The Baltimore Blizzard of '09

I knew it was supposed to snow Saturday, but I didn't realize we were supposed to have the blizzard of the decade. Not until I saw some stuff online that made me think, "Wait, how much snow are we supposed to get?" I looked at the forecast, and it said we were in for 10-20 INCHES of snow. Uh...really? I feel like these things are always an exaggeration, so I wasn't too worried. But I did plan it so I didn't have to go anywhere Saturday.

Well, we got it. Plus some. These nor'easterns definitely pack a punch.

Friday night I went to a Messiah singalong (so fun!) and afterwards tried to find a snow shovel and rock salt. They were sold out. I went to the grocery store around 11:00pm, and after waiting in line for 35 minutes (they had ONE guy working, so he had all the self checkouts open, going between them to help people), I saw a display of shovels near the exit. Ahh! But I didn't want to go stand in line again, so I didn't buy one...

My roommate Forreste was still around, so we had a snow day together! We had our blinds up, and watched it snow. (And snow....and snow....) We played games, ate food, watched whatever Christmas movie was on TV, and drank hot chocolate. It was actually really, really fun. We got word that church the next day was canceled, and right before going to bed we realized that the heat on the main floor had gone out. AHH!! The good news is though, the heat for the bedroom floors is separate from the downstairs heat. So we didn't freeze as we slept. But we didn't hang out down there Sunday because it was like a meat locker.

I took measurements at different points during the day as the snow continued to add up. The highest measurement was 22 inches!

Baltimore gets an average of about 20 inches of snow a year. This means that we are now done with snow for the year. Yay!

(Too bad it doesn't actually work like that.)

I took some pictures, so here they are!

View of the street at three different times, roughly 11:00, 2:00, and 8:00.



Out the front door (11:00).

The other way down the street.



The front of my house (house with the black door with the lights on), around 8:00pm.

The backyard was a bit more shielded from the snow than the front, but still got quite a bit! (Taken around 1:00pm.)


Later, at 8:00, the stairs had disappeared.


I took a couple measurements during the day. First off, at 1:00pm.

First the stairs: 7 inches.

Next the sidewalk: 8 inches.

Then the grass: 10 inches!

And the backyard around 3:00pm, 9 inches on the back porch!

Later, for the 8:00pm measurements, we had to upgraded to a 24-inch ruler. The 12-inch ruler didn't cut it anymore! There was about 19 inches on the lawn.

My roommate Amanda's car wins the award: 22 inches on it!

Out back, at 8:00pm: 13 inches on the porch, 16 inches on the garbage can!


I went to see how my car was doing. It was pretty buried!


So, what did we do all day? Well, I spent some time cooking.


Food cooked included:

French bread.

Thai peanut chicken noodles:

Sweet potato pear soup and whole wheat bread:

We also played games. Including Ticket to Ride (several rounds):


Canasta:*

And we drank hot chocolate!

To say that Kara was not amused by the weather is an understatement. (Kaiser hated it even more.)

I hope spring is coming soon....




* Get excited family, I'm teaching this to you and we're playing over Christmas!

NYC (yet again)

About an hour ago I got back from an overnight trip to NYC. (Left Saturday morning, returned Sunday evening.) I went up with some friends from church to see the New York Ballet's performance of the Nutcracker. It was phenomenal. Unbelievably phenomenal.

This is the fourth time I've been to NYC since moving to Baltimore 2.5 months ago. That means I've been to NYC on an average of once every two and a half weeks. Kind of crazy, huh?

I'd been to NYC a few times before in my life. And while it was fun, it never held any particular charm for me. (Boston on the other hand...BOSTON was my dream city, and has been for a long time. Boston was my city crush. My favorite city in the country, the city I dreamed of living in.)

I have to admit. NYC has been sweeping me off my feet. There's something about the city. I can't get enough of it. I want to keep going back. I think the thrill of the city is addicting.

I keep having this reoccurring desire to move to Manhattan. This thought has never even crossed my mind before this fall.

I'm not saying I want to live there forever. I just want to try it.

What is it about NYC? It's crowded, it's small, it's dirty, people are inconsiderate, everyone is in a hurry, the pace is high, it's expensive. We stayed with a girl my friends knew; she's a doctor, doing her residency in the city. She lives in a very small, single-roomed studio apartment in Spanish Harlem and pays $1200 a month in rent. Ridiculous, right?

I still want to go.

Why?

I don't know. The thrill of the city. The energy that permeates the air. The great public transportation. The infinite number of things to do. The shows, the food, the museums, the history. The insanity of the city.

The fact that, as a friend said to me recently as we compared it to my current urban living situation in Baltimore, it would be all the same downside, but a whole lot more upside.

(Maybe I need to visit Boston again. As well as do more exploring in Baltimore; I have been doing some, don't get me wrong.)

Well, anyway. Enough whimsical talk. Here are some pictures of this last trip.

I found my street in Chinatown.

Us and the tree at Rockefeller Center. (Clockwise: me, Kristen and Kristi (two girls from church), and Tom, a med student living in NYC. I think he was a friend of a friend of Kristen's; he hung out with us and used an extra ballet ticket we had.)

Me eating some really yummy chocolate cake at Max Brenner.

Dylan's Candy Store. (Clockwise: me, Kristi, Shannon (friend of Brent's from DC), Tom, and Brent (also know him from church).)

The girls at the ballet! (R-L: me, Amanda (one of my roommates), Laura (also from church and Amanda's best friend), Kristi, and Kristen.)

So fun!

WFPC2 at the Smithsonian

In the recent servicing mission of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) this past May, among other things, the astronauts installed a new camera, fixed an old one, and brought another camera back to earth. The camera they brought back is called the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, or WFPC2 for short. (Pronounced "whiff-pick two.") WFPC2 has been the real workhorse on HST for over 15 years. It was the camera that was used to take many of Hubble's most famous pictures, including:

The Pillars of Creation:

The Hubble Deep Field:

And perhaps less famously, but more important to me, it took much of the data I used for my dissertation. (Sorry, no pretty picture for that one.)

Now for your astronomy lesson for the day: you will notice the strange step shape of the above pictures. (That is, much of the upper right corner is missing from the picture.) This is due to the design of the WFPC2 camera. It is actually not just one camera, but rather it is a camera made up of four individual cameras. (We call them CCDs in astronomy -- stands for Charged Coupled Device). There are three "wide field" cameras, and one "planetary camera." (Hence the "WF" and "PC" part of its name.) All four CCDs have the same physical dimensions: 800 by 800 pixels.* The three WF chips have the same resolution and field of view (that is, the amount of area on the sky that the CCD can image is the same), but the PC chip has a much high resolution, and, in turn, it covers a smaller area of sky. As a result, when the four CCDs are combined to form a mosaic of something, the PC chip appears to be smaller because it is scaled to match the resolution of the WF chips. Hence, the "step" shape in the upper right quarter. (That is the PC chip.) Also, if you look closely, you can see the "seams" between the four quadrants of the picture. Try and see if you can see them. Click the images, it's easier when they're big. (It's especially easy to see on the Hubble Deep Field.)

To help you visualize the orientation of the cameras, here's a schematic of the four cameras together (as they would look on the sky), taken from the WFPC2 handbook:

So anyway. The astronauts brought WFPC2 back in May, and sometime in November, the camera arrived at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It will be there until mid-December, when it is going to basically go on tour. But it will be back sometime in March.** But I wanted to see it before it left!

This past Saturday I was heading to DC anyway, so I wanted to make a stop. My friend Freddy (who was also invited to the birthday dinner I was going for) drove with me, and didn't mind making the stop.

We got to the museum, and I knew right where it was. (Right by the model of HST.) As we approached the gallery, we noticed they were roping it off. We asked what was happening, and they said they were closing that part of the museum early because of some private party. No!! We asked a few more workers, and they all told us the same thing. We finally asked someone who looked like they were in charge, and she told us the same thing. We explained that the camera was all that we wanted to see. Fortunately, Freddy remembered to play the, "But she's an astronomer!" card. (I still can't believe I didn't think of that.) That did the trick, and she said that she'd let us in for just a few minutes. So we had to be quick. I gave Freddy my camera, and he took some pictures. So here it is!


It's about the size of a baby grand piano. This black box holds lots of cool optics inside it, including the four CCD cameras.

Seeing it was really cool, even if we did have to hurry. The display is so new (and technically still temporary) that they don't even have any plaques or signs up yet. So you have to actually know what you're looking at. :) I'm sure that I'll go back sometime again after it comes back in a few months.

One last picture. Me and WFPC2! It was like meeting a celebrity. Seriously.



* Unlike your digital camera, in astronomy we don't measure the resolution of a camera in terms of the number of pixels (or megapixels) it has. Rather, we talk about the "plate scale," which is how much of the sky one individual pixel can see. This is why two cameras with the same number of pixels can have different resolutions.
** There is a huge astronomy conference in DC the first week of January. I think having WFPC2 not there when its most interested audience will be in town is really, really poor planning.

Organizing Recipes

I've been doing a lot of cooking lately. (Weird, I know.) And I've been trying a lot of new recipes. And finding so many more that I want to try. I don't want to lose any of these good recipes. And, as it turns out, I'm not very organized. (Okay, maybe this isn't a surprise to anyone...)

Right now I have recipes posted here and there on my blog. I have many links to recipes I find online in my email. I have very few printed or written out. (I'm not opposed to that idea, I just haven't done it.)

I feel like I need to have a system to help me organize my recipes better. I'm curious as to what other people do to keep your recipes organized.

Cap'n Crunch, Part 2

The follow-up blog, as promised. I returned from a weekend in NYC late Sunday morning. My roommates and I planned to make the Cap'n Crunch French toast after church. Woo! I bought all the supplies before leaving, so we were all set.

I've posted the recipe below, along with my notes. It turned out scrumptious! (My friend Kevin also made it this weekend, and adds his stamp of approval.)

What I suspect is that having this recipe up my sleeve will someday make me the coolest mom on the block. Hands down.

Here I am, cooking the French toast on my awesome electric griddle.

Cap'n Crunch French Toast

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups Cap'n Crunch cereal
• 8 to 10 slices thick-sliced white bread
• Butter for cooking

For the topping:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Your choice of berries
  

Directions:

1. Mix the cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until combined.
2. Put the cereal in a storage bag and use a rolling pin or the flat edge of a large knife until it resembles cracker meal. Transfer it to a shallow dish.
3. Dip a couple of slices of the bread into the cream mixture until soft but not soaked. Let excess liquid drip from the bread, then press into the cereal crumbs to coat evenly. Place on a sheet pan and repeat with the remaining slices.
4. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, add butter as needed, and cook the bread until it is caramelized on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes total.
5. For the optional whipped cream topping, which may be gilding the lilly: Beat the cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla with a large bowl in a hand mixer to soft peaks. Dollop on top of the French toast and serve with the berries.

Notes:

• Make sure the Cap'n Crunch is munched up enough, but not to dust.
• Butter: USE IT. I kept the wrapper on the bottom half of the stick to protect my hands (sort of) and gave a good swipe with it around the spot where the next piece was going on the griddle. Also, put more butter on that griddle spot when you turn. It makes it actually toast. It's a lot of butter, yes. But it makes a BIG difference. (And come on, if you're making this stuff, are you really worried about all the butter?)
• I didn't time it, but I felt like it took longer than 6-8 minutes per piece. Oh well.
• The cream was thick, but it's supposed to be.
• I eat it with just berries and cream, half the roommates ate it with syrup too. That was too much sweetness for me, but it's a matter of taste, I suppose.
  

Cap'n Crunch, like you've never seen him before

Last week, my roommate Ashlee came into my room and said, "What are you doing next Tuesday?" I asked what time, and she said, "Sometime between the hours of 9am and 3pm." (I'm thinking, "Where is this going?") I said, "Work...though my schedule is flexible." (I didn't want to sound discouraging, in case she needed a ride to the airport or something.) She then said, "Do you want to go to the Blue Moon Cafe and get some Cap'n Crunch French toast on Tuesday?" I've never even heard of Cap'n Crunch French toast, but I knew I wanted to be a part of that.

Ashlee heard about the Blue Moon Cafe (located in the Fells Point area of downtown Baltimore) when it was featured on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network. And she tried it recently, and wanted to go again. We were happy to oblige.

So today Ashlee and I, along with another roommate, Amanda, went to Blue Moon Cafe for brunch. We all ordered the Cap'n Crunch French toast. I was so excited about it, I took a picture.

This stuff is AMAZING. Actually, that doesn't even begin to describe it. Hands down, this is the best French toast in the Universe.

I went to work after brunch and set my status message on Gtalk about it. My friend Kevin got after me for not posting the recipe for such an amazing sounding dish, but I assured him that I didn't HAVE the recipe, but I would investigate it soon. He beat me to it. Within about two minutes, he was sending me links so we could figure out which copy-cat recipe would best replicate it. We (by which I mean he) found this one that we think is it. This recipe is taken from a cook book Guy Fieri (the host of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives) put out, so I suspect it's pretty close.

Now, I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I will. My roommates and I are planning to make it Sunday afternoon after church. (Expect a follow up post!) If you decide to try it before then though, please let me know how it turns out! Though please promise me you'll use the thick Texas toast style bread and serve it with whipped cream and fresh berries -- that's how Blue Moon did it.

My new (to me) bike!

One of the things I've been wanting to do since moving to Baltimore is buy a bike. I want to be able to ride to work. I want to be able to ride on the nearby trails. I want to be able to dodge through crazy Baltimore traffic. (Okay, maybe not that one.)

My friend Rachel visited me last week on her way to Florida. She's an avid biker, and so we had a conversation about bikes. She asked me, "What's your budget?" I said, "I don't really know. $200?" I'm glad she didn't laugh, because it was obvious I've never bought (or seriously shopped for) a bike before. While she was here, we went to a nearby bike shop and started the bike shopping process. (That's when I learned that, no, actually $200 won't get you very far in the new bike market.) We also started looking at Craigslist.

I emailed about a couple of the bikes we found on Craigslist. They had all been sold. I kept looking. I'd check about once a day for new bike postings, email whenever I found one that looked decent, and I always got the reply, "Sorry, I just sold it." Turns out if you post a decent bike on Craigslist for a reasonable price, it will sell FAST. Seriously, I'd sometimes email people within 24 hours of their posting of the ad, and the bike was already gone.

So I started checking more frequently. And I broadened my horizons. Instead of just the Baltimore Craiglist, I included a search in the Washington, D.C. Craigslist too. Today I found a listing for a nice bike on the DC list, for a REALLY great price. I emailed her within about 2 or 3 hours of the ad posting, and set up an appointment to check out the bike tonight.

She was in Gaithersburg, MD, which is about an hour from Baltimore. Fortunately traffic was relatively light, for a Friday evening. (And I got to drive by the beautiful Washington, D.C. temple, which makes a spectacular appearance as you're driving on the beltway.) And success! The bike seems like it'll be a great fit for me. It's a hybrid bike, which is a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike, able to be ridden on paved roads and unpaved trails. It's blue. Both wheels are quick release. (Which is especially good since I don't have a bike rack; I can take the front wheel off easily and fit it in my back seat.) The seat is easy to adjust, and it is well padded and in great condition. No rust on the chains, and only a few scratches on the body. She mentioned that she'd gotten two more emails about the bike this afternoon. Good thing I jumped on it! I bought the bike. I'm really excited about it!

AND! I came in way below my original, though ignorant, $200 budget. Woo!

I'll take it out for a spin this weekend so we can get to know each other a bit better.

Now I just need a name for it. I'm open to suggestions.

Fall and Farmers Markets

Fall in the northeast is awesome. The leaves are turning, it's getting chillier, and I can do many autumnal things I couldn't really fully enjoy in Austin. (I love the word "autumnal." I challenge you to use it in casual conversation.) I can start wearing hoodies, cardigans, scarves, and tights. I can drink hot chocolate and make soup. (I currently have four or five soup recipes waiting to be tried, and made two more this past week.)

Since moving here I've also become a regular at one of the local farmers market. My roommates told me about it; it's very near our house (though not quite close enough to walk, darn) and happens every Saturday morning. There are LOTS of people selling fresh produce, as well as flowers and baked goods (mostly bread and pastries). It is great! In the last year or two, I've been realizing how important it is (for many reasons) to support local farmers. So, now every Saturday morning I go to the market.

I want to buy lots of things, but I've told myself that I can only buy things if I eat them. (Brilliant rule, don't you think?) This is harder than it sounds, however, since I'm only cooking for one person, and there aren't many things at the market you can buy in such small amounts. (For example, I can't just buy one or two tomatoes; the smallest amount they sell is around five or six. But fortunately, I found one booth that sells apples by the pound, so I don't have to buy a whole basket.) But I'm trying very hard to not be wasteful, so I'm looking up lots of new recipes and eating a lot of vegetables right now. (All of which is good for me.)

This week in addition to the produce I wanted, I splurged a bit. I bought a jar of pumpkin butter and a jar of apple butter. Also, a loaf of challah bread. (I have such a weakness for that. When I saw it, I couldn't resist!) Yum! Maybe I'll even venture into the bread making world this week. That would be quite a feat. (Mmm, fresh whole wheat bread and pumpkin butter!)

Next year I will likely look into the option of joining a CSA. (Community Supported Agriculture -- these are the programs that you pay a flat fee to the farm and every week during the season you get a box with produce. Usually you don't know what you're getting until you get it.) From what I've been told, there are many of them around this area. It'll likely be cheaper, as long as I can get a half share or something.

Hurray for fall!