Friday, August 30, 2013

Happy Friday

Credit: ESO
 NGC 3603, is a starburst region located in our own Milky Way galaxy.  This expansive nebula is a region of intense star formation, a stellar cosmic factory only 22,000 light years away.    The wallpaper is gorgeous.

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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

50th Anniversary Of Martin Luther King's Speech

Credit: Wikipedia
 Martin Luther King Jr.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."

The full transcript of Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech from the National Archives

Monday, August 19, 2013

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Home Made Stir Fry Sauce

Chicken stir fry with onions, grated carrots, red pepper, bean sprouts and my home made stir fry sauce.
 Home Made Stir Fry Sauce

Stir Fry Sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves minced
2 inch piece of ginger grated and squeezed, discard pulp

Mix the ingredients and heat 1 minute in the microwave, stir well,  heat one more minute.  Add the hot sauce to wok when vegetables are just done and stir well.  

The Daily Bread

Friday, August 16, 2013

Happy Friday

Credit: ESO
Thor's Helmet is an impressive nebula created by the large star at the center of the image.  Also known as NGC 2359, Thor's Helmet lies in the constellation Canis Major and is 15,000 light years away.  This gorgeous image celebrated the 50 year anniversary of the European Southern Observatory.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Sunday Dinner

recipe here
Sunday dinner with the family, gives me an excuse to prepare large quantities. 

Friday, August 9, 2013

Happy Friday

Credit: ESO
Messier 8 or the Lagoon Nebula lies in the constellation Sagittarius.   M8 is a resident of our own Milky Way Galaxy and is about 4000 light years from Earth.  M8 is barely visible to the naked eye under dark skies but is easily seen with binoculars.  To find the Lagoon nebula look just above the "spout" on the tea kettle in Sagittarius.  M8 appears grayish to the naked eye.  
How to find M8

Thursday, August 8, 2013

An Apple A Day



This video from the Union of Concerned Scientists shows how all Americans can benefit from a healthy diet and a Farm Bill that supports healthy foods instead of mostly corn and wheat.
 Download the UCS study "The $11 Trillion Reward, How Simple Dietary Changes Can Change Lives and Money and How We Get There" (PDF)

Monday, August 5, 2013

Tomato And Beef Stir Fry

This is my wife's favorite stir fry dish.  We first made this dish before we had children, so we've had the recipe a long time.  This dish is quick and easy to prepare, no fancy marinades for the meat are required, and tastes marvelous.  This dish is also excellent the next day as a quick leftover lunch.  Adapted from Sunset's Oriental Cookbook, 1981. 

Tomato And Beef Stir Fry
1/2 -3/4 lb. lean beef, beef round, flank steak or London Broil works well
3 medium sized firm tomatoes
2 yellow onions
1 green pepper
2 tablespoons grape seed oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup water
3 or 4 thin slices of fresh ginger root
2 crushed garlic cloves

Slice the beef thinly across the grain, set aside.  Slice the onions, green pepper and tomatoes into wedges, keeping the vegetables separated.   Mix the cornstarch, salt, soy sauce and water in a small container-reserve.  Place the crushed garlic cloves in the wok with the 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil, turn up the heat to medium high, remove garlic when well browned, turn up the heat to high and when very hot add the beef.  Stir fry a couple of minutes and remove beef.  Add the onions and ginger slices, stir fry a couple of minutes, then add the green pepper stir fry a couple more minutes.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the mix, stir fry a minute more, add the beef, stir till well coated and then add the tomatoes.  Only takes about a minute to do the tomatoes, any longer and they fall apart.   

Friday, August 2, 2013

Happy Friday

Credit: ESO
The Flame nebula in the constellation Orion.  The bright star to right of the flame nebula is one of the three stars forming Orion's belt.  The nebula is 1500 light years from Earth.

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