I don't see why I keep resisting the Random Tuesday meme in its original form. After all, my mind is ADD enough that most of my thoughts are completely random, and I lose track of what I was saying mid-sentence. Or maybe that's senility and not ADD.
Therefore, today, I'll share a few random thoughts, and a fact. And as a bonus, a recipe!
Thoughts:
1) I am the biggest chicken driver. I will resist driving as much as I can get away with. If there were a Santa, I'd have just one item on my wish list to him, and that is to have a life-long 24/7 chauffeur who will take me wherever I need or want to go.
2) While searching the fridge for the 2 egg whites that I was going to use to make Chocolate Pecan Kisses (recipe below), I noticed that we have a jar of pickled herring, a bottle of cabbage water indicator, a jar of tsukemono, a bottle of kefir, a measuring cup with duck fat, a few small jars of anchovy oil, and 2 bottles of oyster sauce in there (along with enough leftovers to feed a small army...or 2 growing boys). Are those odd things to have in the fridge? I was grateful none of them were fuzzy and walking.
3) I have the scissors skills of a 3 year old with fine motor problems. Seriously, every straight line I have ever tried to cut has been crooked and ragged-edged. This is why I have two paper cutters, and I use them all the time. Unfortunately, I still have trouble with all the other shapes that need cutting.
Fact:
We've been studying bacteria in ds#1's biology lab class - yes, the excitement never ends. Anyway, I found the following to be a rather interesting fact from the textbook (Prentice Hall Biology):
Bacterial toxins are usually divided into two groups: exotoxins and endotoxins. Exotoxins are produced and released as part of the normal metabolism of certain bacteria. Endotoxins are typically lipopolysaccharides that were originally part of the cell wall and that are released by the lysis of the bacterium. In general, exotoxins are much more potent than endotoxins. Diseases caused by exotoxins include botulism, cholera, diphtheria, gas gangrene, food poisoning, scarlet fever, tetanus, and toxic shock syndrome.
Now that I've grossed you out with talk of bacteria and diseases, here's the recipe I'd mentioned. ;)
Chocolate Pecan Kisses**
1 egg white
1/3 C sugar
1/2 C miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C chopped pecans
Place egg white in a small mixing bowl; let stand at room temp for 30 minute. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 T at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 250F for 40-45 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Turn oven off and let cookies dry in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Carefully remove cookies from parchment paper. Store in airtight container. Yield: 1.5 dozen
**my alterations to this recipe included doubling the egg yolk, but halving the sugar, and using regular sized chips - chocolate and cappucino.
These are soooo tasty!
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams
