Brush Valley Brewer

March 4, 2004

More Food Feeds

Yesterday I posted a list of food bloggers who syndicate their content. Today I am posting links to some food related topics on about.com. While not food blogs in the truest sense, they are what you might call “proto-blogs.” I have been keeping an eye on these people since they were The Mining Company back in 1997. Each topic is generated by a “guide.” Each topic contains some original content as well as links to related sites. The articles are grouped into subjects. The topics are updated on a semi-regular basis, and now they provide syndication. All very “blog-like.” The advertising is a little overpowering, but they do have quite a bit of content if you can get past it.

Once again, the link will take you to the home page of the topic while the XML badge has the URL of the topic feed.

March 3, 2004

Food Log

Breakfast this morning was a cup of coffee, a glass of orange juice, half of a white grapefruit, and a bowl of toasted oat cereal with sliced banana and milk. I weighed 156 pounds.

The office kitchen was out of green tea today, so I had a cup of Awake™ Black Tea. I thought it was definitely so-so, but then I am not a real fan of black tea.

Photograph of yogurt container front.

Over lunch I walked to the HUB and picked up a copy of the New York Times food section. After that I walked to the IST building and grabbed a Penn State Creamery low-fat strawberry yogurt.

The other day one of my “customers” was particularly pleased with the job I did for them and they got me a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds candy bar by way of thanks — which I ate.

Gretchen and I split a sautéed onion and red pepper pizza. It was excellent. I think we are very close to the perfect recipe. When we get it down, I promise to post a step-by-step procedure.

March 2, 2004

Food Feeds

A lot of food bloggers also have feeds so you can monitor updates through your aggregator. I have collected the ones that I know about here. If you know about others, please let me know.

The link will take you to the site while the XML badge has the URL of the site feed.

March 2, 2004

Food Log

Breakfast this morning was a cup of coffee, a glass of orange juice, half of a white grapefruit, and a bowl of toasted oat cereal with sliced banana and milk. I weighed 156 pounds.

This morning at the office I had a cup of green tea with a cinnamon stick.

For lunch, since it was a beautiful 59°F day, I decided it was time to get my locks shorn. I walked downtown and got my hair cut and then on the way back I walked over to the HUB and got a slice of cheese pizza and a chocolate chip cookie to take away. After that I walked over to the Business Administration II building to pick up a piece of equipment that we need to test. All told I am guessing it was around four miles of walking.

Dinner was a pan fried ham slice, cloved onions, half of a small roasted butternut squash, and a sliced apple, with a hand full of dried apricots for dessert.

March 1, 2004

Food Log

Breakfast this morning was two cups of coffee, a glass of orange juice, half of a white grapefruit, and a bowl of toasted oat cereal with sliced banana and milk. I weighed 158 pounds.

This morning at the office I had two cups of green tea with a cinnamon stick.

Photograph of today's salad at the HUB.

For lunch I walked over to the HUB — about two miles, round trip — and had a salad.

Dinner was a salad with a slice of Rustic Country Bread.

March 1, 2004

AB to do play-by-play on new American Iron Chef

Alton Brown, host of Food Network’s “Good Eats,” will fill the role of commentator Dr. Yukio Hattori in a new American version of the cult hit “Iron Chef,” according to Access Atlanta.

There’s no word yet on who “the Chairman” will be, but “NYPD Blue” actor Dennis Franz, “Trading Spaces” maven Paige Davis and ex-“Sopranos” star Vincent Pastore are listed as tasting judges.

“Iron Chef” veterans Masaharu Morimoto (Iron Chef Japanese from the original series) and Hiroyuki Sakai (Iron Chef French), as well as FoodTV favorites Bobby Flay and Mario Batali have been booked to compete; and even celebrity favorite Wolfgang Puck is rumored to be on the slate. [WYFF]

February 29, 2004

Food Log

Breakfast this morning was half of a white grapefruit, a glass of orange juice, two cups of coffee, and some has brown potatoes.

Lunch was another serving of Vegetarian Chili With Corn Bread Topping and a glass of Morassutti Chardonnay.

We did our taxes this afternoon and had some tortilla chips with our home made salsa and another glass of Morassutti Chardonnay to celebrate.

Dinner was the very last of the Vegetarian Chili With Corn Bread Topping.

February 28, 2004

Rustic Country Bread

Last week, I linked to Dave Scarpetti’s delicious looking attempt at making Rustic Country Bread. Well, today Gretchen and I tried it out.

Photograph of rustic country bread.

Yes, it is very dark, but according to the recipe it is just barely done. This recipe does not say to cook it for so many minutes. It does not say to cook it until it is golden brown. It says to cook it until the internal temperature has reached 210°F. We both wanted to take it out at least ten minute earlier, but the temperature was too low. But it is not burned.

Photograph of sliced rustic country bread.

It has a tasty chewy crust and a moist, hearty interior.

February 28, 2004

Apple Tree Pruning

Gretchen and I started pruning the apple trees today. The best time to start would have been about two weeks ago, but the weather has not been cooperating. This weekend changed that. It was in the 40’s today and sunny. A perfect day for pruning.

Photograph of apple tree before pruning. Photograph of apple tree after pruning.

These pictures show the before and after on the first tree we did. You can see the pile of brush that we cut off in the lower right corner of the “after” picture. Though, for the life of me, even I have a hard time seeing the difference in the tree itself.

February 28, 2004

Food Log

Breakfast this morning was a glass of orange juice and three cups of coffee. I weighed 156 pounds. We also tried something new.

The other day, Martha had Sara Foster on and they made refrigerator rolls. This is actually a recipe for refrigerator dough that is quite flexible and is as happy making biscuits as it is making pecan sticky rolls. So that is what we made. We each had two refrigerator biscuits with our homemade strawberry jam and two pecan sticky rolls. Plus, we still have a bunch more refrigerator dough in the refrigerator to whip up biscuits and sticky rolls in the future.

Lunch was a bit more of yesterday’s Vegetarian Chili With Corn Bread Topping and a glass of Bolla Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dinner was a salad with two slices of Rustic Country Bread and a glass of Morassutti Chardonnay. The bread was great. The wine was… eh. I guess we are not chardonnay fans.