Even though gasoline prices have dropped recently, this summer’s spike in fuel prices precipitated a sharp new focus on alternative fuels.
Here in Colorado, there is an experiment in using local natural resources as an alternative fuel:
We’ve been using this in our family for years as a vegetarian substitute for turkey on Thanksgiving. Everyone – and I mean EVERYONE – including meat eaters, and even people who don’t typically like turkey – loves it! And it’s so easy! Just heat and eat!
Even better, it’s soy-free, very low fat, and has 14 grams of protein per serving!
So what is this incredible turkey substitute?
It’s the Quorn brand chicken ‘roast’ which, this year I see, they actually have renamed to be called “Turk’y Roast”! They must have heard me raving all these years about what a great turkey substitute it is, and this year decided to give Tofurky (yuck) a run for its money!
It’s about time. Because this product is a perfect vegetarian turkey substitute.
Most grocery stores carry Quorn products now in their freezer section – look for the bright orange boxes, usually near the veggie burgers.
Whole Foods has them on sale right now for just $4.99!
And, while I have you here, I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Here’s what we’re having for our Thanksgiving dinner:
Brie topped with warm cranberry compote
Individual custard-baked-in-a-pumpkin (recipe available upon request)
Salad
Quorn turkey roast
Homemade whole cranberry sauce, cranberry orange relish, and cranberry-horseradish sauce
Maple glazed yams with pecans
Mashed Potatoes
Rolls
Pumpkin Cheesecake (recipe here)
Pecan Pie
(All homemade, except the rolls, and somebody else is bringing the vegetables 🙂 )
So, what are you having for Thanksgiving?
NASA announced this week that they have developed a water distillation unit that takes urine and filters and recycles it into drinking water.
That’s right – NASA has invented the Still-Suit.
The only thing suprising is that they haven’t done it sooner – can it really be that people who make it to NASA haven’t read “Dune”? Isn’t it a requirement for application to NASA?
Now, sure, NASA’s water distillation unit isn’t actually wearable – yet. But can that be far off?
NASA’s “water regeneration system” will, according to one astronaut, “make yesterday’s coffee into today’s coffee.”
I guess when you can’t have weasel poop coffee, human urine coffee is the next best thing.
So how does the water formerly known as urine taste?
According to Bob Bagdigian, the NASA staffer who managed the development of the Still, “..it is just as refreshing as any other kind of water. I’ve got some in my fridge. It tastes fine to me.”
Well done, but geez, give credit where credit is due. We all saw Kyle MacLachlan in that Still-Suit years ago.
It’s the first big snow of the season! I love living somewhere where we have seasons again! But it is true that removing snow from the sidewalk and driveway can be hard, especially with a bad back and hip. We only have a few major snowfalls every year, but now, when we do, we break out our awesome new electric snowblower!
The really cool thing about an electric snowblower – like an electric lawnmower – is that they are really lightweight, and easy to maneuver. It’s like vacuuming the snow!
All you need is the snowblower, and a loooong extension cord. We like to do our neighbour’s walk too, so we string together a few 50-foot outdoor extension cords, but most people could get away with just one.
The electric snowblower that we got is the Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower (Model #38025).
We chose this snowblower because of both the wonderful reviews that it gets, and how easy it is to use. In fact, with our first big snow today, using it for the first time, not only was I zipping up and down the sidewalk in moments, throwing snow with wild abandon, but our 11-year-old son was as well. It’s that easy. Just plug it in, squeeze the handle on, and instantly become your neighbour’s favourite neighbor (just be sure to aim the snow flume away from their front door!)
And it is totally fun to use! To aim the snow in any direction you just turn the crank handle to rotate the periscope-like snow chute to an infinite number of positions from extreme left to forward to extreme right, and all positions in between.
Fun, and effective! What more could you ask, right?
Here’s what Toro says about it:
“Toro’s patented Power Curve System employs a unique, curved rotor and a funnel-shaped housing, in addition to wide rubber paddles that propel the machine forward and clean all the way down to the pavement. This technology lets you move more snow in less time, and it virtually eliminates clogging, so you can be confident that your snow thrower will be ready the next time a winter storm comes your way.With a snow removal capacity of 700 pounds per minute, the Power Curve lets you clear four inches of snow off a 50-by-20-foot driveway in just 10 minutes. The machine’s clearing width of 18 inches means that you can clear most walkways with just one or two quick passes. And with a snow cut depth of 10 inches per pass, you won’t need to repeat work you’ve already done, unless you’re in the middle of a serious blizzard.”
We ordered ours from Amazon (see link below) and it qualifies for Prime shipping, so no tax and no shipping – yippee!
Here’s the link – you can read all the reviews there too:
I was at the Indian grocers’ this week, and he turned me on to Chyawanprash (sometimes also called Chyavanaprasha, Chyavanaprash, Chyavanaprasam, Chyawanaprash, or Chyawanprash – none of which trip off the Western tongue lightly).
Now, before I go any further, I should explain that our Indian grocer isn’t just any Indian grocer. He is a classically trained Ayurvedic practitioner – his grandfather and his grandfather’s father passed down the Ayurvedic traditions to him. In fact, he is now in medical school here, so that he can practice here, blending his skills and knowledge. So when he recommends something as being Very Good for you, I tend to give it some credence.
In this case he not only recommended it – highly – but he suggested I Google it, which of course I did.
Wow.
Chyawanprash is a blend of more than 40 herb- and plant-based extracts. The brand that Raj carries is Dabur Chyawanprash, which he says is the best, and Google seems to bear that out.
The recipe is said to be more than 2000 years old. Legend has it that it was developed by a monk who was very old, and was then put in a position of having to marry a sweet young thing, and asked for a week to get ready. It is said that he then developed the Chyawanprash, and when they came back for him a week later, he was a much younger man.
Now, I don’t know that Chyawanprash is actually a fountain of youth, but I do know that it is chock full of some amazing things, with even more amazing properties.
According to the description from Dabur, “Dabur Chyawanprash is a powerful combination of over 40 herbs and plant extracts in a base of Amla (Indian Gooseberry fruit pulp). Dabur Chawanprash is derived from a 2500 year old ayurvedic formula. It is completely chemical-free, natural and safe. The first historically documented formula for Chyawanprash is found in the Charak Samhita, the ancient Ayurvedic treatise written by sage Charak in the 4th century BC. Prepared from more than 40 plants, fruits, roots, herbs and minerals in a base of amla fruit pulp, it works on the vital internal defense mechanism and increases body immunity.”
Chyawanprash is said to excel at helping one to build up immunity. Raj said this as well. In addition, it can boost energy, and aid in convalescence. And it’s extremely high in antioxidants.
Some of the ingredients include:
Amla – this is the Indian gooseberry, and is very rich in Vitamin C, pectin, and tannins. It is said to stop premature graying, encourage nail and hair growth, improves vision, nourish teeth and bones, cleanse the digestive system, and regulate blood sugar.
Ashwagandha – this is said to regulate body functions to aid in controlling stress and regulating immunity.
Pippali – said to aid, assist, and strengthen respitory functions.
Kesar – boosts energy and improves the skin.
Guduchi – provides mental and physical strength, and boosts the immune system.
Karkatsringi – aids in warding off coughs and colds.
Satavari – said to promote overall health and stamina, to improve mental function, and improve eyesight.
Bala / Vidarikand – said to boost strength and stamina.
These and 30 to 40 more herb and plant extracts make up Chyawanprash.
So let me tell you the two most surprising things I found out about Chyawanprash:
1. It tastes really good (Raj said that some people don’t like it). I found that it tasted kind of like a fruity cinnamon-y paste. It’s very thick – about as thick as organic peanut butter.
2. You can buy the very same thing from Amazon! As I said of the Lampe Berger – is there anything they don’t sell?? And the price is almost the same as I paid at my Indian grocers. So, you can check out Chyawanprash for yourself there, if you want!
Meanwhile, I’m taking mine every day! 🙂
Check out Chyawanprash at Amazon
I’m very excited – I just ordered a Lampe Berger (a/k/a Lamp Berger, Lampe Bergere, or Lamp Bergere), and have high hopes for it helping to remove the cat scent – you know, that distinct cat smell deposited by any unhappy cat – from the air in our house! For those of you wondering “What is a Lampe Berger?”, a Lampe Berger is a sort of an oil lamp with a unique distinction – it has a cataltic burner that is said to actually destroy odor, and purify the air, before dispensing the scent of the scented oil which it burns.
The Lampe Berger was developed more than 100 years ago by a French pharmaceutical chemist, Maurice Berger. Fans of the Lampe Berger, and the manufacturer itself, claims that it will remove and destroy many offensive odors, including pet odors, cigarette smoke, paint fumes, and many others.
After destroying the offensive odor (in this case offensive cat odor) it will put out the scent of whichever Lampe Berger scent oil you filled it with. Lampe Berger makes dozens of Lampe Berger oil scents – I ordered the “Atlantic Tide” which has notes of sandalwood, cedar and patchouli (doesn’t that sound yummy?!), but there are also such scents as Cinnamon Rolls, Ocean Breeze, and even Neutral (“for times when you want to lessen the impact of a scent or have no scent at all”).
I searched high and low to find this information and to find a place to order my Lampe Berger and some of the special Lampe Berger oil – had I only thought to look on Amazon first (is there anything that they don’t carry?!)
So check these out!
Lampe Berger lamp
Wave style, Blue
Lampe Berger lamp
Wave style, Frosted
Lampe Berger oil
Atlantic Tide
Lampe Berger oil
Cinnamon Rolls
You can check out all of the Lampe Berger Products at Amazon here.
Our dog loves and is fascinated by our goats. Unfortunately, they don’t share the love, and when he’s outside with them, Momma Goat tries to smash him to bits, in an effort to protect Baby Goat. Dog thinks it’s a big game and doesn’t realize the peril he’s in, so inside he stays when they are out, and vice versa (no, the goats don’t go in the house, although they do try at every opportunity! They go into their pen, which you see behind them.)
A dirty chocolate chai is my current drink of choice.
Anyone want to guess what that is?
Either the San Francisco Chronicle has a real sense of humour, or staff writer Ron Kroichick snuck one by them and the joke’s on them. Just look at this headline!
(Shout out to my daughter, for sending this to me – my but you have a smutty mind, my dear! I wonder where you got that, hmmm?)
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