Tuesday, a good day

Story time!

Today I was charting on one of my floors and one of the infectious disease docs came and set next to me. We've chatted a few times and even though he intimidates me, I decided to be polite and so I said hello. He returned my greeting and then starting chatting with me. He asked if I had any Irish heritage (the red hair, freckles, and fair skin are a pretty good sign) and I replied yes and then he asked if I had ever been to Ireland. I've not, yet. He began to tell me about his daughters travels abroad and how she was in Europe for a few minutes (and I started to get really jealous...happy for her, but a little jealous) and then told him I am more Belgian than anything (don't worry, I'm not about to bust out my family tree) AND THEN...

...I said, "but I have the phenotype of a typical Irishwoman." 

A) Hi, I'm a nerd. B) The second it left my mouth I prayed I had used the genetics jargon correctly. I wasn't trying to impress him by any means, but the word came to mind (and it's one of the few things I remember from my lessons on genetics) and before I realized it, it also came out of my mouth. 

Our conversation continued and in the forefront, not back friends, forefront, of my mind I was praying I hadn't just made myself look like an idiot. A very basic lesson on genetics: phenotype refers to the physical or observable (ph to ph...that's how I remembered it) characteristics you inherit and genotype means refers to the genetics you inherit. Not that difficult right? Right. Except on the spot when a fancy term you rarely use but vaguely remember studying comes to mind and then out of your mouth in front of a doctor...yeah it's cause for a small dose of panic. And I'm just sayin' it now, if you go on Jeopardy and win mucho bucks becauseof a question about phenotype or genotype and you got he answer from me, I just ask for 10% of the proceeds. Not too much right? :) 

Anyway, the conversation concluded, he went and saw a patient, I continued to type. He came back. He was about to leave and then commented on my use of the word phenotype.

The Irish lass just impressed the doc with her genetics vocab. SHAZAM! Being a nerd has its perks. If only immense relief that I didn't embarrass myself. I'll take it.

Today I am grateful for wonderful people in my life. Truly. There are many and I am astounded that I have so many fantastic people in my life. Among them, a dear, dear, dear friend, example, mentor, amazing woman and a kindred spirit, who may have sent me a little something she picked up while in NYC, and while at the NY Public Library no less!!!! I love it!!!!!!  

Many, many, MANY thanks. 

I can't wait to use it. THANK YOU SHANNON!!

Freckles the Nerd and Marshmallows

So remember that post I made oh, last January? If you have no idea what I'm talking about you should read it because then this post will make a whole lot more sense. I did not keep my resolution but that's ok! Someone recommended marshmallows, and since I'm drinking my first cup of hot chocolate of the season (Ghirardelli no less, delish!) and marshmallows go well with chocolate, off we go! (This is where I wish I were Ms. Frizzle and had a magic school bus)..................Marshmallow candy dates all the way back to 2000 B.C. to Egypt (Egypt had it going on, cool pyramids, marshmallow candy, dang!)
Marshmallows actually, although not surprisingly, come from....plants! And boy they are pretty too.
The marsh mallow plants (althea officinalis) are grow in salty marshes so they can, I liked this, "bask in salt sun." The Egyptians discovered (how? I have no idea. Who thinks of these things? This is probably one of the reasons I'm alive now, when all of this sweet stuff is around. I'm in awe) they could extract the sweet substances and made a confection that was only reserved for the pharaohs and gods. Probably another reason I'm alive now because I would have had to either be royalty or a marshmallow-stealing thief and probably would have gotten killed. I digress (but in all seriousness). The Egyptians would boil the pieces of marsh mallow root pulp with sugar until it thickened and then it was strained, cooled, and mixed with honey, grain, and baked into cakes.

The Healing Powers
Marsh mallow roots and leaves were used for medicinal purposes to treat chest pains, to soothe coughs and sore throats, and as an ointment. It was also used as a laxative and to treat inflammation. Common people only tasted marsh mallows when they took pills; in fact doctors sometimes hid the medicine inside the candy to cover the pill's undesirable taste. BRILLIANT. Applesauce vs. marshmallows, yes I'll take marshmallows please.

Faaaaaaaaaaaast Forward to the 19th century, France
J'adore le Francais! Candy makers in France decided to combine the sap (a binding agent) with egg whites and corn syrup, whip them, heat them and poured into molds. Thus, a yummy confection. However it was expensive and slow because it required casting and molding of each marshmallow. Perhaps the most fascinating part of this is the French candy makers made them by hand. I would have loved to have seen that! But as demand grew for this delectable treat, they had to come up with a quicker method: the starch mogul system. Here's how this beauty works: a machine automatically fills trays with starch about 2 inches thick, then it's evened off and compressed. Next, a printing board, made of plaster, wood, or metal trays shaped to mold marshmallows is pressed into the starch and retracted. Then the space created is filled with hot creme. Delish....

1900
By this time, marshmallows were sold as penny candy. Gelatin and other whipping agents replaced mallow root. In 1948, Mr. Alex Doumak (founder of Campfire Marshmallows) was looking for ways to to speed up production and discovered the "extrusion process," which, of course revolutionized marshmallow production. In the extrusion process, marshmallows are made by piping the fluffy mixture through long tubes and cutting its tubular shape into equal pieces. And today it takes a whoppin' 60 minutes to make one marshmallow.

Now, let's briefly talk about....

PEEPS!!!!!

1953- Just Born candy company bought Rodda Candy Company, which produced a marshmallow chick. Just Born loved it so much so they...
1954- Mass-produced chicks and voila! Peeps are born
1960s- Just Born starts to manufacture seasonally shaped Peeps
1980s- Just Born releases Marshmallow Peeps Bunny
1995- Peeps were only produced in pink, white, and yellow BUT this year they added the lavender Peep
1998- Blue Peeps
1999- Vanilla-flavored Peeps produced
2000- Strawberry-flavored Peeps
2002- Chocolate-flavored Peeps introduced (it took this long!??!)
1987-present: Gabe still does not like Peeps

FUN FACTS
*Sacramento, CA is home to an annual Peep Off, a 30-min Peep-eating contest
*All Peeps are created equal....EXCEPT for Peeps Hearts and Peeps Eggs, all bunnies, chicklets, and Peeps animals under the sun are made with a distinct recipe and signature flavor. Peeps hearts have a hint of strawberry added to them, and can only (obviously) be found during Valentine's season. Peeps Eggs are the only vanilla-flavored phenomenon.

And so ends my adventure. Thank you for joining Freckles the Nerd. Please, do come again.

Many thanks to...
http://inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/a/marshmallows.htm
http://www.twisted-candy.com/marshmallows.html
http://www.campfiremarshmallows.com/history-of-marshmallows.asp
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/194855/valuable_marshmallow_peeps_facts_you.html
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Marshmallow.html
http://www.google.com

Suggestions for my next adventure?

Nerd

I am a nerd. More often than not, I really like to study. I think it's because I have this desire to learn everything about everything. I love it though. I enjoy the mental stimulation. AND I love learning more and more about everything because it makes conversations more interesting and diverse and it opens up a lot of opportunities.
This weekend I spent quite some time in the library and I loved it. I had my own little cubicle next to a window (I HAVE to have light. I will never be able to live in a dark house. My room at home is 75% windows. In my apartment, the first thing I do when I get up is open the blinds. I need the sunlight!!!). I digress...
I love my classes, which is a good thing since I'm paying $1000s to get an education. But seriously, I've had some horrid classes-the ones I go to, take notes, study, pass the class, and can't tell a soul what I learned. The classes I'm taking this semester are so interesting! Tuesdays are my busiest days (class from (9:35am to 6:40pm)--very long days. However, my last class is one of my favorites. It's just fascinating.
I have big plans for going back to school after I become an RD. A girl in one of my classes said her husband's grandmother goes back to school whenever the economy is in a slump. She's a real estate agent, a CPA, a CNA, and has a law degree, and is going back. THAT is motivating. That's what I'm going to do. I want to go back for photography, maybe culinary school, editing, humanities, maybe floral design. I've got big plans.
Hoooray for being a nerd! Shout out to all the nerds out there!