Purely Random

Let me start by asserting that Prantl’s Bakery in Shadyside has amazing chocolate chip cookies. When I was in grad school, the ECE Department was ordering an assortment of Prantl’s treats to inspire grad students to attend a weekly seminar (I believe they still are). I’m a little ashamed to admit, but that aspect of the seminars definitely gave me some added motivation to attend. At the time, it was my one unhealthy weak moment each week. In retrospect, that regularly scheduled weak moment was actually a very healthy thing. It’s easy to be all healthy during all other moments of the week if you have that one day to look forward to. Of course, you’re really reading this to find out about cookies, so I’ll get back to it. (more…)

I enjoy yogurt. Being a bit of a health geek (okay, a lot of a health geek), I’m partial to the plain yogurt—typically low fat. In fact, every morning, I start my day by enjoying a little plain yogurt with something crunchy sprinkled on top. Sometimes it’s Grape Nuts, sometimes that’s homemade granola, but there’s always yogurt involved. The point here is that I consume quite a bit of yogurt and have been for the past few years. That’s why it’s funny that I’ve only recently made the following discovery: stirring yogurt destroys the somewhat solid texture it’s supposed to have. It negatively impacts not only texture, but the flavor as well. (more…)