This Week in Science: May 18/14

They’ve done it again, kiddie-winkers.

While we were out planning our gardens and trying to figure out how to hurt ourselves with fireworks, the devoted geeks and nerdlings in the world of science have come up with these findings!

 

 

Dinosaur: http://bit.ly/1lxLRTu
Gluten: http://bit.ly/1gT4Wgc
Prehistoric girl: http://bit.ly/1j45bcI
Glaciers: http://bit.ly/1on1lP6
Lucid dreaming: http://bit.ly/1glhORI
Exoplanet: http://bit.ly/1iYOxel
Sperm: http://bit.ly/1mYRPhh
Measles: http://bit.ly/S7b5jd

Well done, folks. Very well done indeed.

The world owes you a huge debt of gratitude!

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Sitting at the Dock of the Bacon!

Well, boys and girls…

Here we are again.

The American and Canadian obsession with bacon!

Now that Halloween is over…

And with American Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon…

The  popular imagination turns to thoughts of ham…

And more specifically… bacon.

The thought of a world without bacon gives some people the heebie-jeebies!

Some people try to pit bacon against wealth.

Some people try to mix bacon with other physical pleasures!

And some people try a fusion of bacon and Art.

Many history buffs do not ignore bacon’s glorious past.

Some people have gone so far as to threaten roughhousing at the thought of having their bacon burgled.

And then, there are the hopeless romantics.

Those of us with a fondness for and/or an attachment to The South have our own way to put a cultural spin on things.

(Chicken fried bacon)

And to some, thoughts of bacon are as ingrained as thoughts of sex

So whether you like your pig candy as a bold fashion statement…

Or not…

… until next time, I will leave bacon where it best belongs…

On a plate, waiting to kill you.

Thanks a million to my readers and myriad alleged friends who continue to send me bacon-related photos, videos and articles.

I can only say… You’re all sick and need to seek good professional help! 🙂

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Deb’s Banana Bread Recipe

My dear friend Deb and I have closed down many a restaurant over the years. Purely unintentionally, mind you.

I don’t know which of us noticed it first but we began to detect a disturbing pattern. It seemed like every establishment at which we dined closed within a month or so of our visit. Out of business. Shut down. Closed for various health violations. Condemned. Engulfed in flames.

ANYWAY… I received a Facebook message from her the other day. She’s up in Iqaluit up on Baffin Island [1] bless her, and feels the need for human contact more keenly than those of us down here in sub-tropical southern Ontario.

“You’ve GOT to try this banana bread recipe! It uses honey and applesauce instead of sugar and oil!”

So, here it is!

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup honey
2 eggs, beaten
3 mashed overripe bananas

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together applesauce and honey. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

≈   ≈    ≈    ≈    ≈    ≈

It should be noted that I have a real penchant for anything with a banana flavour. Banana popsicles, banana bread, banana muffins, banana pudding, banana-flavoured penicillin, etc. You name it. If you give it a banana flavour, I’ll want to eat it.

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[1] Long story. Not for the squeamish.

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This Week in Science: September 29, 2013

While the rest of us were off doing whatever the rest of us do…

Science geeks and nerdlings the world over have been discovering things that make the world an even more awesome place!

Cancer: http://bit.ly/167lkrE
Whispering: http://bit.ly/1biP5Ke
New form of matter: http://bit.ly/18CYkz3
Climate change: http://bbc.in/19P6vax
Mars: http://bit.ly/1bkPA6A
Oxygen: http://bit.ly/1bUtZkO
Jaw & backbone: http://bit.ly/15Dv3HJ
Solar panels: http://bit.ly/167lCyT

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R’ Michael Skobac’s Healthy Banana Cake for Dummies!

This from my dear friend and colleague, R’ Michael Skobac.

“I made this simple Banana Cake and had it to break the fast yesterday and again tonight.

My wife and I give it rave reviews. Easy, healthy, ’nuff said. Njoy!”

Health Banana Cake

Ingredients:
3 Ripe Mashed Bananas
1/3 cup Apple Sauce
1/4 cup Almond Milk
2 cups Quick Oats
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method: 
Mix well, bake @ 350 for 20 minutes.
(We had it after it chilled in the fridge).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

No flour. No eggs. No sugar. Just lots of moist gooey goodness!! Try it!

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If you like this recipe, try R’ Michael Skobac’s Healthy Challah for Dummies!

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Banana Ginger Energy Smoothie

Thanks and a big yasher koach to WordPress’s The Kosher Scene for this wonderful recipe!!

Just the refreshing drink for summer or year round!

Serves 3

Nutritional Information per Serving:

Calories 178
Protein 10g
Carbohydrates 338
Fat 2g

Ingredients

1/2 cup ice
2 cups milk
2 bananas, ripe
1 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated fine
2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey (optional)

Directions

1. In a blender, add the ice, milk, yogurt, bananas, and ginger.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add sugar as needed.

NOTES – If you don’t like ginger or there’s none fresh, substitute 1/4 teaspoon orange zest or vanilla or almond extract. This smoothie is delicious and combines many of the best reflux foods. Did you know that ginger in moderation is good for reflux? It packs a lot of flavor and is versatile as an ingredient in many dishes.

Be sure to check out The Kosher Scene for many more recipes and fabulous ideas!! Yasher Koach!

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You Had Me At (Part 2)… Bacon!

You had me at… Bacon!

Some guys live by this motto. Others prefer to have it emblazoned on their tshirts.

It is the fine jewelry of food.

I wonder if Elisabeth Kübler-Ross felt the same way.

Some people will wrap anything in bacon! Even french fries!

The above is a photo sent to me by my dear friend Judy while on a recent visit to Los Angeles. Her first thought was “You have GOT to be kidding me!” Luckily, her second thought to take a photo  and email it to me! Judy says she actually bought one and that I need to come over to her place ASAP and get it before someone eats it!

I know more than a few guys who feel this way!

They are bacon black belts! Masters of Bacwondo!

They live according to a very strict bacon code.

To them, bacon is not merely for breakfast. It is also a perfectly acceptable, even preferable, dessert.

(Bacon Bloody Mary!)

Or beverage!

Anyone up for a pint?

(Bacon-wrapped scallops. A non-kosher double-play!)

The bible calls male homosexual acts an abomination. It also says that pork is unclean and uses the same word (abomination) regarding shellfish but hey… let’s not get too nit-picky and technical here, ok?

(NB: Bacon is part of the kit of life!)

Bacon is an essential part of survival, even in the more extreme circumstances

(If you can survive this breakfast, you can survive anything!)

Speaking of survival, you wouldn’t want to face The Upcoming Zombie Apocalypse, Space Alien Invasion and/or Robot Uprising without a big (if not healthy) breakfast featuring that prince of foods… bacon!

So until next time, boys and girls, keep your eyes and ears open and your tummy full… of bacon!

Just don’t forget…

bacon is trying to kill you.

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My most sincere thanks to my friends and readers who regularly supply me with bacon-related photos. Extra special thanks to Judith Rosenberg Charney for the photo of the Bacon-Flavored Milk Chocolate Dylan’s Candy Bar. Priceless! You’re the best, Judy!

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This Week in Science (July 14/13)

This Week in Science

Please bear in mind that these are all simply headlines. Please READ the articles linked above before commenting on any of these stories, as a one sentence summary does not present all the facts.

Test tube baby: http://bit.ly/13V60OO
Artificial heart: http://nyti.ms/18WdNxW
Exoplanet: http://bbc.in/13DOAHB
Planarian worms: http://bit.ly/1b1onEu
Gene therapy: http://bit.ly/16xDZZt
Star birth: http://bit.ly/130nzX4

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Reproduced from the IFLS site on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/IFeakingLoveScience

Click it. Like it. Love it!

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Once more unto the Bacon, dear friends, once more!

Henry V couldn’t have paraphrased it better.

(Baco-bacon-taco)

In my constant battle to understand the nation’s bacon obsession,…

(Bacon-wrapped olives)

I’ve come across the following suicide-inducing culinary combatants…

(One of the most versatile of all ‘wrapping’ foods)

And then there’s this…

And this…

Bacon is ubiquitous

(Now that’s a slab of bacon!)

Why the obsession?

(Why the bizarre merchandizing?)

Why the unbridled passion?

Well, at least this makes sense from a marketing point of view!

(Mancakes!)

Until next time, folks, let’s keep bacon in its proper place…

In a frying pan, waiting to kill you.

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Men with Beards Live Longer!

Beards…

(May the Face be with you… always)

They’re not just for hipsters and the homeless any more. While both dead sexy and totally awesome, beards are also a boon to your overall health. Researchers discovered that men with beards and moustaches actually enjoy numerous benefits including, but not limited to, instant handsomeness.

(Happy Happy Happy)

A study from the University of Southern Queensland, published in the Radiation Protection Dosimetry journal, found that beards block 90 to 95 percent of UV rays, thereby slowing the aging process and reducing the risk of skin cancer. Got asthma? Pollens and dust simply get stuck in that lustrous facial hair. Additionally, all that hair retains moisture and protects against the wind, keeping you looking young and fresh-faced. What’s more, shaving is usually the cause of ingrown hairs and bacterial infections that lead to acne.

(Jase Robertson – a man and his beard)

To conduct the study, researchers left bearded mannequins, along with less attractive, follically-challenged ones, in the blistering sun of the Australian outback and then compared the amount of radiation absorbed by each.

Beards are not a get out of sunscreen free card however. Dr. Lowe still recommends men with facial hair use a thin, non-greasy sun lotion or spray.

(Yours truly – The Kosher Samurai)

And don’t forget to take care of those blessed follicles; beards can also spread infection if not properly cared for and make consumption of certain foods (e.g. cheeseburgers, corn on the cob, falafel sandwiches—anything with hummus actually, bagel ‘n’ schmear, syrupy pancakes) rather laborious. Fuzzy-faced men would be wise to take advantage of beard wash and beard oil, essential tools for looking and feeling your beardy best.

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