Free Time

Amazingly enough... I have lots and lots of free time now.

Trying to avoid using it all flipping channels on the TV, I decided to try to delve into the TED database and see/hear some interesting talks.

I'll try to avoid posting all the interesting ones, and maybe just post a list of the ones I liked the most. However, I do want to share this one. I think both the artists and the scientists among you will like it, and I'll say right now that there's a punch line at the end, so it's worth sticking around for the entire 13 minutes.

Weird Jello

Just so you know that I haven’t broken my baking promise in the few weeks I haven’t blogged:

This is my mom’s recipe for roses, but instead of meringue with vanilla pudding mix, it’s homemade chocolate creme anglais (aka fancy pudding). I would have actually liked it o be exactly like my mom’s roses, but the two times I tried making the filing, the meringue completely fell as soon as I put in the pudding mix. I assume it’s something in the Jello mix, but I don’t know what it is. If anyone has a clue, please tell me. Anyway, the result of trying to make meringue twice was a whole lot of egg yolks, so that sort of lent itself to making pudding as a filling.

Here’s the recipe for the dough – in terms only Israelis can understand:
1 small package self rising flour
200 g butter
1 unit sour cream (or Eshel)
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor using the metal blade. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator overnight.
I’ve actually been having some rather deep thought s lately about American culture, cultural relativism and social solidarity, but I’ll leave those for other days. Meanwhile, and interesting take on consumerism and relative wealth , for those of you willing to spare 16 minutes.