A relatively new coworker (software engineer/Linux guy) brought in his homemade Dremel/stepper motor mill. Very cool. It got me Googling (too many projects ahead of this one, but it is never too early to start learning...) :)
Instructable: https://www.instructables.com/id/20-CNC-Machine/
Homemade DIY CNC Machine using Stepper Motors, Dremel, and LinuxCNC:
http://www.lirtex.com/robotics/diy-cnc-machine/
While we're at it, let's take a look at EVERYTHING Instructables has under Dremel + CNC:
https://www.instructables.com/howto/dremel+cnc/
Monday, October 8, 2018
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Fire and Ice (Cream)
So between a son-in-law who loves hot sauce (on just about everything) and a coworker who is interested in consuming and growing the fiery peppers (including the infamous Carolina Reaper) I have gotten a bit more into hot sauces.
I'm a fan of Sriracha and Tapatio. I recently was "turned-on" to Tabasco Habanero sauce. The aforementioned coworker also alerted me to the fact that the Grand Island Hy-Vee was stocking a great sauce called "Pain 85%".
On the other end of the spectrum: ICE (cream) making - that journey was begun when I found a new-in-the-box Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker at a garage sale for $10. That led me to groups, books, etc. My first ice cream was a Chocolate Sriracha that I thought worked quite well (already blurring the lines a bit between Fire & Ice). Making your own ice cream costs a lot more than buying it, but it has an entertainment value and is fun to do with the granddaughter. (We last made a nice "Philadelphia Style" ice cream with smashed up frozen Reese's Pieces in it. It was a delicious soft serve in a cone!)
I'm a fan of Sriracha and Tapatio. I recently was "turned-on" to Tabasco Habanero sauce. The aforementioned coworker also alerted me to the fact that the Grand Island Hy-Vee was stocking a great sauce called "Pain 85%".
I've also recently learned of a Fermented Hot Sauce group on Facebook, which I've joined but not yet really explored. But it is A Thing!
On the other end of the spectrum: ICE (cream) making - that journey was begun when I found a new-in-the-box Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker at a garage sale for $10. That led me to groups, books, etc. My first ice cream was a Chocolate Sriracha that I thought worked quite well (already blurring the lines a bit between Fire & Ice). Making your own ice cream costs a lot more than buying it, but it has an entertainment value and is fun to do with the granddaughter. (We last made a nice "Philadelphia Style" ice cream with smashed up frozen Reese's Pieces in it. It was a delicious soft serve in a cone!)
So this post is covering both extremes because I found something interesting today that can share a commonality between hot sauces and ice cream: Chia Seeds! This Saveur article: "Use Chia Seeds as an Easy, No-Fuss Thickener for Homemade Hot Sauce and Purees" outlines how Chia seeds soften and swell, absorbing up to 30 times their weight in water. This helps prevent separation of a solution, such as hot sauce, keeping pureed veggies and spices evenly distributed in the liquid base. Something similar is done in industrial cooking with Xanthan Gum.
Now I had heard of Xanthan Gum being used in ice cream making, as well. So I wondered if anyone was using Chia Seeds in a similar way. Googling this, I found several articles on making a "gel" out of the Chia seeds. In short,
The basic rules are:
Since this works with any liquid, I thought about using it with the milk (like cocunut milk), or other dairy product in ice cream making. That this should work was made pretty clear by this recipe for a Chia seed pudding, which TASTES like ice cream! One can also make things like "Chia Coconut Pudding Popsicles", which blur the lines. Then I found a recipe for "Chia Seed Ice Cream" , "Chia Seed & Banana Ice Cream" and also "Chocolate Chia Ice Cream!"
Note to self: It is easy to misspell Chia and Chai.
I'm also going to leave this link to an scientific paper entitled:
"Optimization of the Mucilage Extraction Process from Chia Seeds and Application inIce Cream as a Stabilizer and Emulsifier" for later reading/analysis.
The basic rules are:
- A ratio of about a tablespoon of chia to half a cup of liquid makes a thickish gel. It’s not as thick as jello (jelly) but more like a sago pudding in thickness and texture.
- The seeds need to soak in the liquid for about 10 minutes for them to jellify.
- The mix needs whisking or it will clump. I found whisking at the beginning, once or twice in the middle and again at the end of the setting period worked perfectly.
- Chia has such a mild flavour that it will take on the flavour of the liquid (but this means if the liquid doesn’t have much flavour then you’ll probably want to add some other kind of flavouring).
Since this works with any liquid, I thought about using it with the milk (like cocunut milk), or other dairy product in ice cream making. That this should work was made pretty clear by this recipe for a Chia seed pudding, which TASTES like ice cream! One can also make things like "Chia Coconut Pudding Popsicles", which blur the lines. Then I found a recipe for "Chia Seed Ice Cream" , "Chia Seed & Banana Ice Cream" and also "Chocolate Chia Ice Cream!"
Note to self: It is easy to misspell Chia and Chai.
I'm also going to leave this link to an scientific paper entitled:
"Optimization of the Mucilage Extraction Process from Chia Seeds and Application inIce Cream as a Stabilizer and Emulsifier" for later reading/analysis.
After more than 10 long years: We're ba-aaack!
I've decided to restart this blog with a wider scope of topics. While I am still interested in the night sky (and will post a couple of images that I have taken in the past that you may enjoy) I'm also interested in a great many other things and I will always enjoy learning new things. I have many interests in my life and I think it is wrong to call most of the "hobbies". The line I like to use is that "I collect hobbies" but it really isn't about a hobby as much as it is in understanding things better.
For example: Sourdough bread making. It is not news to point out that bread has been a staple of humans diet for millenia. These days, we mostly pay somebody else to bake it for us. However, it isn't Rocket Surgery. And being in control of the ingredients (down to milling the flour or rye from grain) can be both fun, educational, satisfying AND nutritional. Does doing it myself make it a "hobby" on the same time-wasting/consuming level as model railroading? (No offense to you model railroad enthusiasts out there). I don't think so!
Similarly, the beverages that we consume are endlessly interesting, starting with COFFEE. Home coffee roasting is simple, with a hot air corn popper (albeit only a 1/2 cup of green coffee beans at a time). I'm interested in roasting bigger quantities and so have begun construction of both a 1 lb propane drum coffee roaster and a 5 lb electric fluid-bed roaster. Tangental to this endeavor is PID control and data acquisition/logging, which involves learning a bit about those devices and some electronics along the way. Mead making interests me, as well and requires a lot less equipment than home beer brewing (which I have done, but left behind, selling all of my equipment).
3D Printing has come down to a price point that bring it to the (nerdy) masses. The skills needed to tune a 3D printer, design 3D objects, and actually manufacture whatever you want/need out of PLA or ABS could be endlessly practical - not just a time-wasting "hobby". I have a Wanhao i3 Duplicator that I will hopefully be discussing going forward.
In short, I remain interested in just about everything in the known universe, on a rotating basis. I often get started on one thing only to be "distracted" by something new I learn. I will get back to the unfinished interest eventually! This blog is going to help document those new things that I learn and give me a way to keep track of the different "threads" that I find interesting or am exploring. You are welcome to "come along for the ride"! Share your thoughts and questions.
For example: Sourdough bread making. It is not news to point out that bread has been a staple of humans diet for millenia. These days, we mostly pay somebody else to bake it for us. However, it isn't Rocket Surgery. And being in control of the ingredients (down to milling the flour or rye from grain) can be both fun, educational, satisfying AND nutritional. Does doing it myself make it a "hobby" on the same time-wasting/consuming level as model railroading? (No offense to you model railroad enthusiasts out there). I don't think so!
Similarly, the beverages that we consume are endlessly interesting, starting with COFFEE. Home coffee roasting is simple, with a hot air corn popper (albeit only a 1/2 cup of green coffee beans at a time). I'm interested in roasting bigger quantities and so have begun construction of both a 1 lb propane drum coffee roaster and a 5 lb electric fluid-bed roaster. Tangental to this endeavor is PID control and data acquisition/logging, which involves learning a bit about those devices and some electronics along the way. Mead making interests me, as well and requires a lot less equipment than home beer brewing (which I have done, but left behind, selling all of my equipment).
3D Printing has come down to a price point that bring it to the (nerdy) masses. The skills needed to tune a 3D printer, design 3D objects, and actually manufacture whatever you want/need out of PLA or ABS could be endlessly practical - not just a time-wasting "hobby". I have a Wanhao i3 Duplicator that I will hopefully be discussing going forward.
In short, I remain interested in just about everything in the known universe, on a rotating basis. I often get started on one thing only to be "distracted" by something new I learn. I will get back to the unfinished interest eventually! This blog is going to help document those new things that I learn and give me a way to keep track of the different "threads" that I find interesting or am exploring. You are welcome to "come along for the ride"! Share your thoughts and questions.
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