Donnie’s Blog

Some friends of mine recently received a food processor as a gift, and they were wondering what to make with it. I suggested mayonnaise, since homemade mayo is always tasty, but they weren’t so excited about that. Another good suggestion is cashew-nut butter or almond butter; the texture is just like peanut butter, but the flavor is amazingly rich.

Every time I think of peanut butter, I remember this one episode of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood where he made peanut butter. Or, at least, he tried to make peanut butter. His operating premise was that the name “peanut butter” was based on the actual ingredients for peanut butter. So, he threw a bunch of peanuts into a bag, added a stick of butter, and then proceeded to bash the crap out of it. The result wasn’t exactly peanut butter. I distinctly remember the scene - that big traffic light and the aquarium… I seem to recall him saying, “Well that didn’t work very well…”

I am glad that Mr. Rogers never tried to make butterflies.

Last week I was a judge for a middle-school science fair. It was mildly entertaining, seeing the traditional projects involving burning things and playing with blood. Nothing really compelling though. The most disappointing aspect of the fair was the lack of any really scientific hypotheses. It was painful to read some of these hypotheses. In general, I was pretty sad about the students’ lack of understanding of the scientific method.

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