100g, la clémentine et le pamplemousse quant à eux en contiennent 40mg/100g.

Un champion de la vitamine C : le kiwi. Ce fruit originaire de Chine, issu de la famille des groseilles, contient 250mg de vitamine C pour 100g de fruit ! Manger un kiwi le matin couvre les besoins journaliers en vitamine C. Il est également riche en potassium, calcium et magnésium, et contient de la vitamine E, un antioxydant utile dans la prévention des maladies cardiovasculaires.

Les légumes ne sont pas en reste ! Parmi eux, la pomme de terre. Pauvre en lipides, elle apporte des sucres complexes (glucide lents sous forme d’amidon) à l’organisme, mais aussi potassium et vitamine C.

Souvent associé aux pommes de terres dans les potages et pot-au-feu : le poireau. Le poireau est riche en provitamine A et en vitamines C et E, anti-oxydants naturels.

Les épinards qui sont des légumes-feuille contiennent 92% d’eau et sont très pauvres en glucides. Contrairement à la croyance populaire – merci Popeye – l’épinard n’est pas le légume le plus riche en fer. Par contre, pour 100g d’épinard, vous avez 4mg de carotène, 50mg de vitamine C, et également des vitamines B9 (acide folique) et E.

Autre star de l’hiver : le chou. On le trouve sous diverses formes : chou-fleur, chou chinois, chou de Bruxelles, brocoli, … Le chou est très riche en vitamine C (une portion de 100 g de chou couvre 125% des besoins quotidiens en vitamine C). Il contient également vitamines A, B1 et B2.

Egalement présente sur les étals de nos maraîchers, l’endive. De faible valeur calorique (22 Kcal), l’endive est riche en vitamine B9 (15 à 30 % de l’apport journalier recommandé) et en vitamine C (plus de 10% de l’apport journalier recommandé).

Source : www.guide-du-gourmet.com

My wife, Tina, our son, Gabby and I are just like most Pinoys who love eating and eating in between meals.   Whenever at home, particularly during weekends, we usually have morning light meal few hours after breakfast or more likely before lunch. Same thing goes in the afternoon; a snack is always perfect as a prelude to dinner.   But unlike others, we oftenly skip midnight snacks for the fear of taxing our pancreas too much that might lead to its rupture during sleep; now that’s another topic.

Merienda or midday meal is one of Spain’s legacies to Pinoys that I am thankful for, aren’t you also?

Here are some of the yummies we enjoy during merienda. 

Are you a popcorn-person?  Have you tried Chef Tony’s?  What flavor/s do you like?

I don’t know about you, but Gabby and I just love it when Tina fries fish balls and serves it hot off the pan with vinegar+soy sauce+onions!    We prefer only fish balls cooked at home rather than those sold in streets.  And you?

Other than chips ahoy, oreo, or the locally made m.y.san buttercookies, lady fingers or broas (I love broas!), prima and marie (which reminds me of my childhood), I and my family also enjoy munching these cookies…

Try it, make sure it’s Double Fudge Sugar-Free! They’re heavenly delicious in each bite!

Sometimes, we have fruits during snack time and nothing compares to sweet and plump bunch of lanzones which happens to be in season until now.  Do you like lanzones too?

I usually grab two large orders of  Khaleb Shawarma for Tina and me as our merienda before we go grocery shopping.

We also like dimsum! Among our favorites are shrimp cheong fan and shrimp dumpling a.k.a. hakao!

And who would say no to pizza for merienda ?

or to either venti of frappucino, iced macchiato or any hot blends from Starbucks Coffee and pastries or a slice of cake perhaps…

Our latest to-go purchase was done just yesterday afternoon, soon after Tina and Gabby tagged along with me as I went to my dentist in Marikina, we spotted a carinderia that sells freshly cooked rice cakes…

Nevermind if it’s cheaply priced at PhP 25 per bibingka and at PhP 20 per order of puto-bumbong;  regardless whether these two are far from Ferino’s or Via Mare’s or even from Kamayan’s, what was important yesterday was the fact that we enjoyed our first bites at these Holiday season favorites.  If only we have muscovado, everything could have been almost perfect with Anchor butter and those coconut shavings.  

Tastes, smells and feels like Christmas already!   Aren’t you excited ?

Well, we are!  Both for Christmas and enjoying another satisfying snack!

What’s your usual merienda?

carried away…

Seniors who eat fruits and vegetables and who have good cognitive function are much less likely to die from heart disease than those who have poorer cognitive function and eat fewer fruits and vegetables, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia analyzed diet and cognitive data on 4,879 people age 70 and older who took part in the U.S. Longitudinal Study on Aging. Participants were followed for an average of seven years.

According to a HealthDay report, the analysis found that:

• Those who ate three or more servings of vegetables daily had a 30 percent lower risk for dying from heart disease and a 15 percent lower risk for dying from any cause during the follow-up period than those who ate fewer servings of vegetables.

• There was a significant association between higher consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreased prevalence of cognitive impairment.

• People who scored high on cognitive function tests were less likely to die from heart disease or any other cause during the follow-up than were those with low scores.

Having a healthy heart is important when it comes to old age. That is why Home Instead Senior Care promotes this healthy heart through our caregivers. Our caregivers promote positive cognitive function, and they cook healthy meals which will often include fruits and vegetables. Mom and dad need all the help they can get; if you’re finding it difficult to take care of your loved ones and are looking for someone who will go that extra mile, then give Home Instead a call.

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

Seniors who eat fruits and vegetables and who have good cognitive function are much less likely to die from heart disease than those who have poorer cognitive function and eat fewer fruits and vegetables, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia analyzed diet and cognitive data on 4,879 people age 70 and older who took part in the U.S. Longitudinal Study on Aging. Participants were followed for an average of seven years.

According to a HealthDay report, the analysis found that:

• Those who ate three or more servings of vegetables daily had a 30 percent lower risk for dying from heart disease and a 15 percent lower risk for dying from any cause during the follow-up period than those who ate fewer servings of vegetables.

• There was a significant association between higher consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreased prevalence of cognitive impairment.

• People who scored high on cognitive function tests were less likely to die from heart disease or any other cause during the follow-up than were those with low scores.

Having a healthy heart is important when it comes to old age. That is why Home Instead Senior Care promotes this healthy heart through our caregivers. Our caregivers promote positive cognitive function, and they cook healthy meals which will often include fruits and vegetables. Mom and dad need all the help they can get; if you’re finding it difficult to take care of your loved ones and are looking for someone who will go that extra mile, then give Home Instead a call.

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

The avant-garde kitchen would not be complete after a refrigerator, an oven, a microwave, and a coffee maker. As accessories in one of the a lot of important apartment in the house, these accessories are on the beginning of the action for greater accessibility and lower action costs. Here is a attending at a few of the abstruse makeovers which can advice you save both time and money. “Smart” Refrigerators Has this anytime happened to you? On your way home from work, you stop at the bazaar for groceries. While acrimonious up aliment for dinner, you can’t bethink whether there’s a steak in the freezer or if you still accept abundant adulate for the mashed potatoes. Instead of agreement a alarm to your cogent other, let your refrigerator analysis the account for you. Using a corpuscle phone, it is accessible to accidentally admission an up-to-the-minute account of the capacity of the “smart” refrigerator via an Internet connection. 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This is one of the few types that I knew of..(another type is orangy skin) This type has yellow skin when ripe and it can be made into drinks.. (I planted it from the small seed that our family had eaten some time in the beginning of this year.. since then, it grew from a tiny seed to this big plant.. it has lots of tendrils .. when its flowers are blooming more, I will snap it to view esp. when it is wide open, it is much more beautiful..!)

Preparing the drinks from Passion Fruits

1) cut the ripe fruits open
2) take the inside out
3) blend it
4) filter the seeds away
5) Add in sugar (dried plums – optional)
6) Add in water in accordance to the amount of the fruits blended..

SERVE while cool.. add in cubes of ice at your wish!!!

hmmh.. very cooling drink on a hot afternoon..

Just 2 days ago, bought 12 biji home & costed RM25/- and sent 7 to relatives included his Dentist Relative.. who moved from Sarikei ..
Today, bought those 2 …RM8/- specially big if not common lah.. everywhere in Msia got durians….
unfinished into the fridge..

Excerpts from GLOBAL WARMING IS A MYTH

IS CARBON DI OXIDE THE VILLAIN?

Such terms as carbon credit find a place in newspapers almost daily. I don’t know what is all this about. To me CO₂ sustains life on earth. Has the level of CO₂ in the atmosphere gone up? Has it been proved experimentally?

 Before Industrialization

The whole of America and most of the old world were inhabited by a comparatively small population, a majority of whom depended upon meat and fish. Farming depended entirely on rain water as big dams were unknown. The grasslands of America and Australia didn’t produce food grains. Coal and other fossil fuels were not commercially exploited. In those days we may presume that a proper balance existed between CO₂ and other ingredients of the air like N₂ and O₂ in spite of forest fires, the like of which we witnessed in California recently.

After Industrialization

Commercial exploitation of coal began first followed by oil and natural gas, resulting in increase in the level of CO₂ in the atmosphere. Simultaneously two other developments followed: increase in population (both human and animal) and corresponding growth in food grains production. Big dams were constructed and more and more areas of land were brought under cultivation. Mechanization and the use of artificial fertilizers made leaps and bounds in production of food grains, fruits and other commercial crops. The Prairies of North America became the granary of the world. Compared to grass, food grains and sugar fix a large quantity of CO₂. The major items responsible for such CO₂ fixation are:

1. food grains like wheat, corn, rice, oats, soybean etc
2. underground vegetables like potato, tapioca, beetroot etc
3. fruits like apple, grapes, banana, dates, cherry, pineapple etc
4. sugarcane etc

Experts can calculate the total quantity of CO₂ produced by industry and that absorbed by vegetation as mentioned above and the marine vegetation in order to find out whether the net balance is favoring CO₂ concentration in the air. An easier way would be to experimentally ascertain the percentage of CO₂ in the atmospheric air (being heavier than air CO₂ is available near the surface of the earth). If CO₂ level increases O₂ level should decrease. In my childhood (I am 70+) O₂ level was 20% as mentioned in my text book. Has it changed? An atom of carbon combines with two atoms of oxygen to form CO₂ which is absorbed by the leaves of the plant to form starch. In the process two atoms of oxygen are released into the atmosphere. We may say that each carbon atom burnt ultimately results in the release of two atoms of oxygen, thus resulting in increase in the level of O₂. Level of CO₂ dissolved in the ocean water should also be checked. If this level increases, fishes would die en mass. Has this happened? If the level of CO₂ dissolved in ocean waters decreases, plant life in the ocean cannot produce enough starch by photosynthesis. This will be a hazard for fishes and other marine life.

The volume of animal and hence plant life in the oceans is much more than that on the continents. This is because the area of the oceans is seven times the area of the continents. Also, the oceans are deep. Hence the volume of water is very much more and can contain a large population of marine life. The necessary starch has to come from plant life. So, the total bio mass in the oceans is considerably higher than that in the continent. The carbon di oxideàPlant starchàAnimalsàCarbon di oxide cycle is there in the watery medium, just as in our atmosphere. All the gases, including nitrogen, will be present in dissolved state in the oceans too. Here industrialization has not affected the ‘atmosphere’ of the ocean. This fact has to be recognized in any discussion on Global Warming.

[The percentage of various components of atmospheric air as obtained from the websites is given below:

Nitrogen 78.1

Oxygen 20.9

Argon 0.9

Neon 0.002

Helium 0.0005

Krypton 0.0001

Hydrogen 0.00005

Carbon di oxide 0.035!!!!!!!! (Poor, innocent CO2 has been maligned unnecessarily)

Methane 0.0002

Ozone 0.000004

This would suggest that the percentage of oxygen has slightly increased. If this is true it augers ill, as forest fires may become uncontrollable with increase in the level of oxygen in the coming years. Therefore, this line should be investigated separately by experts. My guess is that with unchecked use of nitrogenous fertilizers, the total bio mass in the earth could have increased. The requisite extra nitrogen must have been drawn from the atmosphere along with CO₂ releasing extra oxygen into the atmosphere as pointed out above.]

The importance of proper scientific study cannot be over emphasized. Mother Nature maintains her balance, whatever her children may do!

I love knitted things, it is such a traditional craft, associated with grandma’s knitting tacky jumpers and tea cosies. I learnt to knit last Summer, it took me ages to get a hang of it and to this day I have not managed to do anything other than straight lines, therefore limiting me to scarves! This Winter I’m planning on expanding my skills into crochet and knitting more interesting things such as hats and handwarmers.

I’ve seen so many snazzy knitted makes on my browsing of the web and would love to share some of these with you!

Amigurumi!

Through browsing the blog Geek Crafts (which I love, and highly recommend you check out!) http://geekcrafts.com/ I discovered the quirky, cute and imaginative world of Amigurumi. Amigurumi is the Japanese for ‘knitted stuff toy’, however this name has been attached generally to any kind of Kawaii (cute), quirky and kitsch knitted characters. Just do a google image search and a whole bunch of amazing makes appear. This website has some amazing examples, check out the gallery, I particularly love the teddy bear cupcakes and bon bons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/amigurumikingdom/

Knitted Food Items!

For some unknown reason I’ve always had a thing for cartoon food items with faces, which can frequently be seen in traditional Amigurumi work. My love of knitted items have led to my love of knitted food items, so pointless really, but oh so cute and very kitsch. This Folksy shop, Treaclezoo sells great Amigurumi and also knitted food! http://www.folksy.com/shops/treaclezoo For ultimate perfect, check out the Amigurumi food items, super Kawaii! This Etsy shop does amazing patterns and super cute kawaii food: http://www.etsy.com/shop/anapaulaoli . One of my favourite items of jewellery is a Amigurumi apple with a face that I bought from Lady Luck Rules Ok a few years ago, more about this shop to follow but here’s a link: http://www.ladyluckrulesok.com/

 And now for those more useful items!

Of course, the main lovely thing about knitted items is that they can create amazingly snuggly and beautiful practical items and fashion accessories. I have seen so many amazing webshops selling incredible knitted things but some of my faves include: Knit and Destroy, this lady now works for Lady Luck Rules Ok I believe and she is incredible creative with her Knits http://www.knitanddestroy.co.uk/ I have many things from her site, including a lolly pop brooch and a red crayon scarf! For  more elegant, but still quirky knit I love Folksy shop, Dolly Knits, I would quite happily own every piece on her page, so much good choice! http://www.folksy.com/shops/dollyknits I particularly love Dolly Knits triangle scarves, ties and hair bows, seriously cute! Dolly Knit Pom Pom brooches would brighten up any outfit!

 How inspiring is that talented bunch? I wonder if they will lend me their talents?

Since I essentially hoarded last week’s haul (I just roasted the potimarron, and it will become pie very shortly) I didn’t have much of interest to report.  The kiwis – about a dozen of them – made a delicious breakfast on the train down to Torino, scooped from their fuzzy skins with tiny plastic spoons.

Anyhow, this week I’ve got a lot to work with.  The cabbage will be braised, probably with some smoky Alsatian sausages to make a quick choucroute-like dish, one of my winter staple meals.  I’ll probably throw the turnips in there, too.  I’m thinking the (sandy, but tasty – I munched one as a snack while taking photos this afternoon) carrots could become a quick Thanksgiving hors d’oeuvre.  If only I had some ranch dressing handy.  Maybe bleu cheese?  Speaking of, I think the apples will be wonderful sliced with crumbles of gorgonzola picante… or smears of gorgonzola dolce.  Now there’s a Thanksgiving hors d’oeuvre idea.

The mâche I’m eating tonight, alongside a sausage and fontina pizza (guess what I bought in Italy?), and the other lettuce will provide welcome salad respite from the rest of the week’s heavy eating.

Originally published on Seasonal Market Menus.

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