TechShop is really a fantastic idea for people who have a product vision that has to be fabricated.
Three Friends Go From Arizona to Canada
Thought this was a pretty cool story about three friends traveling from Arizona to Canada back in 1973. Especially since they did it like the old pioneers did.
Legion of Honor
Have not been to the Legion of Honor in like 30 years.
Pacific Ocean Walk
Nice day for a walk from the Zoo to the Cliff House and back. A little over 6 miles. 🙂
Digital Receipt
Really like the idea of a ‘digital receipt’ through NFC (Near Field Communication) by Proximiant, but not a big fan of all the direct marketing tied to it. What I would really like is the ability to send that itemized receipt to Quicken, and have them process it and put a detailed entry in my checking/credit card registry, and allow me to flag it as a company expense so at the end of the week/month I just print out an itemized expense report.
My Sister, Renee, Dancing 60s’ Style
So here is a blast from the past of my sister, Renee, dancing like it’s 1965, and since it actually was 1965 this makes all the sense in the world. I drop in for a guest appearance.
Craig’s First Birthday
Well if the markings on the tape are correct, this was my first birthday back in 1965. The movie was converted from 8mm-to-VHS (Music was added then.) and then from VHS-to-Digital.
Thanks go to my Grandpa for originally shooting the 8mm and having the foresight to convert it to VHS. And thanks to my Mom (first part of video) and Dad (last part of video) for obvious reasons. 😀
Tomatillo Glazed Baby Back Ribs*
Ingredients
Dry Rub and Ribs
3 tablespoons Piment D’Esplette, hot paprika, marash chili, or a combination of the three
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pounds pork baby back ribs
Tomatillo Glaze
1 small onion, diced
3 tablespoons pork or duck fat
10 cloves garlic, chopped
10 tomatillos, husked, washed and roughly chopped
3 serrano chiles, sliced
1 large bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
For the dry rub and ribs: Combine the paprika, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pat the spice mixture all over the ribs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F, or 250 degrees F with fan on in a convection oven.
Place ribs in a single layer in a baking pan and pour in water to a depth of about 1/2-inch. Bake, covered with foil, for 45 to 60 minutes in the oven (or on a grill with the lid closed). Uncover and bake until the meat is tender and beginning to pull away from the bones, an additional 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the ribs from the pan and reserve the pan juices to add to tomatillo glaze.
Meanwhile, make the tomatillo glaze: In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the onions in the duck fat until golden. Add the garlic, tomatillos and serrano chiles and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, 30 to 45 minutes. Add the reserved rib pan juices and cilantro and cook an additional 10 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender and add the maple syrup. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly and being careful not to burn. Season with salt and pepper.
Turn the oven heat up to 450 degrees F, or preheat the grill. If finishing the ribs in the oven, brush generously with the glaze and bake another 10 minutes per side, basting with the glaze every 2 to 3 minutes. To grill, generously glaze the ribs and grill 5 minutes per side, frequently brushing with additional glaze. Cut the ribs apart and serve hot with extra glaze on the side.
Google Art Project
I always forget about the Google Art Project, but when I do remember and check it out again, there always seems to be something new.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake*
Ingredients
Cake
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Streusel
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
- Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light.
- Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.
- Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
- For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.
- Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife.
- Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel.
- Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate.
- Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny.
- Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.