January 2018 archive

Informed Consent for Potluck Offerings

Over the years I’ve made many culinary experiments for work, church, and neighborhood potlucks. My statistics project in grad school was comparing responses to brownies made with cocoa and butter vs. brownies made with unsweetened chocolate, using a captive audience of students in the food science lab I taught. I’ve often joked that my friends …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/30/informed-consent-for-potluck-offerings/

Cell Phone Sabbaths

As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, 24/7 access is overrated. I usually leave my cell phone at home on the weekends. I don’t need it. It also means it won’t ring at inopportune times, like during the silent prayer/meditation time at church. Not that I’d actually get a call, since I’m picky about who …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/28/cell-phone-sabbaths/

Rest in Peace, Rosie

The New York Times is reporting that the woman who was the model for the iconic World War II Rosie the Riveter poster has died in Longview, Washington at the age of 96. Her name was Naomi Parker Fraley. Click on her name to read the obituary, and the controversy over her identity. The Rosie …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/22/rest-in-peace-rosie/

Moss Never Sleeps, 2018 Edition

The weather geeks have said that the last four years have been the rainiest on record hereabouts. As I’m typing, it’s raining again. All of this rain has had predictable results. The trees on the other side of the river from our condo are a brilliant green. They haven’t leafed out yet, it’s the moss. …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/21/moss-never-sleeps-2018-edition/

France in Mourning Again

French icons seem to be dying of late. Last month it was Johnny Hallyday and a member of L’Académie Française. This month it was chef Paul Bocuse, the Lion of Lyon. Bocuse was named Chef of the 20th Century. He looked suspiciously like the chef in the Disney cartoon “Ratatouille“. (Coincidence? C’est possible.) This New York …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/21/france-in-mourning-again/

Baking Frenzy

Periodically I have a weekend when all I have to do is bake. Normally these baking frenzies occur around Christmas; however, we didn’t get back from vacation until December 20th. So there was pent-up demand to fling some flour around. Two occasions precipitated this weekend’s frenzy. Last week our friend BG gifted me with some …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/15/baking-frenzy/

You Can Take the Scientist Out of the Lab…

But you can’t take the lab out of the scientist. Although I haven’t worked in a lab for over 15 years, I still use my scientific chops in the kitchen when I cook or bake. Do the background research. Back in the day, I’d pull research articles and evaluate the methods and results. Now I …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/13/you-can-take-the-scientist-out-of-the-lab/

24/7 Access is Overrated, Part Two

[This is a sequel to one of my early posts.] When you work in a cube farm, privacy is at a premium. You may not want your coworkers to know that you’re scheduling a biopsy, having an argument with your teenager, or setting up an interview for a new job. But using your cell phone …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/13/24-7-access-is-overrated-part-two/

Core Beliefs

Many years ago I took, and then co-taught, an Adult Religious Education course called “Building Your Own Theology.” Most of the class members were, like me, raised in other faith traditions before finding a Unitarian Universalist congregation. Over the years I’ve refined my “theology” into some core beliefs: • This is the only life I …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/09/core-beliefs/

A Safety Message

Okay, hipsters. I know black is the de rigueur color for apparel, but consider this: You leave for work in the dark, and come home from work in the dark. If you walk to and from a bus stop or parking garage, you may be hard for drivers to see at a crosswalk. If a …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/02/a-safety-message/

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