Movember Week 1

After a complete week of not shaving my upper lip, i have made little progress in my movember endeavor. I hold faith that my mustache will come before the end of this sacred month. So far I have received a few compliments, but mostly just weird looks and the question "are you growing a mustache?"

Wish me luck people.

Movember

Friday is November First, which some refer to as the beginning of "no shave november"- a month long endeavor in facial hair. The idea is to raise awareness of prostate cancer and all you have to do is not shave. I like to call it "Movember" because mustaches are cooler than beards. So wish me good luck and hope I don't look like a pedophile.

Halloween Season

Its funny how big halloween has gotten. Especially on a year like this where October 31st is on a thursday. You see, everyone celebrates the weekend before, but also the weekend after since thursday is pretty much the weekend. Unfortunately, the date also lands right when midterms are due so it really makes no difference to me. I'll celebrate, but i have no time to make a costume so i guess I'll just go as me. Or maybe me with a hat on...  Now check out this cool jack-o-lantern http://cbswrch2.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/jack-o-lantern.jpg?w=436

Saturn like you've never seen!

On Oct. 10, 2013, Cassini took 36 shots of Saturn, a dozen each using red, green, and blue filters which approximate true color. Croatian software developer and “amateur” astronomical image processor Gordan Ugarkovic grabbed the raw files, processed them, and assembled them into this mosaic. Notice the hexagonal magnetic field visible at the north pole. Amazing!
View the full image here!

Plant Life

Plants are crazy. They grow everywhere! Leave food out too long and plants will start to grow on it in the form of mold. Its no surprise that such a resilient life force could be found after 1000 years trapped beneath a glacier!!! Check out this recent plant-tastic discovery in Alaska: http://nbcnews.to/18GGsr2

Cider Time!!!

Its finally October and fall is in the air. Get in the autumn spirit with this delicious apple cider recipe!

Prep time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 1/2 gallon

INGREDIENTS

8 -10 apples (I used gala for a less tart or intense taste)
1/2-1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cinnamon (or 4 cinnamon sticks)
4 tablespoons allspice

DIRECTIONS

1)  Quarter your apples (no need to remove peel or seeds).

2)  In a large stock pot add your apples and fill with water--just enough to cover the apples.

3)  Add your sugar.

4)  Wrap your cinnamon and allspice in a doubled up cheese cloth and tie, and add this to the apples and water.

5)  Boil on high for one hour (uncovered) checking on it frequently.

6)  Turn down heat and let simmer for two hours (covered).

7)  Take off the heat after two hours of simmering and let cool.

8)  Remove spices and mash up the apples to a pulp like consistency (a potato masher works well for this).

9)  Once cool pour into a strainer over a large bowl. When most of the juice has drained away, put the remainder 
of the pulp into a doubled up cheese cloth and squeeze over the bowl until no more juice comes out.

10)  (At this point you can either restrain the juice to get out the little bits of pulp that remain with a cheese cloth draped inside the strainer to catch them or just leave it like I do).

11)  You can store in an air tight container in your refrigerator for up to a week or you can freeze it for later use if you like.

12)  Reheat in the microwave or on the stove and enjoy either plain or you can add caramel syrup or caramels, whipped topping with cinnamon or, like my neighbors did if you like it really sweet, with marshmallows or marshmallow creme.

13)  also you could make this a diabetic recipe by omitting the sugar and adding diabetic sweeteners to taste in place of the sugar or none at all.

14)  enjoy! :)

Garden Bowl Turns 100

The longest running bowling alley in the country, Garden Bowl celebrates it's 100th anniversary this saturday. Check out this article about the registered historic place http://bit.ly/1h8v1rh