fireworks question

While visiting Fort Collins and Denver, as the high altitude was getting to me I wondered how the thinner air affects other things.

Such as fireworks.  If you set off any specific type of fireworks at dead-sea level, regular sea level, "mile-high" Denver, and atop Mount Everest, would the results be the same?

Could one set off fireworks on the moon?

I tried Google "fireworks higher altitude", but only got result about ones that fly in a higher trajectory.

Any pyrotechnical experts out there?

and as a follow up, do hospitals in Denver have more patients (percentage-wise, I suppose) that have those oxygen tubes, as compared to hospitals in the plains?

there are no calories if you only dream it

Jenn wrote: This [Mac n Cheese] pie recipe came to me in a dream. Looks good to me. Kind of reminds me of one of Giada's recipes for spaghetti pie (Baked Angel Hair with Eggplant). I tried it once with spaghetti squash.  Took forever to bake!

Anyway my own latest food-in-a-dream was something I "saw" and my analytical mind started trying to figure out how it was made, and wonder how it could be cut without crumbling, even though I was still asleep. First, do you know what a Chocolate Lattice is? Now imagine a cake made in a simple bundt pan, no ridges, crowns, tiers, etc. Cut it in half to make two layers. Frost it, also frost the bottom.  Don't worry about it, this is a thought exercise. Now cut it into about eight slices, add frosting between them, and reassemble it into a cake shape. So far so good? Now, magically, replace all the frosting with chocolate lattices, and make the cake itself disappear.  So we have a sort of cage divided into cells, all made of latticed chocolate. That is what I saw.  How would you make it? And how would you cut and serve it? ... surprise me on my birthday

anniv-PI-sary

Happy Pi Day again

Not much to show for a year having gone by.  Ate in some new places, read some more books.
The trip to Cape Charles (in Virginia's "Eastern Shore") was nice (but a long drive).

I still plan to (ie, I had hoped I would have already)
- upgrade to a smart phone
- buy bowling shoes
- post here more often
- discover that I have a few readers

Here are some of the newer eateries (at least for me) that I recommend
CJ Chan at Wilmington & Irving, here in Dayton
Common Grounds coffee shop in Fayetteville, AR
Thai D in Marion, IL

New games, etc
Rory's Story Cubes


ok, go eat some pie

R

fifty word follow up

First Place!   :-D
http://fiftywordstories.com
my winning entry:

---

Sisters

Of course they look alike; they’re sisters.

Coincidentally, I met them on Valentine’s Day and immediately fell in love, and now they live with me.

It was through a want ad: “New in town. Looking for friends, a litter box, and meow mix.”

I named my kittens Always and Forever.

---

I had an idea for a second entry, but I didn't actually craft it, but here are the scraps:

I always RACK my brain for what words to use with her, but they're never worthy enough.
They may seem simple, but she wins me over with always, and forever, which gives her the 7-letter bonus

(get it? it's a Scrabble joke)

Fifty Word Story

Howdy again y'all.

I found an interesting site, http://fiftywordstories.com
The title pretty much explains it all.
They're having a Valentines Day contest. Details on the site
 I'm submitting a story called Sisters.  I'll post it here after the contest is closed.

You can send one in as well. (hurry)


R

moar random cr@p

Today we opened the woot box of Random Crap (purchased June 24th), and this is what I got:


and some closer ups ...

a box of 6 Disco Queen bobble heads


1 spaceglo autolite


a slightly broken, but maybe fixable ATI TV Wonder card + CD driver & software


insulated lunch bag

because ... ya' gotta have a bag!

video of the opening will be forthcoming.

"I have to try that"

Hey, where have you been for so long?  I've been waiting to write another post for you but ... where were you?  Anyway, you're here now.

I recently tried 2 recipes that both worked well.  One I saw online and said "O M G, I have to try that!"
fried deviled eggs?  as a salad dressing ??!!

Well, technically it was Pan-Crisped Deviled Eggs on French Lettuces from the "The Splendid Table" site/blog from NPR, and before that from somewhere else.  You can look up the exact recipe if you're curious, but in short:

• make deviled eggs filling them flat, to the surface of the egg, not mounded
• make the rest of the stuffing into a salad dressing
• fry the filled eggs (!) flat side down
• dress the salad
• gently lift the eggs from the pan, turn them filling side up, set them on the salad, and serve

I had to improvise some. 1) I didn't have Dijon (so I thought) so I used yellow mustard, 2) didn't have white wine vinegar so I used malt vinegar, 3) didn't have parsley, so I skipped it.  I will say at this point the dressing smelled too "mustardy" (because I didn't measure?)

The recipe just calls for a salad of greens, but that was too boring, so I had spinach+ lettuce, avocado, tomato (and 1 more thing, I forget)

And the one part of the recipe I forgot that really would have improved it: Sprinkle [the eggs in the pan] with salt and pepper as they cook.

Anyway, it was very good, not too mustardy at all  (but maybe needed a little more time frying)

The second recipe was a a sudden inspiration. I was looking in the fridge and saw some brie that we had bought for some get together, but there were enough other things served so ... (but I digress).
I saw it and thought, how would that be in a lasagna?  Turns out ... it was very good.

Regular, red sauce, ricotta, etc lasagna, but on top of one of the ricotta layer, add some sliced brie.

But you know me too well to expect that would be the only experiment I'd try.

As usual, the sauce was store bought and a variety of  flavors.  I think there was "three cheese", "tomato basil", and ... something.  And, also as usual they all happened to be vegetarian.
This time instead of spinach, I used rapini (aka broccoli rabe), fresh → chopped → sauteed in olive oil → S&P → add garlic → sautee a bit more (let cool and add to ricotta mixture).

There was a layer of fresh mushrooms (they were on sale) that I boiled in wine for a little while then sliced.

And a layer of zucchini (boiled then sliced, salt and let stand to drain). I've done this often enough, I need to think of some newer twist with zukes in lasagna. I've tried long slices broiled replacing 1 noodle layer.
Tasty, but not quite "there".

Other than having to make "regular" and a (very well received) gluten free lasagna (actually, it 2 of each) that was all the experimenting, and that's all for now

Next post: woot.com stuff