Minggu, 01 Juni 2008

Visit a Random Gluten Free Blog Installation

I thought it'd be fun to have our own 'random gf blog' gadget, so I used Rachel's exhaustive list of gluten free bloggers in conjunction with a modified Random Link Generator to create the "Visit a Gluten Free Blog" button on our front page.

For Blogspot Bloggers, there are two installation options: the Easy Way, and the Customizable Way.

For Wordpress Bloggers, at the moment, you'll need to install the button similar to the last step (add page element) in the Customizable Way.
------------------
*UPDATE*

Due to several requests, I've made the button on this blog (left side, says "Visit a Gluten Free Blog") available to add as a Widget without any copying, pasting, or template modifications.

Click the following button to install yours:



*That's all - you now have a browser friendly, gluten free blog hopping button!*


The following steps are for those who prefer to style their widget via css.

--------------------------------

Here's how you can add one yourself, and style it too!

The first step is probably the most daring, as it requires you to enter your Layout (Dashboard - Layout) and click the Edit HTML tab.

Once you're at the Edit HTML page, make sure to backup your template by clicking "Download Full Template".

The purpose of entering your template is to add styling to the button so that you can change colors and event font sizes/types from your Fonts and Colors tabs.

You'll want to create Variable names for the styles you'd like to edit from within your Font and Colors tab. Here are the four variables I created for this button:

<Variable name="randomblogbkgcolor" description="Random Blog Background Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#5d7588">

<Variable name="randomblogbordercolor" description="Random Blog Border Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#9cb088">

<Variable name="randomblogbkghovercolor" description="Random Blog Background Hover Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#9db189">

<Variable name="randomblogborderhovercolor" description="Random Blog Border Hover Color" type="color" default="#c60" value="#718fa6">

These lines should be pasted near the top of your template, between the <head> and </head> tags. If you have meta tags, these variable name tags are commonly placed after the meta tags.

The next step is to paste the following lines just before the line that contains: >]]></b:skin> in your template:

/* Random Blog Styling */

input.randomblog {
background-color: $randomblogbkgcolor;
border: 2px outset $randomblogbordercolor;
width: 100%;
text-align:center;
font-style:bold;
color: #fff;
padding: 1px;
margin: 1px;
}
input.randomblog:hover {
background-color: $randomblogbkghovercolor;
border: 2px outset $randomblogborderhovercolor;
width: 100%;
text-align:center;
font-style:bold;
color: #fff;
padding: 1px;
margin: 1px;
}

Once you've completed this step (including backing up your template), click Save Template.

To add the button, you'll need to go to your Page Elements section under Layout. Once there, select "Add a Page Element" and choose HTML/Javascript. Copy and paste the following code into the new window:

<script style="" src="http://randomblog.googlecode.com/files/randomblogsourceclass.js"></script>

*note* this is the script Wordpress bloggers will want to refer to when adding this widget
------------------

Select "Save" and you'll now have your own Visit a Random GF Blogger widget. To change the colors of the background, border, and hovered-over background a border, go to your Fonts and Colors tab under Layout and change the colors of the four variables that start with "Random Blog" i.e. Random Blog Background Color.

That's all! If you would like to be included in this random gf blog visitor, simply leave a comment here and let us know.

Cindalou's Kitchen Blues: Healthy Celiac / Coeliac Gluten and Dairy Free Recipes

Sabtu, 31 Mei 2008

Create your own [non Gluten Free] Random Visit Button

If you'd like to create your own random visit button as seen on our front page, but want to make your own list of websites and/or blogs to choose from, comment here with your list of websites and a title for your button, and I'll upload a script for you to use. I'll post a link to each script here for others to download.

The installation instructions are the same as those from Visit a Random Gluten Free Blogger Installation except you'll add a different script to your page element.

----------------------------
Per a suggestion from Uri Kalish, of Urikalization, advanced users who would prefer to do away with css styling in the template may do so by editing the source script in the following way:

Replace the class="randomblog" line in the script file with the following:

style="color:white" onmouseover="this.style.backgroundColor='red'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='blue'"

The lines above will change the font size in the form to white, the background color to blue, and the hovered over background color to red.

Remove the Variable information and the css style information in your template. Now you'll have a button that depends solely on the script (no css dependence).

Hope this helps!


Cindalou's Kitchen Blues: Healthy Celiac / Coeliac Gluten and Dairy Free Recipes

Senin, 28 April 2008

Coconut Milk Yogurt At Last! [Dairy Free] [Soy Free] [Vegan] [Low Carb]

Alas, the coconut milk yogurt has materialized in my kitchen! Sorry for the ridiculously long wait, but as I mentioned previously in my Ginger Sea Bass post, we were waiting on the probiotic and then went to GA for vacation after my exam and blah blah. Yo don't care, right? The yogurt is here in all of its gluten free, dairy free, soy, nut, corn, yeast, yadda yadda free glory!! I am really sorry I am a month late, Seamadien :) Can you forgive me? I am loving your spinach pie and that St. Pats pot pie looks intriguing...



Anyways, back to the coconut yogurt and why I chose Christian from Stephen's Recipes for my adoption way back when. I have a very strong connection to family (at least in my mind, don't ask my mom :) ) and I admire someone who has children and not only devotes their love and energy to them, but also sets aside time to blog about allergen free living for the rest of us! Christian has a sense of humor (see the taste warning at the blog header) and is committed to providing the healthiest environment for her boys. Today in the American age of McDonald's for dinner and tv or texting during a meal instead of family conversation, family values are of high esteem in my mind. I must sound like a crazy fanatical conservative, but sorry to disappoint you Pat Roberson- I just believe in good, ethical, moral living and loving. You chose your flavor of religious, moral, and lifestyle beliefs to suit you, in so long as you do not infringe on others' rights.

In any case, put the tv remote away and don't worry about bringing a Whopper over to dinner at my place. Cindalou's practices good old family mealtime courtesies and stimulating light dinner conversation like "So Mom, what is the exact significance of Jesus being divine for you? Why do people want someone else to die for their sins? That seems like a bit of a break in the personal responsibility chain..?" Ahh, musings of a curious child with really annoying questions and an even more annoying quest for deep, "not canned" responses. I think I offend people with these questions, but I really want to understand. Can you lend me a hand? Or answer? Please..??

And please excuse my politicking; we just met our favorite candidate for NC Congress, BJ Lawson, and "Mr. Liberty" Presidential Candidate Dr. Ron Paul himself is coming to both UNC and Duke on Jon's birthday- May 2nd!! Our amazing Tarheels for Paul coordinator Paige arranged for Jon to have lunch with Dr. Ron Paul, Dr. Lawson, and a few other campaign donors for his birthday too. I'm so excited!! It's not everyday you get that offer since presidential candidates are swamped with supporters at every stop. I believe both Obama and Hillary are in Chapel Hill now as well - I'll have to go check that out. It will just be such a relief to hear something other than McCain being the only Republican candidate on the ticket. This is not true and just shows irritating ignorance. Ergh, enough political frustration - I know everyone feels it in every party (or nonparty) :) How about some gluten/dairy free yogurt goodness?

Coconut Milk Yogurt (half batch)
1 can (15 oz.) organic coconut milk or lite coconut milk
heaping 1/4 t. dairy free probiotic*

Tools Needed:
2 half-quart Mason jars (I used cleaned salsa jars)
large stainless steel spoon
2 large/medium stainless steel pots (I used a double boiler nested pot setup)
kitchen thermometer
a few old clean kitchen towels, a large pot and lid (large enough to hold mason jars) OR yogurt maker


Yeah, we have a wee bit of coconut milk hangin' around...

*I used Culturaid dairy free probiotic since it is free of many of the common allergens: gluten, dairy, yeast, corn, and soy.

*UPDATE* As several of you have pointed out, Klaire Labs has discontinued Culturaid. I've written a length response in the comments section, but to keep it short, we recommend Dr. Ohhira's, Essential Formulas Inc., Probiotic, a 60 capsule probiotic with 12 active cultures, a 5-star rating from 300+ reviews, priced at ~$34.50 - $5 (Referal Coupon Code: JOC350), or $29.50, less than the Culturaid and other competing allergy free probiotics/yogurt starters.


Instructions for Coconut Milk Yogurt
[Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Corn, Yeast Free and Low Carb/Low Fat]

1.) Sterilize your container(s):
I boiled water in my electric kettle to sterilize my yogurt jars and stainless steel pot. After the water boiled, I let it sit for 10 or so minutes while I went onto step 2. When you need two yogurt containers, just discard the hot water.



2.) Pour out the sterilizing water from the pot and pour in the coconut milk. If you didn't shake the can and the milk has separated, just give it a quick stir with a clean/sterilized stainless steel spoon. Turn the milk to medium high heat and keep your thermometer handy. Bring the milk to just boiling with your thermometer in the milk, but not resting or touching the pot (you want the temperature of the milk, not the pot). Continuously stir the milk until it reaches around 160 degrees. I've seen the range of 170-180 degrees for "normal" milk in order to kill the bad bacteria, but the canned organic coconut milk does not suffer bovine growth hormones, animal antibiotics passed into the cow milk, pesticides, or any chemical residues that can hamper regular milk. I am more lax with the temperature for this reason. If you'd prefer to go to the higher temperature, go for it, but make sure to keep stirring so the milk doesn't burn. Several discussions about this post around the internet have questioned my rationale for this step - i.e. "why boil the coconut milk at all? Canned coconut milk ought to be sterilized in the canning process". This is true. The culture requires a coconut milk temperature between 80 - 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so the 160 degrees cited above is likely overkill.



3.) Set up your yogurt-making area.
The yogurt culturing area can be a real yogurt maker or this handy type setup shown below. All that is necessary is that the yogurt stay around 100 degrees (or as close as possible). I placed 2 jars in my largest pot with a few warmed towels on the bottom to insulate the jars. I used 1 jar for steaming hot water and the other jar for the yogurt. Here's a cool site for making yogurt by livelonger on HubPages which gives nice pictures and the incubation idea of a cooler and hot water instead of a yogurt maker.



4.) Let the coconut milk cool.
Check the milk comes to around 100-110 degrees before adding the probiotic starter. Once the milk has cooled, stir in the probiotic starter. If you were making normal cow-based dairy yogurt, you could use premade/purchased yogurt with live cultures instead of specialty probiotic starter. For dairy free coconut milk yogurt, we can't do this of course- hence the Culturaid.

Boil some more water and pour into one of your open jars shown above. The hot water in this jar along with the insulating towels and closed pot will help keep the yogurt jar warm so the cultures can grown during incubation.

Pour the inoculated yogurt/coconut milk into the other jar and close the lid to keep it warm. I added a few more towels for jar insulation.



5.) Cover the whole setup or your yogurt maker. I turned my pot to very very low heat (barely on) to keep the setup warm. You may not need to do this depending upon the temperature of your kitchen. It was cold and rainy when I made this (Murphy's law in action). Let the yogurt ferment for 6-10 hours. Mine took more like 10 hours since it was so cold in my kitchen (crazy spring weather). Let the yogurt rest while it ferments.



6.) After the allotted time has passed, check the coconut milk yogurt. It should be firm and more of a yogurt texture. Mine was not as thick as cow milk yogurt (which often has yucky thickeners in addition to the plain old yogurt, especially if you eat the nonorganic kind), but it was definitely thicker. It had a nice slightly sweet-sour yogurt bite to it as well as all those uber healthy (nondairy) probiotics! Now I can down yogurt by the quart like Jon, right? :) Refrigerate the yogurt when it is thick and "finished."

The probiotics in yogurt and fermented foods (kraut, etc) are the "good" guys you want in your intestines to help improve your immunity, keep you regular, build and strengthen your bones, lose weight, and detoxify you. One of my favortie online general health bloggers, Cathy Wong, has a great summary of probiotic health benefits and possible interactions. The Harvard Medical School Health Guide also has a good article with some interesting folk uses for yogurt. Probiotics are especially vital in the healing process for those with compromised digestive systems, like those with IBS, Crohn's disease, and Celiac. In addition to this dairy free yourt, I love homemade red cabbage kraut and NutriWest total probiotics. I've noticed a sincere and immeasurable difference in my digestion and energy. It's just anecdotal evidence, but it does obey my "it works" philosophy. Yet another great resource is USProbiotics.org. A general Google search on the health benefits of probiotics is overwhelming, so I'm barely scratching the surface here. Don't fret, I'll be back ranting about them much more in future posts. My other favored site for health info at World's Healthiest Foods has a great summary on (regular) yogurt. Keep in mind that this coconut milk yogurt is dairy free, but since it is cultured with the probiotics it will contain many of the same fermentation byproducts like some B vitamins.

Oh, and Melissa, I have not forgotten about the 6 line meme! Uhh, I am still struggling with 6 (positive.... or at least not blaringly negative) things to say about myself. Here's a try at 6 words that summarize who I am:
  1. independent
  2. open minded
  3. compassionate (my mom might disagree when we get into politics, hehe)
  4. tenacious (strong willed? what's the difference... it is subtle I guess)
  5. assertive
  6. principled (to a point of aggravation of others I'm afraid :) )
Do I get another 6 billion words to describe a bride-to-be with a few more weeks until her wedding? Suppose not .. stupid rules! Who makes up these things? Why do we need so many rules... why can't we do fun things, like list the top 6 problems with modeling the cosmic ray muon flux near the surface of the Earth? Come on, please? I could use some help and non-wedding motivation :)

Since this post is already riduclously long, I'll be back with a recipe and/or use for the yogurt later. For now I'll just stop here and go spoon some of the leftover yogurt on some freshly ground flaxseed (omega 3's, high protein, and all carbs=fiber), sliced fresh pear (keeping the washed, organic peel for fiber and vitamins), and a drizzle of blackstrap molasses (high in iron, B vitamins). Hey after writing all of this, I'll a little wiped out for a whole fancy recipe :)

A new recipe using yogurt that looks delicious is from Natalie @ Gluten Free Mommy who whipped up some yummy Yogurt Raspberry Lime Ice Cream. I can't wait to try it or something similar! I use the Vitamix to make many of our ice creams/sherbets, so maybe I'll toss some coconut yogurt into my old Raspberry Smoothie in honor of your ice cream, Natalie! (I don't use the egg protein anymore, its not necessary with the coconut yogurt and protein powders are NOT health foods- they're more like weight-building short term tools (I am still trying to gain weight & muscle) and not long term health or meal replacements. The only powder is still love is Manitoba Harvest's Organic Hemp powder- it comes in protein powder, powder plus fiber, and good old hemp seeds- all with the perfect balance of Omega3:6 fats for optimal health! It makes a killer blueberry smoothie, Yum!

Senin, 31 Maret 2008

Ginger Sea Trout Asian-Style Soup [Low Carb] [Low Fat]

Sorry all for the long delay between posts, we've been busy bees trekking back and forth to Atlanta for Easter and wedding planning. Nothing like a great relaxing post-prelim break of driving furiously all around North Carolina and Georgia. If you've never been to Atlanta and like pain, I recommend I-285 during rush hour -- perfect meditation time! What else are you going to do for a 2 hour (10 mile) journey across the dry, cracked pavement? Anyways, Easter was great and family visits home were more than worth the trip (I'm not just saying that because our families read the blog... no way, ha).

I hate the girly details in wedding planning though. I still think jeans and hiking up the Appalachian Trail is a great wedding. God can hike, right? I might need to check on that before I pack my favorite washed denim $3 thrift store jeans. Weddings, I have come to realize, are complicated beasts. Do you know how difficult it is to find inexpensive sundresses or casual bridesmaid dresses?!? Suggestions? Purple and green are the colors so .. if you see any .. :) Has anyone else noticed the 30% increase in price when the "w" word is mentioned?

At least I have an army of angels (oxymoron?); my mom and her friends yanked the devilish details from me (to save my sanity, I lose weight and eat like a monster under high stress. $300+ weekly food bills are frustrating, especially when you keep losing weight!). We are very very grateful guys! How many gals are blessed with volunteer wedding planning friends and great parents (both sides, how lucky!)? ~Contended sigh~ Well, now that I have this plethora of free time nipping at my heels, I can move on and get back to some gluten free goodness. Without further ado, I give you yet another fish and soup recipe! Surprise, I bet you never would have thought I cook soup, right? Nope.



3 large leaves (with stems) Chinese broccoli
2 large handfuls (~ 1 c.) fresh organic collard greens
~1/3 c. fresh organic spinach
3 small sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4" chunk fresh ginger root, sliced thin
1 large fillet sea trout or cod
~1 T. San-J wheat free low sodium tamari
3-4 T. extra virgin olive oil or to taste
5-6 c. water

Seasonings:
pinch crushed red pepper
sea salt and pepper
a liberal shake ginger powder
garlic powder to taste

In a medium to large pot bring the water to a boil. While the water is warming up, wash and pat dry the greens and slice the ginger thinly. You can chop the greens into bite-sized pieces, but I just tore them leaf-by-leaf directly into the pot to save time. Finely chop the sundried tomatoes and add to the water.

Add the spices and tamari to the pot. Once the water is boiling, add the torn greens to the pot. Reduce the heat and let the greens cook for a few minutes until soft but still bright green. The cooking time here is flexible and depends on how mushy you like your vegetables. I like collards very soft but the broccoli and spinach are much better if only simmered for around 3-5 minutes.

Once the greens are to your liking (this was about 5 minutes for me), add the trout fillet and olive oil. I added it whole since it will break up as it cooks. Turn the heat to low and cover. Let simmer for another 2-3 minutes so the fish can poach. You do not want to overcook the fillet, so just check on it after a few minutes by prodding it with a spoon and see how easily it flakes. If it flakes easily, it is finished. Turn off the burner and remove the pot from the heat. Serve immediately.

Optional Additions at serving time (I didn't use them this time though):
  • sprinkle kelp or sea vegetable of choice (high in iodine, great for your thyroid)
  • dash ginger powder


Hey, it's not Fish Stew of the like of Natalie @ Gluten Free Mommy (which I still want to make, by the way), but this soup had a wonderful flavor and really hit the spot. Of course, ginger and leafy greens are a far cry from a tomato-based stew, but you know I can't follow directions; I can only follow my sense of smell and taste. Besides, who can pass up fresh ginger? Fresh ginger root has many health benefits, but it is particularly excellent for digestion. I love fresh spinach too, so this was a treat. Hope you enjoy it too!

Collards are a great source of dairy free calcium and chlorophyll, so load up! Collards are also high in Vitamin K, A, C, and manganese. According to a study in The Journal of Nutrition, there is some fuss about the phytonutrients in collards helping lower liver cell secretion of the cholesterol transporter apolipoproteinB-100 (apoB) by greater than 50%. ApoB transports LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) to tissues. Maybe eating some collards would be a wise choice in view of the many problems and complications of pharmaceutical cholesterol-lowering drugs. In reality, remember we need a balance of not only nutrients, but also things like cholesterol (ie, LDL is not "bad" unless it is out of balance with your HDL). You should aim for a varied, balanced diet with food-based nutrient sources rather than pills. Isolated vitamins, minerals, and drugs are less recognizable and absorbable to the body. Collards are also a heck of a lot cheaper than a multi vitamin and cholesterol pill. Melissa @ Gluten Free for Good made a recent post on dairy-free woes with fantastic information. Check her Moo-Free Got Milk post for high calcium dairy free foods and explanations of how dairy breaks down.... literally! On an unrelated note, coconut yogurt is incubating now, so it should be up soon... only a month or so late. That's all for my ranting, until next time...slurp!



Cindalou's Kitchen Blues: Healthy Celiac / Coeliac Gluten and Dairy Free Recipes

Senin, 17 Maret 2008

Quick Coconut Potato Herb Soup [Vegan]

Good news! This is my first official post-passing-the-prelim post. I have to admit, this is an old post which has been patiently waiting in the bin, so I do apologize for my .. lateness. The hard work paid off and I am now an official PhD candidate (still cheap grad labor, yesss!)... I guess those guys really want to know how 22Ne+p affects 23Na (must they salt their food often I wonder?). The coconut yogurt is still in the works, I promise! Sorry for all the delay and excuses; the gf/df probiotic we ordered is taking its sweet ole' time to ship here.

Thanks for waiting patiently at your computer and Happy Saint Pat's Day!! I figured this green-looking (well, in these pictures at least) soup might add to the cheer since everyone claims that last bit of 1/1000000 drop of Irish heritage today. So drink up (the soup :) ) and honor good old St. Patrick.




I know there are about a billion potato soup recipes out there, but I thought I'd add one more :) I am very pressed for time right now with work and, as I've said before, I am relying on my Vitamix to whip up quick healthy meals. I've done a different soup every night this past week and a half or so (they're all dairy free, and some low carb ones - not this potato one, of course). This is my healthy, dairy-free version of creamy potato soup. As you'll see in the recipe, I use red potatoes for a lower glycemic index than white potatoes. If you like potatoes or are as chilly as we are up here (where is spring darn it?!?) and want a different quick, healthy soup recipe(s), then see my links at the bottom. If you're on a low carb diet, substitute cauliflower for all of the potato and omit the water.

2-3 small to medium red potatoes, with skin (most of the vitamins and fiber are in the skin)
1/2 head fresh cauliflower OR 1/2 lb. frozen cauliflower
1/2 onion
4 T. shredded organic (no sulfur) coconut (divided- half for soup half for garnish)
1 c. water
1 c. low sodium vegetable broth (we use Pacific brand for gluten free vegan convenience broth)
2 c. organic lite coconut milk
2 T. extra virgin olive oil (more to taste)
4 cloves garlic
pinch ginger (ground)
Sea salt and pepper
hearty sprinkle dried dill weed
sprig fresh rosemary

Wash and dry potatoes and cauliflower. Chop the potatoes into halves or quarters and chop the cauliflower into half-fist sized chunks (no need to be exact, prechopping just reduces blending time). Add the potatoes and cauliflower to Vitamix (or your blender).

Pour in the water, coconut milk, vegetable broth, olive oil, and add the spices. I just dropped whole garlic cloves and the chunk of ginger directly into the blender. You can adjust the water to coconut (or other "milk") amounts to suit your taste. More coconut milk will make a creamier soup, of course, so use whichever ratio you prefer. Toss in half of the coconut and secure your blender lid.

Turn on the blender at low variable speed to roughly chop the potatoes and cauliflower in the bottom. Once these have been reduced in size a bit, blend on HIGH for 6-7 minutes or until mixture is steaming. Serve hot with some nice, steamed collard greens like my Easy Cranberry Greens with Kale and Collards and some Irish soda bread (see links below) or my Honey Potato Flatbread. Again, if you're a low carber then sub all cauliflower for potatoes and enjoy!




Other gluten free delicious potato soups:

Cindalou's Kitchen Blues: Healthy Celiac / Coeliac Gluten and Dairy Free Recipes

Senin, 10 Maret 2008

Adopt a GF Blogger ... Slowly



Hi all, I guess I should apologize for being behind schedule for the Adopt a Blogger Event deadline. You see, though, I never could follow directions. Sorry Seamaiden and Stephen (and all of you who want gf df cf coconut yogurt), but it is coming... slowly.... much akin to the progress on my preliminary exam presentation (also known as D-Day for PhD proposals which is this Thursday). I'm getting there, I promise!


Thursday 11:30 am- 3pm Phillips Hall (Physics) The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In the meantime, can I interest you in some astrophysics? Say, perhaps, hydrogen burning in stars? How about my favorite nuclear reaction, proton capture on 22Ne, which is relevant to evolved star (post main sequence) nucleosynthesis. Red giant stars, classical novae, presolar grains, and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are all my playground (well, sorta). Yes, I hear you shout, "I love it - tell me more!" Even if you don't care, it is still a completely kosher gluten free, dairy free, blah blah free post. Does that count?


Cat Eye Nebula, image courtesy of NASA and ESA
The Cat Eye Nebula was an AGB star which has evaporated off its outer layers until its white dwarf core (tiny white dot in center) and expanding layers remain. The expanding layers are ionized by intense UV radiation and fluorescence, as seen here, in a beautiful planetary nebula.

What about the fact that for hydrogen burning in these aforementioned sites, the 22Ne proton capture rate is uncertain by a factor of up to three orders of magnitude?!? If you think that's not a big deal, imagine your credit card or loan debt suddenly being multiplied by a factor of 1000 or more (your debt, not our national debt, that doesn't count; what's the difference between 9 trillion and 9 trill * 1000?). That little problem might prompt you to take some action, perhaps call the credit company. Alternatively, you could also imagine your waistline g r o w i n g by a factor of 1000. Then you'd have BIG problems, pun not intended.

We can't call God and ask what's up with this reaction uncertainty here in physics, so we have to do experiments. That's where I come in (graduate student = cheap labor.) I love life. I aim to measure this astrophysically interesting nuclear reaction at low energies where hydrogen burning in stars takes place. That is, my experiment hopes to reduce those red and blue lines in Fig 1. below.


Fig 1. Current Proton Capture Reaction Rates, relative to NACRE recommended rates, versus stellar temperature. The regions of temperature relevant to hydrogen burning in various astrophysical sites are shaded; the largest uncertainty in the reaction rate dramatically influences AGB star nucleosynthesis (shown in orange shading). The red line indicates the upper limit (rate+uncertainty) where the blue line is the lower limit (rate-uncertainty)

You're probably thinking.. "Sure. You need to remeasure this reaction since you have whopping issues with pinning down the reaction rate. With that red line, it looks like you can't say much about 22Ne+p for AGB stars." I relent and agree. Then I jump up and down and say "Fund me to do this experiment! Please! I'll make you gluten and dairy free cookies. Maybe even coconut yogurt!"

Then you ask "But you haven't proved that this uncertainty really affects red giants and more evolved stars."

"Ah ha! Sorry, I forgot to show you this little gem, Fig 2, which shows that no direct measurements have ever been made at the astrophysically relevant energies. The red line is the Gamow peak which is a fancy thing that tells you the stellar temperature dependent "window" where the star will burn hydrogen. The dotted lines are indirect measurements which make us think that many low energy states exist in this Gamow window, and will thus contribute greatly to the reaction rate. The blue lines are the existing direct measurements (we know those states are there).


Fig 2. Resonance strengths (which are proportional to reaction rates and cross section, in case you're wondering) versus resonance energy. All the resonances (vertical lines) inside the red peak (Gamow window) will strongly affect the 22Ne+p reaction rate, so we need to know them precisely. That is, we need more direct (blue line) measurements inside the Gamow peak (if the resonances are truly there, we'll see...)

You can plainly see we need more blue lines inside the red hump (that's the technical talk) to better understand this reaction and lower the uncertainty in the rate (see Fig 1). If we can do that, maybe we won't be so full of it, if you know what I mean, when we make hydrogen burning on 22Ne predictions in AGB stars and such.

OK, I need to get back to real work or come Thursday (see above), I won't be looking forward to my passing-the-prelim celebration dinner and wine but rather melting into a sobbing mess of failed graduate student who hadn't prepared properly. I'm off to educate myself in the wise ways of nuclear astro. Hopefully this means I won't sound like so much of a moron. Hopefully. Then I can get back to coconut milk yogurt. Sorry all.



And THANK YOU Gluten Free Mommy! For those of you who don't already know, Cindalou's was adopted by Gluten Free Mommy. She made our flourless low carb/Paleo espresso cake (gluten & dairy free) which looks beautiful! Congrats Natalie, I love it. I'll write a more thorough response post-(passing)prelim. I can't wait! We really do need to meet; Carrboro to Raleigh is not too far. Then I can come knocking on your door for some of that Fish Stew of yours :)

Wondering why nuclear astrophysics interests me (or anyone)?
  1. look up at the night sky
  2. salt your food? The 22Ne+p reaction makes 23Na. Good old table salt is NaCl, so as you season your gluten free dinner think "Cindalou's is helping to measure how much of this stuff is made in stars"... cool
  3. use a microwave? Thank radar physics research for finding a consumer use for radar technology (no, there were not Samsung or GE microwaves floating in space)
  4. use the internet? That might not be a fair question considering this is a blog :) Thank CERN high energy physics research database construction and networking for the net

Cindalou's Kitchen Blues: Healthy Celiac / Coeliac Gluten and Dairy Free Recipes

Senin, 03 Maret 2008

Buckwheat Coconut Caraway Biscuits [Low Carb]



1/2 c. organic buckwheat flour
a generous 1/4 c. organic coconut flour*
1 t. non-aluminum baking powder
sea salt
1 t. organic raw apple cider vinegar
1-2 t. freshly ground caraway seeds (fruit)
onion and garlic powder
punch oregano
2 T. smart balance light, melted or 2 T. organic coconut oil
2 eggs
2 T. agave
1 T. flax (optional)

* You can add water or coconut milk a few tablespoons at a time if yours thickens too much for a biscuit dough

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs (or egg substitute with 3 T. ground flaxseed), melted vegan smart balance (or organic coconut oil, whichever you are using), agave, sea salt, and apple cider vinegar. Add in the coconut flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, flax (whole or ground) to the bowl of liquids. Stir the batter as you add the coconut flour and flax so that no lumps are formed and the moisture is distributed evenly. You can add a few tablespoons of water or unsweetened applesauce if the dough becomes too thick and tough to stir. The high fiber content of the coconut flour, flax, and buckwheat will absorb the moisture quickly. Grind the caraway seeds in your mortar by hand, with a little coffee grinder or blender, or just use pre-ground caraway. I prefer the smell of freshly ground caraway seeds and it only take a few seconds to take out any morning aggression on those poor whole seeds with my marble mortar :)

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and drop the dough onto the sheet. You can also use a regular muffin tin as I did. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Keep your eye out after 13 minutes so the muffins do not brown too fast. Remember coconut flour tends to need to cook a little longer than other flours, but it remains moist throughout the longer baking period.


Jon's sunflower seed and shredded cheese variation

Coconut flour and flax are excellent low carb, high fiber healthy flours for gluten and dairy free baking. Flax is a great vegan source of essential Omega 3 fatty acids and is more bioavailable to the body in ground form. You can, of course, chew the whole seeds throughly, but if you're anything like me then you tend to gulp your food, so freshly ground flax is a better option. If you do cook with flax, keep the heat to a minimum (I know, I'm using it here! However, when baked inside a dish the temperature is not as high as the crust or outside of the food. This means the flax is somewhat safer baked into a food then otherwise. Ideally, you would not really bake with flax since the high heat can damage the delicate Omega 3 fats, causing rancidity.) Buckwheat flour is also high in fiber and thus low in "net carbs," making it a great nutritious flour to add to your low glycemic index/low carb gluten free pantry.

Most people know caraway better for its use in rye bread, a gluten grain. I love the smell and taste of rye bread, but after more thought I realized that it was only the smell and robust flavor of the caraway seed which I enjoyed. If you are gluten free and remember that rye bread smell with longing, I suggest just adding some fresh caraway seeds to your gluten free bread. It really does give that rye smell and feel (minus the gluten, of course :) ) Rye bread also has an interesting past shrewed in mystery where it is theorized to have caused hallucinations leading to the Salem witch trials whereby the accusers ingested rye bread contaminated with mold (ergot poisoning, like LSD). Its an interesting tidbit you can ponder as you munch on gluten free coconut caraway biscuits in glee, eh?

Cindalou's Kitchen Blues: Healthy Celiac / Coeliac Gluten and Dairy Free Recipes