Hot peppers!
Just reading about them makes me happy. I am thinking of ordering ghost pepper seeds to plant in my garden. While reading about ghost peppers I came across references to viper peppers and scorpion peppers which are allegedly hotter but are unstable hybrids of the ghosts.
Capsaicin. That warm all over feeling you get after some delicious ghost pepper sauce. If you can't feel that warmth in your shoulders, it just isn't hot!
Reading about the healing anti-inflamatory properties of foods. Why would anyone eat sugar or wheat flour when the may cause inflammation? Beats me.
When the Maximalist broke her foot last year she was well into a regimen of peppers, cruciferous vegetables, garlic/onions and fish oils. I did not swell up and never needed as much as a tylenol.
Time to stay on that diet forever!
Monday, May 30, 2011
mmmm.....sprouts for dinner
Delicious pilaf of beluga lentil sprouts with kalonji seeds, chopped garlic and ghost pepper salsa worked well with broiled salmon for supper this evening. The sprouts were just tinged with that first hint of chlorophyll. So crisp and tasty and the ghost pepper sauce made the concoction heavenly hot!
Etsy, Ebay and jewelry "belief" descriptions.
There are few things more annoying on these sites than the "small print" mixed in with so many descriptions of silver jewelry items.
I cannot count how many times I have been lured by a pretty picture and a Beautiful Sterling Such and Such heading only to scroll down, down and down to see buried among the descriptors "and this is not marked or tested but I believe that this item is sterling"
Sterling is not a matter of "belief". Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are matters of belief. If you cannot test an item and it has no markings, DO NOT LIST IT AS STERLING! This should be common sense, but the deceptive (?) practice goes on.
The Maximalist was fooled once and returned the silver plated piece of copper to the reluctant seller and got a full refund. Even with copper showing through, she insisted upon her "honest belief" that the item was sterling!
What a crocka.
This is one are that should be subject to rules, but instead it's caveat emptor deluxe.
So the Maximalist is warning you. Read the entire listing and don't fall for sterling Easter Bunnies.
I cannot count how many times I have been lured by a pretty picture and a Beautiful Sterling Such and Such heading only to scroll down, down and down to see buried among the descriptors "and this is not marked or tested but I believe that this item is sterling"
Sterling is not a matter of "belief". Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are matters of belief. If you cannot test an item and it has no markings, DO NOT LIST IT AS STERLING! This should be common sense, but the deceptive (?) practice goes on.
The Maximalist was fooled once and returned the silver plated piece of copper to the reluctant seller and got a full refund. Even with copper showing through, she insisted upon her "honest belief" that the item was sterling!
What a crocka.
This is one are that should be subject to rules, but instead it's caveat emptor deluxe.
So the Maximalist is warning you. Read the entire listing and don't fall for sterling Easter Bunnies.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Maximalist proposes a new tax!
In the interest of decreasing obesity and improving the longevity of us all I hereby propose a tax on sedentary entertainment. If we can tax sugar and fatty high caloric foods (or propose the taxes) surely their complementary behavior should be considered taxable.
Hmmm. Let's start with the movies. What could be more sedentary than sitting in front of a screen (large and small but especially large) watching a bunch of overpaid people and special effects? I suppose $20.00 per ticket should help offset the cost that society will have to pay for the privelege of paying for the healthcare for these people. No use saying I usually exercise, because this excuse is not being considered for soda and hamburgers. Movie going is the empty calorie of human activity. You do nothing worthwhile when your eyes are glued to the screen. You could be out walking, out working or planting yams in your backyard. PLUS theatres consume a lot of A/C in the summer and electricity in genereral. It's high time we tax this. And think of the money saved and not going to Steven Spielberg (who doesn't need that 120 million dollar yacht, the money can all go to education) or funding the egos of the likes of Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks or Jennifer Aniston.
Next up, television. Harder to do you say as the set can be on entertaining one person or ten. Force all manufacturers to make the wearing of earbuds mandatory, one set per person and exact a fee each time the buds are activated. Voila! lots of money for the federal coffers...which can be spent on the infrastructure.
Fashion magazines, hair salons, nail salons and spectator sports including concerts all come to mind as other sources of sedentary taxes.
But let's not exclude the music industry! Most people do not listen exclusively while running, biking or walking the pooch, so a hefty tax is in order here too.
Yes, Americans will have less entertainment, but perhaps they will make healthier choices like yoga, running, swimming of Kempo karate...ALL healthier than drivel like Pirates of the Carribean part XIV, rap music or Dancing with the Stars.
Is this an intrusion on our freedom of choice? Damn right it is, but so are SO many things these days that it seems only right to tax entertainment...as entertainment is all optional.
Hmmm. Let's start with the movies. What could be more sedentary than sitting in front of a screen (large and small but especially large) watching a bunch of overpaid people and special effects? I suppose $20.00 per ticket should help offset the cost that society will have to pay for the privelege of paying for the healthcare for these people. No use saying I usually exercise, because this excuse is not being considered for soda and hamburgers. Movie going is the empty calorie of human activity. You do nothing worthwhile when your eyes are glued to the screen. You could be out walking, out working or planting yams in your backyard. PLUS theatres consume a lot of A/C in the summer and electricity in genereral. It's high time we tax this. And think of the money saved and not going to Steven Spielberg (who doesn't need that 120 million dollar yacht, the money can all go to education) or funding the egos of the likes of Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks or Jennifer Aniston.
Next up, television. Harder to do you say as the set can be on entertaining one person or ten. Force all manufacturers to make the wearing of earbuds mandatory, one set per person and exact a fee each time the buds are activated. Voila! lots of money for the federal coffers...which can be spent on the infrastructure.
Fashion magazines, hair salons, nail salons and spectator sports including concerts all come to mind as other sources of sedentary taxes.
But let's not exclude the music industry! Most people do not listen exclusively while running, biking or walking the pooch, so a hefty tax is in order here too.
Yes, Americans will have less entertainment, but perhaps they will make healthier choices like yoga, running, swimming of Kempo karate...ALL healthier than drivel like Pirates of the Carribean part XIV, rap music or Dancing with the Stars.
Is this an intrusion on our freedom of choice? Damn right it is, but so are SO many things these days that it seems only right to tax entertainment...as entertainment is all optional.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Sprout fail!
Do not use old beans or old seeds of any sort. I have noticed that planting seeds are usually marked with something like "Packaged for 2011" or something like that.
This caveat applies to sprouting to as what is sprouting but coaxing growth from a seed.
I made the error of using old orange lentils this evening. After a brief soak the did not have the crispy alive texture that I would have expected to find. Instead the water was discolored and the lentils were for the want of better descriptors, mushy and dead!
Epic fail.
This caveat applies to sprouting to as what is sprouting but coaxing growth from a seed.
I made the error of using old orange lentils this evening. After a brief soak the did not have the crispy alive texture that I would have expected to find. Instead the water was discolored and the lentils were for the want of better descriptors, mushy and dead!
Epic fail.
And what about salsa?
I do love salsa and the hotter the better. What makes a hot salsa great is the addition of habanero peppers or sauce. Even a medium salsa can be great if you add a swig of 100% Pain to the mix.
But for grocery storejarred brands the Maximalist has three current favorites.
My absolute favorite choice for heat, whether added to stir fries or jusr spread on crackers is Pain is Good's Habanero Garlic Batch 37 variety. This is simply superb. It has enough tomato and garlic to be savory and enough habanero for a delish burn that you can feel in your fingertips.
Next up is Desert Pepper XXX Fire Roasted Habanero salsa. This is a chunkier more traditional looking salsa with nice chunks of jalapenos and a spinking of habanero heat. Mild next to the Pain is Good mentioned above it is still nice snacking salsa.
Mrs Renfro's Ghost Pepper Salsa. The newest product in the Mrs. Renfro line it is made with the Bhut Jalokia Chile peppers. Alledgedly these are the hottest pepper there is, but this is not the hottest readily availale sauce. It is a bit hotter than the XXX salsa but not as hot as batch 37 so it could use a bit more fire to be number one. Still it is available in local stores whose managers are reticent to carry the 100% Pain line or the more boutique fiery offerings.
Any of the three will do nicely when you crave a nice hot salsa, ut I would "work up" to Batch 37 if you are not alread used to the heat.
But for grocery storejarred brands the Maximalist has three current favorites.
My absolute favorite choice for heat, whether added to stir fries or jusr spread on crackers is Pain is Good's Habanero Garlic Batch 37 variety. This is simply superb. It has enough tomato and garlic to be savory and enough habanero for a delish burn that you can feel in your fingertips.
Next up is Desert Pepper XXX Fire Roasted Habanero salsa. This is a chunkier more traditional looking salsa with nice chunks of jalapenos and a spinking of habanero heat. Mild next to the Pain is Good mentioned above it is still nice snacking salsa.
Mrs Renfro's Ghost Pepper Salsa. The newest product in the Mrs. Renfro line it is made with the Bhut Jalokia Chile peppers. Alledgedly these are the hottest pepper there is, but this is not the hottest readily availale sauce. It is a bit hotter than the XXX salsa but not as hot as batch 37 so it could use a bit more fire to be number one. Still it is available in local stores whose managers are reticent to carry the 100% Pain line or the more boutique fiery offerings.
Any of the three will do nicely when you crave a nice hot salsa, ut I would "work up" to Batch 37 if you are not alread used to the heat.
New Sprouts of life
Well not intended for life intended for consumption. This week I am trying quinoa and beluga black lentils. Both are fast sprouting and require minimal soaking. Quinoa is a pseudo-grain high in nutrients and the only "grain" that contains all amino acids, or so they say. It has indeed started sprouting overnight and by tomorrow they should be full fledged sprouts! Quinoa is impossible to chew on dry (ok, I suppose you could if you were determined) and delicious cooked. Sprouted quinoa should make an excellent salad material or good stir fry material.
Beluga lentils sprout about the same time as last weeks pardinas, but are much darker...a very dark green if not a blue black. I had a better term on the tip of my fingers but it was a crayola color and probably not clear unless you too were a crayola addict as a child. They'll be converted into a protein rich side dish with peppers, turmeric and ginger.
Great feasting ahead!
And speaking of feasting at the Maximalist house, there are peppers on the plants! Looks like the little cayennes will be the first crop as there are green fruits up to 1.5 inches long on my first plants. These will be tasty cooked and the excess dried and stored for the winter. Mmmmmm.
Beluga lentils sprout about the same time as last weeks pardinas, but are much darker...a very dark green if not a blue black. I had a better term on the tip of my fingers but it was a crayola color and probably not clear unless you too were a crayola addict as a child. They'll be converted into a protein rich side dish with peppers, turmeric and ginger.
Great feasting ahead!
And speaking of feasting at the Maximalist house, there are peppers on the plants! Looks like the little cayennes will be the first crop as there are green fruits up to 1.5 inches long on my first plants. These will be tasty cooked and the excess dried and stored for the winter. Mmmmmm.
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