If you like corn chowder, you will LOVE sweet potato corn chowder! You need a handmixer for this recipe, so take that into consideration before you begin! This isn't my recipe, it comes straight from Denman Island, B.C.
"Denman Island Sweet Potato Corn Chowder"
-2 large sweet potatos
-4 to 5 cups vegetable stock (boullion)
-1 red pepper diced
-1 cup of corn
-1 medium onion, diced
-olive oil
-1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
-1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1.) Heat the oil in a pot, then add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes.
2.) Dice the sweet potatos into even sized cubes. Add them to the pot, and cook for 5 minutes.
3.) Add the stock, bring to a boil, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until the sweet potatos are soft.
4.) Add the corn and the red peppers. Cook for 5 minutes.
5.) Now blend or puree half of the soup, then season to taste!
Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro!
This is a quick and yummy recipe!!!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
3 Quickies for the Hungry and Tired
I no longer eat processed food, so this means that I either have to make all my own meals, or stop off at local restaurants that are aware of health, global, and human rights issues. If I am near the Drive this isn't usually a problem, but if I am just on the bus from SFU to home in Coquitlam, it's not so easy (the only options are Subway, KFC, or McDonalds). Normally I don't mind cooking something that takes a while and tastes great, but sometimes I am dead tired. So here are a few of my "I'm dead tired" recipes! Enjoy!
(1.) Asparagus and Coconut Rice
This one is so good, I make it regularly, no matter how tired I am!
You'll need:
-2 cups of sticky or basmati rice
-500mL of Coconut Milk
-1 and 1/3 cups of water
-Enough asparagus spears for whoever is eating
-shaved, sweetened, dried coconut (optional, but yummy!)
Now, there are two ways of doing this. Three, actually.
1.) Mix the water, coconut milk, and rice in one pot, stir, and cook like you would normal rice. Then separately steam the asparagus. Viola! You are eating in 20 minutes!
2.) Mix the water, coconut milk, and rice in a RICE COOKER, and steam the asaparagus on the stove. You are still eating in 20 minutes.
3.) This is my favorite way... If you have an over the pot steamer, you can put the water, coconut milk and rice in a pot... then steam the asparagus OVER the cooking rice... Now you have only ONE pot to clean! Even better!!!
You sprinkle the dried coconut over the rice. This meal is my favorite!!! You can also make pineapple rice in this same way... or peach rice... or mango rice... mmmmmm!!!
(2.) Dad's Green Bean Soup, Modified!
My dad makes this with hamburger, and it is delicious! But alas, I am a vegetarian, so I had to modify it! With Yves Veggie Ground Round, it is STILL amazing!
You'll Need:
-1 Jar of your favorite red spaghetti sauce
-1 Can of french style Green Beans
-1 Cup of uncooked macaroni noodles
-1 package of Yves Veggie Ground Round
1.) In a soup pot, brown the Yves Veggie Ground Round until it's cooked.
2.) Add your spaghetti sauce, and then add 2x the amount of HOT water (just use the container the sauce came in: 2 parts hot water = 1 part spaghetti sauce).
3.) Add UNDRAINED string beans.
4.) Bring to a boil and add the macaroni noodles. SIMMER.
5.) Eat when the macaroni is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste!!!
(3.) "East Ender" Chop Suey
No meat in this Chop Suey! "American Chop Suey," or "Goulash," whatever you want to call the original, this tastes just as good, but there is no meat here!
You'll Need:
-1 cup COOKED macaroni noodles
-1 package Yves Veggie Ground Round
-1.5 cups of your favorite red spaghetti sauce
-1 big can of diced tomatoes
-1 chopped pepper (any color will do!)
-1 garlic glove, pressed
-1/4 of a medium onion, diced
-seasoning salt of your choice
1.) Add oil to a pot and when it is hot, add your garlic and your onion. Don't burn it :)
2.) Throw in the peppers, and sweat the veggies for a minute or two.
3.) Now throw in the diced tomatoes. Stir. Let cook for another minute or so.
4.) Add the Yves Veggie Ground Round. Stir stir stir. Keep stirring until it is all "cooked."
5.) Add the spaghetti sauce. Stir until it is hot.
6.) Finally, add the cooked noodles. Stir for another minute or so until it is all hot. It's now ready to eat.
It tastes good with some cheese sprinkled on it!
(1.) Asparagus and Coconut Rice
This one is so good, I make it regularly, no matter how tired I am!
You'll need:
-2 cups of sticky or basmati rice
-500mL of Coconut Milk
-1 and 1/3 cups of water
-Enough asparagus spears for whoever is eating
-shaved, sweetened, dried coconut (optional, but yummy!)
Now, there are two ways of doing this. Three, actually.
1.) Mix the water, coconut milk, and rice in one pot, stir, and cook like you would normal rice. Then separately steam the asparagus. Viola! You are eating in 20 minutes!
2.) Mix the water, coconut milk, and rice in a RICE COOKER, and steam the asaparagus on the stove. You are still eating in 20 minutes.
3.) This is my favorite way... If you have an over the pot steamer, you can put the water, coconut milk and rice in a pot... then steam the asparagus OVER the cooking rice... Now you have only ONE pot to clean! Even better!!!
You sprinkle the dried coconut over the rice. This meal is my favorite!!! You can also make pineapple rice in this same way... or peach rice... or mango rice... mmmmmm!!!
(2.) Dad's Green Bean Soup, Modified!
My dad makes this with hamburger, and it is delicious! But alas, I am a vegetarian, so I had to modify it! With Yves Veggie Ground Round, it is STILL amazing!
You'll Need:
-1 Jar of your favorite red spaghetti sauce
-1 Can of french style Green Beans
-1 Cup of uncooked macaroni noodles
-1 package of Yves Veggie Ground Round
1.) In a soup pot, brown the Yves Veggie Ground Round until it's cooked.
2.) Add your spaghetti sauce, and then add 2x the amount of HOT water (just use the container the sauce came in: 2 parts hot water = 1 part spaghetti sauce).
3.) Add UNDRAINED string beans.
4.) Bring to a boil and add the macaroni noodles. SIMMER.
5.) Eat when the macaroni is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste!!!
(3.) "East Ender" Chop Suey
No meat in this Chop Suey! "American Chop Suey," or "Goulash," whatever you want to call the original, this tastes just as good, but there is no meat here!
You'll Need:
-1 cup COOKED macaroni noodles
-1 package Yves Veggie Ground Round
-1.5 cups of your favorite red spaghetti sauce
-1 big can of diced tomatoes
-1 chopped pepper (any color will do!)
-1 garlic glove, pressed
-1/4 of a medium onion, diced
-seasoning salt of your choice
1.) Add oil to a pot and when it is hot, add your garlic and your onion. Don't burn it :)
2.) Throw in the peppers, and sweat the veggies for a minute or two.
3.) Now throw in the diced tomatoes. Stir. Let cook for another minute or so.
4.) Add the Yves Veggie Ground Round. Stir stir stir. Keep stirring until it is all "cooked."
5.) Add the spaghetti sauce. Stir until it is hot.
6.) Finally, add the cooked noodles. Stir for another minute or so until it is all hot. It's now ready to eat.
It tastes good with some cheese sprinkled on it!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
No Easter Bunnies, Please!
Those of you who know Laura and I know that we have three bunnies; Buttercup, Daisy and Lily; and they roam freely around our apartment! We are serious advocates of house bunnies... in other words, we are strongly against people who buy bunnies just to leave them outside in the freezing cold or buy them just to sit inside to be ignored in a cage. Around the Easter season, MANY parents decide to buy baby bunnies for their kids. A few weeks after that, the bunnies grow (as alllll baby animals do!) and lose their charm. Kids get sick of them, and the bunnies often get abandoned or neglected. It is HORRIBLY SAD!!! Please spread the word that this horrible practice of buying "Easter Bunnies" should be stopped.
For more info, click the banner below.
For more info, click the banner below.
Friday, March 09, 2007
EPIC 2007 March 16-18
Just letting everyone know there is a sustainability conference going on in Vancouver from march 16-18. It looks really awesome! If you buy tickets online they are just $8. It looks really fun! I am probably going on Saturday, if anyone else wants to go!
The info is here: http://www.epicvancouver.com/main.cfm
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Quantitative Literacy Test?
Here is a Quantitative Literacy Test for ya...
1. The following ballot initiative appeared before Colorado voters in 1992:
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution to prohibit the state of Colorado and any of its political subdivisions from adopting or enforcing any law or policy which provides that homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual orientation, conduct, or relationships constitutes or entitles a person to claim any minority or protected status, quota preferences, or discrimination?
What does a yes vote mean?
2. Suppose that the United States government decided to institute a national lottery, the proceeds of which would be used to retire the federal debt (which can be taken to be $7 trillion). Assume that the lottery could raise $50 million each week after expenses and prizes. How long would it take to pay off the federal debt assuming that the budget is exactly balanced every year in the future?
3. You’ve been charging your school expenses to a credit card, and have built up a balance of $5,000. Your credit card charges an annual interest rate of 18%. Assume you charge nothing more to your credit card.
a. At this rate, what is your monthly payment for interest only?
b. Suppose the credit card requires that you make minimum monthly payments of $70. With minimum payments, how long will it take you to pay off the balance?
4. At the local Video Station, you pay a total of $15.50 for a DVD, after taxes. Assuming a local sales tax rate of 7.5%, what is the retail (before-tax) price of the DVD?
5. You have a fair coin, which means the chance of getting a head on a single toss is 1/2. Suppose you toss the coin 10 times and get 10 tails in a row. Is the probability of getting a head on your next toss more than, less than, or equal to 1/2? Explain.
6. Last year, it was bad news: the value of your investments plunged by 50%. This year was much better: your investments increased in value by 75%. Over the two-year period, have you gained or lost? Explain.
7. An election features three candidates: Smith, Jones, and Webb. Among the actual voters, Webb is by far the most disliked candidate; in fact, 60% of the voters oppose his election. Is it still possible for Webb to win? Explain.
8. A high school tests all athletes for drug use, using a drug test that is 98% accurate. That is, it correctly gives a positive result for 98% of the drug users who are tested, and it correctly gives a negative result for 98% of the nonusers who are tested. Suppose that 1,000 athletes take the test, and 50 of these athletes are actually using drugs. What percentage of the positive tests are false positives (nonusers who test positive)?
9. The world population is currently about 6 billion and increasing at a rate of 1.3% per year. If this rate remains constant, how long will it take the population to double in size? At this rate, estimate the world population in the year 2100.
10. Suppose you are visiting an Italian market and see tomatoes priced at 3.20 Euros per kilogram. Assume that 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds and that the current exchange rate is $1 = 0.9 Euros. What is the price of the tomatoes in dollars per pound?
11. You purchase 10 tickets for a lottery in which the probability of winning any prize on a single ticket is 1 in 10.
a. What is the probability that you’ll have at least one winning ticket among the 10 tickets?
b. What is the probability that all 10 tickets are losers?
12. The figure below shows the increase in tuition at public and private colleges and universities between 1987 and 1995. The increase in the consumer price index (CPI) over the same period is also shown.
a. In what year between 1987 and 1995 was the tuition at public schools the greatest? Explain.
b. Which increased more between 1987 and 1995, tuition at private schools or the cost of living? Explain.
c. Have there been any years in which tuition decreased at either public or private colleges? Explain.
1. The following ballot initiative appeared before Colorado voters in 1992:
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution to prohibit the state of Colorado and any of its political subdivisions from adopting or enforcing any law or policy which provides that homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual orientation, conduct, or relationships constitutes or entitles a person to claim any minority or protected status, quota preferences, or discrimination?
What does a yes vote mean?
2. Suppose that the United States government decided to institute a national lottery, the proceeds of which would be used to retire the federal debt (which can be taken to be $7 trillion). Assume that the lottery could raise $50 million each week after expenses and prizes. How long would it take to pay off the federal debt assuming that the budget is exactly balanced every year in the future?
3. You’ve been charging your school expenses to a credit card, and have built up a balance of $5,000. Your credit card charges an annual interest rate of 18%. Assume you charge nothing more to your credit card.
a. At this rate, what is your monthly payment for interest only?
b. Suppose the credit card requires that you make minimum monthly payments of $70. With minimum payments, how long will it take you to pay off the balance?
4. At the local Video Station, you pay a total of $15.50 for a DVD, after taxes. Assuming a local sales tax rate of 7.5%, what is the retail (before-tax) price of the DVD?
5. You have a fair coin, which means the chance of getting a head on a single toss is 1/2. Suppose you toss the coin 10 times and get 10 tails in a row. Is the probability of getting a head on your next toss more than, less than, or equal to 1/2? Explain.
6. Last year, it was bad news: the value of your investments plunged by 50%. This year was much better: your investments increased in value by 75%. Over the two-year period, have you gained or lost? Explain.
7. An election features three candidates: Smith, Jones, and Webb. Among the actual voters, Webb is by far the most disliked candidate; in fact, 60% of the voters oppose his election. Is it still possible for Webb to win? Explain.
8. A high school tests all athletes for drug use, using a drug test that is 98% accurate. That is, it correctly gives a positive result for 98% of the drug users who are tested, and it correctly gives a negative result for 98% of the nonusers who are tested. Suppose that 1,000 athletes take the test, and 50 of these athletes are actually using drugs. What percentage of the positive tests are false positives (nonusers who test positive)?
9. The world population is currently about 6 billion and increasing at a rate of 1.3% per year. If this rate remains constant, how long will it take the population to double in size? At this rate, estimate the world population in the year 2100.
10. Suppose you are visiting an Italian market and see tomatoes priced at 3.20 Euros per kilogram. Assume that 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds and that the current exchange rate is $1 = 0.9 Euros. What is the price of the tomatoes in dollars per pound?
11. You purchase 10 tickets for a lottery in which the probability of winning any prize on a single ticket is 1 in 10.
a. What is the probability that you’ll have at least one winning ticket among the 10 tickets?
b. What is the probability that all 10 tickets are losers?
12. The figure below shows the increase in tuition at public and private colleges and universities between 1987 and 1995. The increase in the consumer price index (CPI) over the same period is also shown.
a. In what year between 1987 and 1995 was the tuition at public schools the greatest? Explain.
b. Which increased more between 1987 and 1995, tuition at private schools or the cost of living? Explain.
c. Have there been any years in which tuition decreased at either public or private colleges? Explain.
Monday, August 28, 2006
I have not updated this in over a month, not because I have not been working but because I have been doing the same things! Now I am starting something new. I have gone from 17.5 hours per week to 28 hours per week for one thing and I am moving from Confirmation Bias to Quantitative Reasoning. This should be an interesting move!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Web Utilities for Research/Business
Over the past several weeks I have "discovered" many web utilities that have made my life 100x easier. I have listed, linked to and described these various utilities below in hopes that someone else will find them as useful as I have!
Blogger
I prefer Livejournal for personal journaling, but Blogger seems to have the layout of a more "professional" style blog. I am still learning my way around it, but so far it seems excellent. Jason Toal, the Experience Designer for Educational Support and Innovation at the LIDC sent me an AMAZING chart that you can use to choose the best blogging service for you. It can be found here.
eSnips
I use eSnips to upload my many PDF files so that I can access them from anywhere: work, home, etc. It gives you 1 Gig of free space and has an easy upload tool you can download so that you can upload many files at once.
ThinkFree
This site blows me away... It is an ONLINE WORD PROCESSOR! So if you are the kind of person that always forgets to send yourself your files (if you are working from multiple work stations) or if you find yourself fussing around with file conversion (between MAC and PC) or you just don't want to pay for a word processor, this is for YOU. I love it because I can upload my word documents (and excel files if I wanted to!) and I can post them online for storage or to share with others. It also works directly in conjunction with Blogger so you can easily post files in your blog.
RefWorks
This site has saved my life many times. I HATE typing out bibliographies, so now instead of typing them out myself, I simply store my resources in RefWorks. This program stores your references, sorts your references and- you won't believe this- MAKES YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHIES FOR YOU! It's like a dream come true.
Blogger
I prefer Livejournal for personal journaling, but Blogger seems to have the layout of a more "professional" style blog. I am still learning my way around it, but so far it seems excellent. Jason Toal, the Experience Designer for Educational Support and Innovation at the LIDC sent me an AMAZING chart that you can use to choose the best blogging service for you. It can be found here.
eSnips
I use eSnips to upload my many PDF files so that I can access them from anywhere: work, home, etc. It gives you 1 Gig of free space and has an easy upload tool you can download so that you can upload many files at once.
ThinkFree
This site blows me away... It is an ONLINE WORD PROCESSOR! So if you are the kind of person that always forgets to send yourself your files (if you are working from multiple work stations) or if you find yourself fussing around with file conversion (between MAC and PC) or you just don't want to pay for a word processor, this is for YOU. I love it because I can upload my word documents (and excel files if I wanted to!) and I can post them online for storage or to share with others. It also works directly in conjunction with Blogger so you can easily post files in your blog.
RefWorks
This site has saved my life many times. I HATE typing out bibliographies, so now instead of typing them out myself, I simply store my resources in RefWorks. This program stores your references, sorts your references and- you won't believe this- MAKES YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHIES FOR YOU! It's like a dream come true.
PDFs
I have uploaded my PDF collection to the following URL.
http://www.esnips.com/web/lidcart
The files are all freely distributed types, I didn't have to pay to access any of them, so I am assuming for now it's ok to store them here publicly :)
http://www.esnips.com/web/lidcart
The files are all freely distributed types, I didn't have to pay to access any of them, so I am assuming for now it's ok to store them here publicly :)
Refworks Bibliography
These are some of my favorite articles I have stumbled upon in the last few weeks. Most of them are freely distributed, but I am not sure it's legit (according to copyright law) to provide copies of the uploaded articles myself. At any rate, I will soon post links to many of these in PDF form for people who may be interested in reading them. This list is a collection of resources that focus primarily on Knowledge Translation and Critical Thinking. Powered by ThinkFree
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Critical Thinking Activities
Over the past several weeks I have had the opportunity to absolutely scour the web for everything related to Critical Thinking. Through my searches I have come to find several very interesting links that I believe would be useful or interesting to just about everyone.
Battlefield God
This "game" may have a religious overtone, but it's really about examining how you think.
Skeptical Quizzes
These quizzes are both fun and interesting.
Project Implicit
An amazing research project that you can try your hand at. This project helps you "determine" your hidden prejudices.
Confirmation Bias Activity
This interactive website helps explain and identify Confirmation Bias.
Battlefield God
This "game" may have a religious overtone, but it's really about examining how you think.
Skeptical Quizzes
These quizzes are both fun and interesting.
Project Implicit
An amazing research project that you can try your hand at. This project helps you "determine" your hidden prejudices.
Confirmation Bias Activity
This interactive website helps explain and identify Confirmation Bias.
Confirmation Bias Lesson/Game
This is a very rough draft that will take several more revisions before I am happy with it I am sure. This is the third draft, and I am guessing it will be two or three more until it's complete. It can be viewed or downloaded from the following URL:
We have also created an online tool that will allow for people to play this game on the internet. The rough version of this game can be played by going to the following URL. I encourage people to play it and provide feedback so that we can improve it :)
Critical Thinking Draft Two
This is the second draft of my Critical Thinking document that I am producing for the LIDC. It can be viewed or downloaded from the following URL:
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