Archive for April, 2009
Swine Flu…
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
Posted by msabicer
Last night, the hospital was on high alert. Working on the infectious disease unit I saw this coming, but the fever pitch of the SWINE FLU epidemic hit us hard. For the last week the ER has been packed with literally hundreds of people worried about the flu. Then yesterday it happened, a young patient came to our hospital with a “highly probable” case of swine flu.
The hospital spared no precaution, and the nurses had to be suited up with the same level of protection we use for surgical sterility- bonnets, goggles, respirator masks, gowns, and booties. We’ve had epidemics come through before, and the infectious disease unit always takes the brunt of it. I’m sure that in the coming weeks we’ll be quarantined from the rest of the hospital .
It seems only natural then that overnight I had a creeping sore throat and today I have raging cold. But I’m sure that’s just what it is, a cold. Never the less, I can’t help but think that flu symptoms are mostly respiratory.
images from Lisa Solomon, and amazing artist working with doily art…
Tags: hospital, lisa solomon, swine flu
Posted in Sprout's Miscellaneous Bag of Tricks, Visual Art and Design | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
Posted by msabicer
I really need to figure this out…. I have a compulsive problem with tearing through blogs and mining out beautiful imagery. Unfortunately, now that I want to share them with you, I don’t have the links or credits to go along with it.
I stole these off of a photograpers website. I can’t seem to tract back my steps.
UGH, this is killing me.
If this looks familiar to you, please, let me know where I got this from.
I remember that the photographer had been featured in Vogue Italia, and thats about it.
Simply beautiful and haunting.
Tags: fashion, gold, italia
Posted in Photographs, Visual Art and Design | No Comments »
New Foods…
Monday, April 27th, 2009
Posted by msabicer
So its time to get creative. Ready for spring – half winter and half summer delight.
I’ve been trolling around for some new recipes, and so far these caught my eye.
Fig & Honey Cupcakes
From Earl grey truffle of Austin, Texas: http://earlgreytruffle.blogspot.com/
Recipe Details
Makes: 12 |
|
Prep Time: |
20 |
Cook Time: |
30 |
Ready In: |
50 |
Servings: |
1 doz |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup diced fresh figs
- 2/3 cup sugar (you could substitute with some other sweetener, nothing artificial of course, but something mellow so it doesn’t overpower the figs!)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (unsalted)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- pinch of cardamom
- Icing:
- 1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 3-5 tablespoons local honey
- Optional*bee pollen
Directions
- Because of the extra liquid from the figs you might need an extra dash of flour or two but the result is extra moist and delicately sweet goodness!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder,spice and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugars with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes.
- While beating, gradually pour in the butter and then the vanilla.
- While mixing slowly, add half the dry ingredients, then add all the milk, and follow with the rest of the dry ingredients. Take care not to over mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared tin.
- Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove. Cool on the rack completely.
- For icing: Mix the confectioners’ sugar and butter in a medium bowl. Add the honey and mix with an electric mixer to make a firm but pourable icing.
- This makes more of a very thick glaze and you should let it run down the sides of the little cakes.
- ice generously!
- I topped each with a sprinkle of bee pollen (very good source of protein, but be careful if you have really bad allergies). Put the pollen on right after you’ve spooned on the glaze on top in the middle of the cupcake. The glaze will pick up the little bits of pollen and run down the sides with them!
Oatmeal brulee with ginger cream
From Taste of Home Magazine April 09
Makes: |
4 |
Prep Time: |
30 |
Cook Time: |
10 |
Ready In: |
40 |
Servings: |
4 |
Ingredients
- Ginger Cream
- 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
- 2 slices fresh gingerroot (3/4″ diameter)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 Tbsp. grated orange peel
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- Oatmeal
- 4 C cold water
- 2 C old fashioned oats
- 1/4 C dried apricots- chopped
- 1/4 C dried cherries- chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 C raspberries
- 1/4 C sugar
Directions
- In a small saucepan, bring the cream, ginger, cinnamon, and orange peel to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 min. Remove from heat; strain & discard solids. Stir in syrup, nutmeg; set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Add the oats, apricot, cherries and salt; cook and stir 5 min. Remove from the heat; stir in brown sugar and 1/4 C ginger cream. Cover and let stand 2 min.
- Grease four 10 oz ramekins with the butter; add raspberries. Spoon oatmeal over the top; sprinkle with sugar. Place on a baking sheet. Broil 4-6 in from the heat for 7-9 min until sugar is caramelized. Serve with ginger cream. * Featured in Taste of Home magazine April 09*
Garlic and Wintergreen Pasta
From Foodnetwork.com
A great way to use up all of those greens from the CSA box.
Recipe Details
Makes: |
|
Prep Time: |
10 |
Cook Time: |
27 |
Ready In: |
37 |
Servings: |
4 |
Ingredients
- 16 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions, halved and sliced
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- Kosher salt
- 12 cups torn winter greens, such as kale, chard, escarole or mustard
- greens (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- 12 ounces spaghetti/ pasta
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cook the garlic in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. (Be careful not to over-brown the garlic or it will taste bitter.)
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic chips to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons oil into a small bowl to use as a dip for crusty bread, if desired.
- Add the onions and red pepper flakes to the oil in the pan; cook, stirring, until the onions are light brown, about 10 minutes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt.
- When the onions are almost done, add the greens to the boiling water and cook, uncovered, until just tender,about 2 minutes. Using tongs, remove the greens, shaking off the excess water; add them to the skillet with the onions (set the pot of water aside).
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Return the cooking water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and
- reserve about 1 cup cooking water; drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the cheese and toss.
- Add the greens and some of the reserved pasta water and toss, adding more water as necessary to keep the pasta
- from clumping. Top with the garlic chips.
* Taken from Foodnetwork.com*
Tags: Fids, honey, oatmeal, pasta, wintergreens
Posted in The Kitchen | No Comments »
Design things.
Monday, April 27th, 2009
Posted by msabicer
Posted in Visual Art and Design | No Comments »
