Bloggers Without Makeup

So apparently today is blogger's without makeup day. So ... here we go: Ha! Besides the unwashed hair & alien stare, you probably won't notice much difference - I rarely wear makeup.

Item of the day: Magnetic Knife Block

I love the sleek & modern look of these magnetic knife blocks by feelfeltfound.

Science Byte

Today's Science Byte is brought to you by the letter H.

Ha! I couldn't resist. Actually, I was flipping through the book The Great Scientists by John Farndon when I came across one of my favourite principles: Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.

This principle, along with Bohr's Complementarity Principle, forms the basis of quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics is a scientific field which tries to explain the relationship between energy & matter in the sub-atomic world. It's an incredibly fascinating but very mathematical branch of physics, so I'll try to keep things simple.

Before developing his Principle, Werner Heisenberg worked out complex mathematical equations to describe the atom & sub-atomic particles. He called this theory matrix mechanics since it used an obscure branch of mathematics using matrices - but since this wasn't well known at the time & was difficult to visualize, his colleagues didn't readily accept his theory. Schrödinger came up with a competing theory called wave mechanics which was essetially the exact same thing - but more "elegant" (in Schrödinger's own words). Two other scientists, Jordan & Dirac, combined these 2 theories into what they called the "transformation theory."

Confused yet? So were they. Heisenberg was studying this transformation theory when he noticed that he couldn't measure the position & velocity of a particle at the same time. It was one or the other. But this wasn't just a mistake in the equations - it was the nature of the particles they were measuring.

The Uncertainty Principle then states that the position & velocity (speed + direction) of any particle cannot be measured simultaneously. This is most obvious at the subatomic level where everything is extremely small (making the uncertainty larger) - but the principle applies in the "real world" too. It's only that the object are so large (and visible) that the uncertainty is very small.

If you think about it, it makes sense. If you're measuring the position & the velocity of a car, the position will be changing simply because the car is moving. So there is some small uncertainty of where EXACTLY the car was when it was going that exact speed. When it comes down to the subatomic level, this uncertainty becomes significant. Indeed, the very act of measuring the velocity of a particle changes it, making the simultaneous measurement of its position invalid. Instead, the probability that the particle will be in that position is measured.

This theory was rapidly accepted into the physics field - but there were a few people opposed to the idea. Einstein was actually one of the biggest opponents - he didn't like that it relied on probabilities. He also disliked that it says the observer will influence what he was observing, believing nature to be independent of the investigator. This really isn't the case though - I'm sure you've noticed yourself acting differently around certain people. If someone is watching you - or testing you - you're going to behave accordingly. It's harder to apply this to the world around you though but I think this (clichéd) question sums it up nicely: if a tree falls in a forest & no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

If no one is there to observe something, does it exist?

If you like these types of thought exercises, google/wiki Schrödinger's cat. Which could lead you into parallel universes...

Item of the day: Gradient Purple Trench

I first came across this stunning dress by YongS in an Etsy finds email - I immediately fell in love with the smooth gradient of colour. And then I found this trench coat while browsing through her awesome shop. I LOVE it! The colour is gorgeous (it would be amazing in the grey as well), the short sleeves make it a versatile spring jacket & the ruffled back is fabulous!

Wordless Wednesday

Item of the day: House Necklace

I know I've mentioned before that I adore tiny houses - this pendant by jayval is no exception!

Recipe: Baked Cajun Salmon

I'm not a big fan of fish & neither is Pat. Salmon is the only kind we'll get on a regular basis. Our families never served salmon (mostly because they can catch fresh fish instead) so when I bought some fillets for the first time, I turned to a friend on Etsy (debralinker) for a basic how-to. I'm only calling this "Cajun" because I make up a cayenne & black pepper spice mix. So really it should be "Amanda's Spicy Salmon" ... but that just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Baked Cajun Salmon

Ingredients:

salmon fillets, with the skin

Cajun spice mix (or your favourite spice mix), 1 - 2 tbsp per fillet

soy sauce

1 tbsp oil

Methods:

1. First find some fresh salmon fillets. Fillets are cut along the skin whereas steaks are cut through the fish (so that the skin is all around the edges, with a horseshoe shape). We want fillets so that when we bake it, we can put the skin down to prevent the meat from sticking. Give them a rinse & place them in a dish large enough to hold all your fillets (not piled up on top of each other).

2. If you don't have a spice mix, make one. I use a mix of cayenne, black & chili peppers, cumin, coriander, garlic salt & whatever else strikes my fancy (this time I grabbed hot red pepper & jalapeno flakes, thyme & seasoned salt). Make about 1-2 tbsp per fillet. I just throw in a bit of everything until I have about enough.

3. Rub the spice mix into each fillet. Just the fleshy part.

4. Turn the fillets flesh-side down.Add soy sauce until you have about 1/4" - 1/2" covering the bottom of the dish. Make sure to dump the soy sauce over the fish & that there's enough to soak the fillets. Allow them to sit for 10-15 minutes, while you start to prepare the rest of your meal. This will help remove the fishy taste from the salmon & keep them moist while baking. You can also include a few tbsp of lemon juice if you like.

5. Preheat oven to 350F.

6. Heat a tbsp of oil (any oil will do - I used sunflower this time) in a frying pan on medium-hot. Let the pan get hot before putting in the fillets flesh-side down (skin-side up). Fry them for about 2 minutes - just to give them a bit of colour & crispness. Don't cook them all the way through. You can see that the skinnier edge of this fillet ended up pretty much done - that's ok, but if your fillets aren't very thick, reduce the frying time to 1 minute.

7. Transfer the fillets to a foil-lined cookie sheet. Place them skin-side down. You can drizzle them with flavoured oil or a bit of lemon juice if you like. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. You want to almost cook them through - they'll finish cooking for a few minutes after you take them out. Don't overcook, the fillets will be dry & unappetizing. If the meat breaks apart easily with a fork, flaking apart, then it's cooked.

Enjoy!

Our fillets were quite big & we weren't able to finish them. Being a little pricey, I couldn't throw them out - so I made salmon salad sandwiches today. Not really my favourite - but not too bad with a little diced leek.

Item of the day: Edible Butterflies

These edible butterflies by SugarRobot are too cute! They would look great on fun birthday cupcakes or a beautiful wedding cake!