We got a chance to go check out the remodeled California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco that reopened on September 27, 2008. We were able to visit the weekend of October 3 when Obaachan visited.
The message that this is a "green" building is everywhere. Not to nitpick, but we found one way that they could become even greener (get rid of the requirement for kids under 6 who are free to enter to purchase a paper ticket - something about needing this to keep track of the number of visitors). There were a couple of items from the old building: the Pendulum and the seahorse railings. We missed the over-sized Gary Larson "The Far Side" cartoons.
At the end of the day, we asked the kids if they preferred the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Two of the three said that they did prefer the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Maybe it was the fact that we stayed at a hotel on the beach the last time we went to the Aquarium.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
There's No Crying in Cutting Onions
The Food Detectives hosted on the Food Network by Ted Allen (former food and wine specialist on Queer Eye and current judge on Top Chef) had a segment where they investigated methods for tear-free onion slicing and dicing. They tested four methods: a piece of bread between your teeth, cutting onions in water, having a lit candle nearby, and chilling.
A piece of bread is suppose to be able to offset the sulfuric gases emitted from a cut onion by soaking up the gases before they reach your eyes. No dice. Did not work.
Submerging the onion in water while cutting is suppose to be able to dampen the effects. Onions float. The cut pieces end up floating and emitting gases. Again a thumbs down.
The flame from a lit candle is suppose to oxidize the gases, but again this did not work. Perhaps a romantic setting with a thousand candles would work.
A chilled onion is suppose to slow down the release of the impacting enzymes. Eureka, it works! So the next time you are going to cut onions put them in the fridge crisper for about an hour before slicing and dicing.
A piece of bread is suppose to be able to offset the sulfuric gases emitted from a cut onion by soaking up the gases before they reach your eyes. No dice. Did not work.
Submerging the onion in water while cutting is suppose to be able to dampen the effects. Onions float. The cut pieces end up floating and emitting gases. Again a thumbs down.
The flame from a lit candle is suppose to oxidize the gases, but again this did not work. Perhaps a romantic setting with a thousand candles would work.
A chilled onion is suppose to slow down the release of the impacting enzymes. Eureka, it works! So the next time you are going to cut onions put them in the fridge crisper for about an hour before slicing and dicing.
Better to Have Sweet Dreams than "MareNights"
Our Ryan has been fighting his second bout with a cold since the start of the school year.
Last night he woke up not soon after going to sleep because of a nightmare. I asked him this evening if he remembered waking up. The answer was, "No."
This evening when Dorothy was saying good night to him they had this exchange:
Mom: Okay, Ryan, have sweet dreams tonight.
Ryan: Yeah, I don't want to have any mare-nights.
Last night he woke up not soon after going to sleep because of a nightmare. I asked him this evening if he remembered waking up. The answer was, "No."
This evening when Dorothy was saying good night to him they had this exchange:
Mom: Okay, Ryan, have sweet dreams tonight.
Ryan: Yeah, I don't want to have any mare-nights.
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