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My Life is Crap

My Bite

1/24/2013

1 Comment

 
The Chew is one of my favorite shows.  I never thought I would be one of those people that record daytime television shows but, alas, not a (week)day goes by that it is not on my DVR.  I can't get enough of Clinton, Michael, Carla, Daphne and Mario!  With that said, I just submitted my first creation to "My Bites" and I wanted join the food blog bandwagon for a moment and share it with ya'll.  

I love dessert.  But living alone I can never get all the way through a full cake before it starts to get dried out, stale or moldy.  So, I created this small, brownie-like skillet cake that is perfect for a couple days of satisfying that sweet tooth!  So without further adieu....

Caitlin's Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Skillet Cake
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Ingredients:
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • some semi-sweet chocolate chips
              the exact amount depends how chocolaty I'm feeling that day :)
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 Tbsp brown rice flour
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
  • heaping 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp milk

Materials:
  • 6" cast iron skillet (or cake pan)

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 325.
  2. Melt chocolate chips and butter.
  3. Whisk together chocolate/butter mixture, egg white, sugar and vanilla.
  4. Add rice flour, corn starch, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt and stir until smooth.
  5. Stir in milk.
  6. Pour into small cast iron skillet and bake for about 15-17 minutes or until set.


Top with powdered sugar or your favorite frosting!  ENJOY!


Update 1/25/2013:  My creation was accepted and has been added to theChew.com!  Check it out here!
1 Comment

What Makes the World Go Round

1/23/2013

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During a talk for the Genetics Graduate Student Association, a faculty member said when you are working on something that makes a profit, you never think about money, but when you’re working on something that doesn’t, money is all you think about.

Shifting gears from working in conservation as an undergrad and volunteer into entering graduate school and trying to make it into a career has made the difficulty of finding funding for conservation projects a prominent feature in my day to day life.  I am currently in the process of trying to find a suitable lab for me to work in for my PhD.   And for me, funding-wise, it’s a double wammy because I have been working on a previous project which currently doesn’t have its own funding.  So, not only do I have to find a lab which is doing work I am interested in and has enough money to let me join but, because most labs don’t even have enough money to fund their own projects, let alone mine, if I want to do the CCF project while I’m here, I have to acquire my own funding for it.  Now if this were the type of research the government and private organizations fund regularly, such as pharmaceuticals, cancer, etc., this wouldn’t be a huge issue.  But because I am in the field of conservation, I keep hitting the “that project sounds very interesting/I would love to have you do a rotation in my lab but I don’t have any funding” roadblock.  Now, here lies the real conundrum:

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Madre de Dios, Peru
Whether a conservation or restoration project can be done is determined by whether or not they are able to procure funding.  Whether or not money will be given to a particular project is determined by how the outcome will benefit us, human beings.  The problem lies in the narrow mindset in which the decision-makers define “benefit.”  They aren't thinking about humans as a species (an animal species) but rather as themselves as a human being.  If there isn’t a tangible benefit right now, there is no benefit; when in reality, they may be overlooking a long term benefit which they, personally, may not benefit from but generations to come will.
If we are going to live in a world that continues to possess riches of biodiversity and if we are going to live in a world that has room for species and habitats that do not benefit us, then we must restore and preserve as much habitat as possible. (Allison 2007)
I agree with the motivation behind this statement.  However, I don’t believe that there isn't a species that doesn't have a benefit.  It may not be a direct benefit, but take any species out of an ecosystem and there’s going to be some kind of effect.  Therefore, conservation of anything can be deemed beneficial when done so responsibly.  But, back to the topic at hand, what do you need to be able to “restore and preserve as much habitat as possible”?  Money.  And, as much as I hate the fact that money is what makes the world go round, it would be irresponsible, and counterproductive, to ignore it.

One of the reasons I have so much respect for the Cheetah Conservation Fund is that they realized this conundrum and embraced it.  They have many projects (i.e. Cheetah Country Beef and Bushblok) which have a benefit for both the ecology of Namibia and the economy of its people.   What we as conservationist need to do is take a realistic approach linking immediate benefit for the people with long term benefit for the environment.  Once we find that niche, finding funding becomes easier and we can build on our efforts of conservation, whatever it is we are trying to conserve.
Once restorationists fully recognize their role in choosing at least the starting conditions and hoped for end point of restoration projects, it is vital for them to engage in both the environment and the human community to achieve the restoration of humans and nature. (Allison 2007)

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Killary Fjord, Ireland
  • Quotes are from Allison, S.K. (2007) You Can't Not Choose: Embracing the Role of Choice in Ecoogical Resotration. Restoration Ecology. Vol 15, No. 4, pp. 601-605
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Curry Girls Kitchen

1/22/2013

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My amazing cousin and aunt have finally launched their website, CurryGirlsKitchen.com!  All about making delicious and nutritious concoctions, Megan, a certified holistic health coach, and Peggy Curry, a "healthy-food crusader" as the founder of Growing Great, give you all the tips and tricks you need to have a happy and healthy relationship with food.  I have learned so much about food from these women over the years and I highly recommend everyone taking full advantage of their knowledge! 

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Something to Think About

1/13/2013

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"In fact, we have now found over one hundred of [this type of hellish planet], rending them so common that the question really emerges, which ones are the weirdos, them or us?"
      ~Prof Geoff Marcy, astronomer, University of California Berkley

How the Universe Works, "Planets from Hell", Science Channel, First Aired July 25, 2012
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Supper Clubs & 3-Piece Suits

1/12/2013

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Sometimes I wish they still had supper clubs like the did the forties with the big bands, cocktails, dinner & dancing and that men still always wore suits with hats, no matter the occasion... by the way, just saw Gangster Squad and it was AMAZING! Didn't hurt the likability of the movie that Ryan Gosling in a three piece suit is just down right yummy!
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Ups & Downs of the "Real" World

1/11/2013

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Thursday was a total pain in my ass.  Why you may ask?  I had a few glitches which created quite a dilemma...

Grad School World

My third of the three lab rotations first year genetics students are required to do, canceled on me leaving me to scramble to find a replacement.  During these rotations we are supposed to be finding the lab we will be working in.  So, not only do these labs have to have room to bring on a student but they also have to have the funds to pay that student while they are acting as a research and/or teaching assistant at A&M.  So, being canceled on wouldn't be such a big deal if it were my first or second rotation as I would still have time and rotations left to find a lab.  With this being the third (and my other two rotations didn't turn out to be labs I could join) I either have to find THE lab right now or be forced to do a fourth or fifth rotation, which bring in the timing issue of not finding a lab before my payroll for being a TA this year expires.  However, while all that is inconvenient and a bit stressful, it’s manageable.  The most devastating aspect of this whole predicament is the lab that canceled on me was the lab I could see myself being in the most.

Home Owner World

All I wanted to do was take a hot shower to recharge before smoothing out my graduate school bump in the road but when I turned the knob which usually spews out scolding hot water, all I got was luke warm which soon turned to ice.  Turns out, sometime during the storm the day before, the pilot light in my hot water heater went out.  I attempted to relight the pilot about every 10-30 minutes from 11am-3pm hoping and praying that it would stay light when I let go of the button.  No go.   I put in a call to my home warranty provider and got an appointment for a technician to come out to fix my issue 4 days later!!!!  Turns out that not having hot water in winter is not considered an emergency in the state of Texas, so, they have 48 hours to provide service and, since it was Thursday afternoon, not getting someone out until Monday was totally acceptable. (maybe to them.  “I’m sorry for the inconvenience ma’am.”  No you're not.  If you were, you’d figure out how to get me some fricken’ hot water!)  I am hoping that there is enough wrong with my 14 year old water heater, they will just replace the damn thing.  
All is not lost and shit could definitely be worse.
Now it's time to pound the pavement and get 2013 off to a better start.
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Hello Again

1/9/2013

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So, saying I would have my laptop back up and running before Christmas was a bit of a stretch.  Hell, saying it would be back up and running before the New Year would have even been a lie.  But, alas, after HOURS on the phone and remote access with Ruth from Dell Support (thank you Ruth), I believe I have everything in working order.  So....
Hello 2013
I hope you're as enjoyably eventful as 2012!
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    Caitlin Curry

    I am a biologist and my life is crap!

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