Great Museum Experience- Austin Capitol

Photo by: cogdogblog



Great Museum Experience- Austin Capitol -The Seal of Texas

By: Alexandra Brown

When I went to the Austin Capitol, I learned that the Texas State Seal is hidden all over the building. I was able to locate the Seal on the outside corners of the building and on the tiles set in the floor.

The Texas State Seal is a circle with a silver star in the center. Surrounding the star is a live oak branch to the left and an olive branch to the right. The words, ‘State of Texas’ curve over the top of the star. The live oak branch represents strength and the olive branch represents peace. The seal also has a reverse side depicting The Six flags flown over Texas and the words, ‘Remember the Alamo’.

The Texas Seal is used to make a document official and shows it is from the State of Texas.

Source: www.lsjunction.com

Photos By: Chandra Brown
The Rotunda

Louis Braille: Father of Literacy For The Blind

Alex Brown's Presentation of the Life of Louis Braille

Louis Braille was born in Coupvray, France on January 4, 1806. Louis had four siblings; three sisters and one brother. Louis’ father owned a saddle and harness shop when Louis was three his father left him unattended in the shop. Louis tried to poke a hole through a piece of material with a sharp tool, he did not have the strength to pierce the leather and he accidentally stabbed his eye. The wound became infected due to delayed professional medical attention. The infection soon spread to his other eye causing Louis Braille to lose his sight.

A priest named Jacques Paully voluntarily taught Louis until he was afforded a scholarship to a school called, The Royal Institute for the Blind. Louis found great pleasure in the outlet of music; he was also skilled at knitting and slipper making. In 1836 Louis invented a writing called raphigraphy which used raised dots that formed the letters of the alphabet. Louis got the idea in his school system through an art form called embossing. He was able to simplify reading for the blind with his six dot system. Louis even wrote a few books with his new system to add to the school library. Sadly, his invention was suppressed by the head master of the school. Through the persistence and demand of the students, Louis’ system was kept alive. Despite opposition, Louis was faithful to his school through his devotion to adding more books to the library as well as teaching.

Louis was dedicated to his work and he spent his life giving the gift of literacy to the blind. Due to his constant work pace and poor living conditions he contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of forty-three.

            Louis’ legacy made it to the United States when Braille was first introduced in1860 at the Missouri School for the Blind.

Source: The World at His Fingertips: A Story about Louis Braille, by Barabara O'Conner.

Cilantro Summer Grilling

Photo By: Henrique Vicente

One of my all time favorite cookbooks is the Colorado Collage, it's a wedding gift that has been my go to book for many occasions through thirteen years of marriage. It has oil splatters and food stains on just about every page. There hasn't been a recipe yet I have not liked.

Since chicken is a staple for many households and it is easy to get in the chicken rut. I thought I'd share this tasty Summer recipe that pleases guests and will make you look like a gourmet chef. The best part is this recipe is simple, but you can tout it as an exotic foreign treat with ancient roots to impress your dinner guests.  

Oaxacan Chicken With Avocado Lime Sauce

1 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed and chopped

6 Tablespoons lime juice (fresh squeezed)

2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest

1 cup fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided salt

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves (about 2 lbs total)

2 large ripe avocados, peeled and seeded

2 green onions, finely chopped

Dash of Tabasco

1 Red bell pepper,cored, seeded and quartered

GARNISH: fresh or purchased salsa

In medium bowl combine, combine cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, lemon juice, oil, 1 teaspoon of the garlic and salt to taste. Remove and reserve 1/4 cup for sauce. Combine remaining cilantro mixture and chicken and marinate in refrigerator, 2 hours, turning once.

In large bowl, mash avocados. Add reserved 1/4 cup cilantro mixture, green onions, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and Tabasco to taste. Stir until well blended. Preheat grill to medium. Grill chicken, discarding marinade, about 7 minutes per side until thoroughly cooked. During last 7 minutes of grilling time, add bell peppers to grill. Place chicken breasts on individual serving plates, spoon reserved avocado sauce on top. Slice bell pepper into strips and place on top of sauce. Garnish with salsa.

Interesting Note: "In the Ancient Aztec diet, a sauce of avocado, lime, peppers, and tomato, rich in Vitamin C, was a staple."

Cilantro Fun Facts:

Cilantro is also called coriander

Cilantro is used in Thai, Indian, Mexican as well as European and American Cuisine

Cilantro helps remove heavy metal toxins in the body (yes, even mercury)

Cilantro is a digestive aid (enzymes help eliminate bad breath)

Cilantro is a cleaner, it reduces bacteria food born illness

Cilantro is a blood sugar regulator

I bet Cilantro tastes refreshing juiced with cucumber and apple.

What are some of your favorite cilantro recipes?

Source:

Recipe credit goes to Colorado Collage, The Junior League of Denver, 1995. Page 269.

Blooming Pirouette

Photo by: Chandra Brown

Natures ballet is on display

Tempo slow

Adagio

Aplomb petals synchronized

Twirling exposition

Pas de un

Dance of the flowers

Blooming pirouette

Arabesque

by:Chandra Brown
Title by: Alexandra Brown

Kefir Tiki Masala For The Crockpot

There is a restaurant in Westminster, Colorado that I just can't seem to find a comparison to here in Austin. My sweet in-laws are lucky enough to live quite close to the Jewel of India. Once in a while they'll post on Face book that they dined there which sends my lip into the pouting stance. I sit at the computer yearning for the delectable spices and authentic foods as I jealously post a comment about their dining experience.

A few weeks back I was in a large food rut, I was just getting ready to succumb to another monotonous dinner choice when my sister-in-law, Danette posted they had been to Jewel of India. I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to try to replicate the Tiki Masala the best I could. I was craving that delicious, savory, melt in your mouth sauce.

I rummaged through my fridge and pantry grabbing at what I had and I thought, " Chandra, you've thrown together some doozies before, if this one fails at least you can blame it on the inexperience of cooking a foreign dish and just chalk it up to a learning adventure." That is a big deal for me because if I put effort into any dish and it turns out bad I get a bit perturbed at the wasted time and food. I've got two particular eaters in the house and if they don't like it they won't eat it.

So, instead of scrolling through countless recipes on the Internet or in my cookbooks and since this was a big experiment and the chance it was going in the dogs bowl or worse, the trash, I just winged it.
No measuring utensils needed I just plopped and poured and guessed at it all. Boy was I elated that this flotsam and jetsam concoction turned out so darn good that we ate every last bit; dragging the naan through the sauce on the plate in back and forth patterns to sop every last drop up. I sat there with a very pleased look on my face as I saw three plates of food being eaten with relish. I made everyone happy in the house and did it with a foreign dish that in my judgment is pretty darn hard to replicate. So I have to share the recipe for those fellow Indian food lovers who can't get to Jewel of India.

Photo by: Michael Whays

CHANDRA'S CROCK POT TIKI MASALA
Place 4-6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs in the crock pot. Salt chicken. (this cut of chicken is necessary as it makes the best broth that blends with the below sauce). Set crock pot to low.

Sauce:
1 16oz. Can of diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
1/4 cup Helios kefir with kos (this kefir tastes like sour cream)
1 Tablespoons of Patak's Madras Curry Paste

Put in a food processor and blend till sauce consistency. Pour over chicken in crock pot cover with lid and let cook all day. Just before serving take out chicken, let cool, de-bone and de-skin and place back in sauce to reheat.

Serve with side of brown or white rice and warmed butter naan. (H-E-B brand naan is the best)

Serves 3-4 people.

Maybe we have been so deprived of the excellent tastes of the Jewel of India and have settled with this version to get us by, but it sure turned out great and will be a standby till we can make it back to our favorite Indian restaurant.

Let me know what you think?

Now I just have to get Saag down!

Kefir Taste Test

I am excited to finally get to this post. I have been wanting to talk about kefir for a few weeks but have been waylayed by beautiful flowers, girl scout activities, preparing for Holidays and a healthy load of staging work.

Kefir is one of the products that has hit a market trend recently but has been around for centuries. It is on a health food comeback and I hope it sticks around for good. My good friend Nancy turned our family on to this beneficial product.

When I first took a taste I wondered if my daughter, who is the pickiest of our brood would even try it. It is a bit tart. I am happy to say she is our biggest consumer. She has a small glass for breakfast and takes it to school for lunch, she also asks for it as a treat at night time. It is one of those YES, YES, YES foods, please eat this food, have as much as you want foods.

Kefir Taste Test

Brand 1 : Lifeway

The Raspberry and Strawberry banana Kefir by Lifeway passes the taste test and is our favorite. The sugar content is high and we only have this as a treat. We do like that they make the ProBug pouches that can go in lunches.

I was saddened that my local grocery store started off with a strong start with this brand and product and carried the FAT, PLAIN kefir (a lot less sugar) but as time went by, eliminated it. Most  likely due to the NO FAT, not sweet enough lie that is epidemic in our food culture.

We love putting this in smoothies, on top of fruit in the morning or drinking straight from the glass.




Brand 2: Helios with Kos

This particular brand tastes more along the lines of sour cream. The sugar content was low and the Fat factor was there but the taste was too strong for drinking straight even with a teaspoon of honey. I wasn't about to let this nutrient rich bottle go to waste. I used it in an amazing Indian food recipe and it was what made the recipe! (recipe to follow in a future post) This brand is great for cooking with.

Brand 3: Redwood Farms Goat Kefir

Redwood Hills Farm Goat Kefir is without a doubt my favorite of the store bought varieties. It was also the most expensive. The thick, creamy rich taste with a dollop of honey was delicious. It had all the FAT and low sugar. It also was not as tart as the cow versions. A winner if the budget allows.

Brand 4: Beyond Organic Amasai

All photo and Trademark properties belong to
 Beyond Organic Foods.

OK, folks the buck stops here. This product gets the top rating and blows the competition out of the water. I saved the best for last. Green fed cultured Amasai deserves top honors because one doesn't have to wonder if the product meets organic standards. In fact, it supersedes them. Beyond organic has taken the high road and taken extra measures from soil, to grass, to cow, to production in making sure you receive the healthiest most nutrient dense product.  Not only do you get ALL that was intended from a cultured dairy product; the taste is truly refreshing and perfectly balanced. With flavors like Milk and Honey, Plain and Raspberry you can't wrong in satisfying varied palettes.

The low temperature pasteurization process leaves proteins in their whole undenatured form and keeps enzymes intact along with the good bacteria (probiotics). Amasai is stock full of vitamin A,D,K, and E and is truly satisfying. Drinking (16 ounce bottle) half a bottle sustained me for the entire morning.

Founder of Beyond Organic, Jordan Rubin can attest to the magnificent healing power of drinking cultured beverages and has dedicated his life to bringing the same opportunity of dynamic health to those that truly want to take responsibility for their own well-being.

I didn't mean to get away from the taste test results but when you find someone doing it right when it is so easy to do what the rest of the industry is doing you have to give credit where it is due. If you are interested in obtaining a sample of your own Amasai, contact my friend Nancy by clicking on her name. She is a fully accredited nutritional distributor of Jordan's top of the line products.

I challenge you to do your own taste test and get back to me with your results.

Bon Apetit!

Solitary Beauty

Questioning eyes cast upon a solitary beauty...

Closed petals sit demurely upon sepals seat  

modestly concealing style

petal grasps taut

reveal what you hold;

geometric carpel 

intelligent design

star angled pattern

stamen vivid bright

a secret in the open

  passersby delight

By: Chandra Brown

Photos By: Chandra Brown