Short Lecture on Epigenetics

I listened to this lecture on epigenetics the other day when I was cleaning my room. Although the language is a little technical in spots, it's pretty interesting to a lay observer.

Enjoy!

DIY Maddness

So remember when I said I'd gotten my annual spring DIY bug? Well, it's taken a sort of odd turn. I was originally looking at modifying/upcycling some clothing, but when I was wandering around Instructables, I started to notice some pretty cool stuff. Specifically I started to see some people making their own lingerie that actually looked totally professional (e.g. 1, 2, 3). And so I started wondering if I could do it.

For reference, I did take some sewing classes when I was about 8 years old, but I don't think I've touched a sweing machine since then. I mend things a lot by hand, and I've basted the odd thing onto clothing I already have for costumes, but lingerie construction is on a totally different level.

As I've said before, these days, you can learn anything on the internet. Seriously. I learned how to make bread on the internet. The wonderful thing about the global community is that people want to share knowledge-- often for free-- and help each other with projects. And it's just so cool. There is a certain part of me that wishes that I had been in high school or elementary school right now so that I could have soaked in all the new skills when the brain is most rapidly expanding and learning things most quickly. However, I still can (and do) learn a lot.

One of the reasons that learning this particular skill intrigued me is that I find it difficult to find comfortable lingerie even the expensive stuff is not consistently perfect. The reason, of course, is because women are all different shapes and there are a certain set of standard sizes. However, the problems with modern lingerie go far beyond that. At Victoria's secret, for example, both the band and the cup sizes vary between lines-- so PINK bras have smaller cups and a smaller with of the centerpiece between cups, although the same band size as what is supposedly the exact sames size in the Body collection. Also, the band size of the Incredible collection seems to be larger than that in the Body collection for a bra that's supposed to be the same size. This makes no sense. Furthermore, I have issues finding lingerie of the right size because my rib cage in the front is wider than the back so the centerpiece is often too small. As such, I decided to strike out on my own and see if I could make some.

I used Jenna's Instructable for pattern making and graded the size down. Grading, as I found out yesterday, is the term used for changing the size of a pattern piece to fit a different size person. According to a blog I read, grading has to be done proportionally, so I sketched a version of the pattern that was proportionally smaller than the one she had.

I also decided to follow her (and the other lingerie-makers') advice and deconstruct one of my own bras. I had one which I had stretched out back when I was heavier, but the cup size was still right. I used one of my other bras as a pattern to dart the sides so that it fit before I took the bra apart. However, the patterning was too complicated for a beginner like me. Instead, I borrowed the underwire, underwire casings, straps and fastenings from the bra and used Jenna's pattern to cut up an old t-shirt (I added approximated 1/4 inch seam allowances because her pattern doesn't seem to account for seam allowances).

Front of my prototype (basted together by hand)

Back

Close up of back

Unfortunately, you cannot tell whether lingerie fits until you put it together. I haven't hauled out my mother's old sewing machine yet (and honestly, I don't even remember how to thread a sewing machine, so I decided I would baste it together by hand and see if I were on the right track.

I realized a couple of things basting it together. First, it fit, and actually looked kind of decent, which was amazing. Second, I definitely need some kind of liner for the cups. The seams, even when ironed down, would be uncomfortable after a long day. Jenna doesn't provide for this in her pattern, so I'm going to have to figure out how to do it on my own. Third, as usual, to make it fit optimally, I'm going to have to increase the width of the center piece. But honestly, having even moderate success in the first attempt is an incredible achievement for someone who doesn't sew.

When It's Too Hot to Bake Bread: English Muffins

Almost Whole Grain English Muffins

So I ran out of my morning toast bread, but it's definitely too hot to bake around here. For this reason, I decided to make some English muffins. However, I didn't want to wait a full three days for my awesome oat recipe, so I decided to try something new.

I've been experimenting with oat flour. I know you can't add much to a bread recipe before it compromises the gluten structure, but I wanted to also make the bread as oaty as possible. I'm still working on figuring out the best way to do this. These muffins were not stunningly oaty (I think because most of the flour was whole wheat and it overshadowed a lot of the oat flavor), but they did have a little bit of an oaty taste and they held together pretty well at about 15% oat flour.

English Muffin Crumb

These are not as open and beautiful as my last set, but that may be because I didn't get the gluten structure developed enough last night. However, I might recommend using a little bit more water.

I also had to cheat on the recipe a bit because I forgot to start it until late last night. I'll give my actual version and advice. Adapted from Susan at Wild Yeast's amazing Norwich More Sourdough.

Oaty Mostly Whole Grain Sourdough English Muffins

Ingredients

• 480g Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter (100% hydration)
• 400g First Clear Flour
• 375g Whole Wheat Flour
• 180g Whole Oat flour
• 625g Water adding a little bit more than this, say 650ish might make the crumb more open.
• 23g salt 

Method

Day 1:

• Mix the sourdough starter into 600g of the water and then add the flour.
• Mix until the dough forms a homogenous ball. You can do this either with a stand mixer or by hand.
• Cover the dough with plastic ad let it autolyse for half an hour
• Then add in the salt and the last 25g+ of water
• Knead until medium development (passes the windowpane test). Should take about 10 minutes by hand or about 3-4 minutes by machine.
• If you don't have time (like I didn't) to wait another few hours, put it in the refridgerator immediately (covered in plastic wrap). Or, follow alternative below

Day 1 alternative ending:

• Let is sit for 2.5 hours at room temperature (about 72-75 degrees), folding at 45 min, 1.5 hours, and 2h 15 min.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and spread it a little bit. Cover it and let it sit for 10 minutes.
• Then roll the dough out to about 1" thick.
• Transfer the dough onto a floured cookie sheet, lightly flour the surface of the dough, and cover it with plastic
• Let it sit for an hour and a half at room temperature before transferring it into the refrigerator

Day 2:

Alternative method:

• If you used the alternative method: take the dough out of the refrigerator right before you plan to bake (although no more than 16 hours after you put it in).
• Heat up a griddle or a cast iron frying pan, lightly oiled with spray oil to about medium-low heat
• Cut muffins of the desired size. Squares, rectangles, or circles all work. If you don't mind ugly muffins, you can take the excess and push it lightly together. If you let it sit for about 5 minutes, this will make a delicious and perfectly adequate (although not aesthetically pleasing) muffin.
• When the griddle is hot, place the muffins on it and cover with a metal lid.
• In about 3 minutes, the muffins should be ready to flip over. They will puff up nicely.
• Let them brown on the other side before cooling and eating.

My method:

• Take the dough out of the refrigerator and turn onto a lightly floured surface.
• Spread it out a little, then cover it and let it sit for 10 minutes.
• Then roll the dough out to about 1" thick.
• Transfer the dough onto a floured cookie sheet, lightly flour the surface of the dough, and cover it with plastic
• Let it sit for about 2.5 hours at room temperature.
• Heat up a griddle or a cast iron frying pan, lightly oiled with spray oil to about medium-low heat
• Cut muffins of the desired size. Squares, rectangles, or circles all work. If you don't mind ugly muffins, you can take the excess and push it lightly together. If you let it sit for about 5 minutes, this will make a delicious and perfectly adequate (although not aesthetically pleasing) muffin.
• When the griddle is hot, place the muffins on it and cover with a metal lid.
• In about 3 minutes, the muffins should be ready to flip over. They will puff up nicely.
• Let them brown on the other side before cooling and eating.

These are delicious and won't heat up your kitchen. Keep in mind, this makes a LOT of English muffins. I mean a LOT. So, once they are fully cooled, place them in ziplock baggies and freeze them (except for the ones you will eat over the next 2-3 days).

For reference, if you pick any rustic dough that is not too loose, you can make English muffins just by following the day 2 instructions under "my method."

Upcycling Part II

Remember I mentioned upcycling in a recent post? Well, thinking about upcycling, I remembered a good friend friend of mine had started a site selling recycled cashmere thread called The Cashmere Goat. As she says in her about page, she is able to give new life warm and soft cashmere, which I think is pretty cool. Also, the colors of the yarn are beautiful. Check it out.

OED calls for Meanderings of Memory

Apparently, 51 words in the OED owe hail either first or early on from a book called Meanderings of Memory, which seems to have fallen out of existence. While this may happen all the time in classics, it's far less common in the history of English literature.

The OED has put out a public appeal for copies of the book, which is only cited once elsewhere-- in a collector's catalog. I hope someone finds it.

Up-Cycling

Some people get the useful inclination to clean things when it's Spring. I, unfortunately, always have the desire to make things when it's spring. I have had a couple of useful endeavors-- for example, learning to make bread was one of my "let's make things" moments in the Spring. However, most of the time I don't accomplish anything and just make more mess.

This spring, I got the "re-purposing" bug-- also know as "up-cycling." I haven't done anything with it yet, but I plan for this (see video below or here) to be my next project.

She made that dress out of t-shirts. Isn't that awesome?

Anyone have any cool up-cylcling project ideas? I'm also going to have an apartment to decorate in the fall,s o I'm looking for a couple of cool things.

Periodic Table of Spices

See the website.

Servia sent this to me and I thought it was really cool. Someone is designing a periodic table of spices. The board is magnetic and the spices have clear caps so you can see in. I totally want one for my apartment this fall! Check it out here.