Edible Flowers

Image By Yelkrokoyade - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6739869

Want to treat yourself to a beautiful salad or impress your friends with an eye pleasing spread on dinner night? What better way to do that than garnish your dish with an edible arrangement of colorful flowers. There are a plenty edible flowers to choose from but these are my favorite based on color and flavor.

Image By Markcaya - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33552501

First is the Sweet William Flower, I used to grow these with my dad growing up. They are a small relative to the carnation and have a clove like spice flavor. Because of all the colors they come in I like to decorate cakes with them. The image below shows Sweet Williams with Marigolds as a garnish.

Image by Kimberly Vardeman - originally posted to Flickr as Spring Flower Cake, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4899865

Primrose Flowers are another favorite of mine. I initially got them because I needed a plant to grow in the shade and later learned they are edible. Both the leaves and the flowers are edible making them great additions to salads because the flavor is similar to lettuce.

Image By Original uploader was Harp at en.wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3584472 

Pumpkin flowers are also edible. I first heard this from my brother in law who fries them up and puts them in tacos. Since then I have also learned they are good stuffed and fried, and added to salads to bring color. Stuffing them takes some care because they are very delicate and tear easily.

Image byArnaud 25 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40167683 

I always enjoy learning new ways to spice up my presentation. I also have quite a few allergies so I find it important to mention that because flowers are not widely used their allergy information is few and far between. If you have allergies like I do always introduce new foods with caution. Have fun cooking with flowers!

The mischievous Barnacle Blenny

Barnacle Blennies stay under 2 inches and make great nano tank fish. They will eat most small foods if it fits in their mouth and really enjoy frozen foods like cyclopeez and baby brine. Barnacle Blennies need to have a "barnacle" house to live in or they get stressed. A great house I have found is empty turbo snail shells. Check out these cute little guys eating some brine shrimp.

How to Harvest Celosia Seeds

These are one of my favorite flowers and for the longest time harvesting the seeds was a mystery to me. Now that I have figured it out I'm going to share my method with you. First you have to wait until the seeds are fully formed and to do that you need to be able to tell a new flower from a mature flower. Here is what a new flower looks like with out seeds:

When the flowers have seeds they look more fluffy like this:

And if you look closely you can see the outline of a dark seed inside like this:

If you can't tell while the flower is on the plant you can pluck a small portion off and it should look like this:

Pinch the pod gently to push the seed out.

 Being careful not to crush the seed inside.

Then collect in a breathable dry container until you are ready to plant and grow your seeds.

They come in many colors. You can separate them by color if you want, or store them all together if you want to be surprised when you plant them. 

When Dieting What are Macros?

Macros is short for macro-nutrients which include carbohydrates, protein, and fats. They are important to diet because if not eaten in the correct ratios you can fail to meet your goals, even if you're cutting calories.

Carbohydrates aren't just breads and sugars, there are beneficial carbohydrates in fruits and vegetables too. carbohydrates are important because they are the brains first choice as an energy source, and your muscles use carbs for energy too.  In general if you are being lightly active you need to be eating 3 to 5 grams of carbs for every kilogram of body weight (1kg = 2.2lbs, your weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = your weight in kilograms). Some examples of healthy sources for these carbs are whole grains like quinoa, and fresh fruits and vegetables like bananas and asparagus.

Protein is important because it helps rebuild muscle along with other important functions. Your body can't function without it, in fact it is so important your body will scavenge for amino acids to make proteins from incomplete sources like rice and beans (which together make a complete protein). The best sources for proteins are eggs and meats. Good vegan sources of protein include: soy, quinoa, rice & beans, and asparagus. You can break up incomplete proteins into different meals (within 24 hours of each other) and your body will hold onto the spare amino acids until you eat a complimentary food that will complete the protein. The average person needs .8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight.

Fats get a bad rap but they are very energy dense and they are not all created equal. Fats are useful because they digest slower than carbs leaving you feeling fuller longer and they help you absorb essential micro-nutrients like vitamins A, and E. Some good healthy fats are olive oil, flax oil, and oils from nuts and seeds. The goal for fat intake to ensure you absorb the fat soluble vitamins you need is between 20% and 35%. Usually you figure out what you need for carbs and protein and let the remainder be fat, making sure you get at least 20%. Saturated fats should make up less than 10% of total intake.

My Top 10 Favorite Saltwater Fish and Why

Clown Fish (Percula/Ocellaris)

These fish are super hardy and great for a variety of tanks. They used to be in the damsel family so they can generally hold their own around semi-aggressive fish like triggers, and other damsels. They are mild tempered and do well in community tanks with gobies, blennies, and other peaceful fish. Perculas are one of the smaller clowns staying under 3 inches. I always cycle my community tanks with clowns.

Starry Blenny (Salarias ramosus)

I like the starry blenny because he is an algae eater and looks cool. They will change color at night and when their mood changes. They are a community fish that get to be a maximum size of 4 inches. They will keep hair algae "mowed" down short, but they can't eliminate it the way an emerald crab, or bristle tooth tang can. Their peaceful nature makes up for not being able to eliminate hair algae completely. Like most other blennies (and The Highlander) there can only be one in a tank. Blennies are very territorial to other blennies and they will fight to the death. Because I have always only kept one I have never seen this territorial behavior.

Flame Angel (Centropyge loricula)

I prefer dwarf angels because I keep a 65 gallon tank; which is too small for other angels. They are the biggest fish in my tank at 4 inches and I enjoy them because of the color they add to the tank. They can be territorial so I always add them last. Angels have a specialized diet that needs to be supplemented with seaweed. I would either get the frozen spirulina brine or dried seaweed sheets to feed mine. They have been reported to nip at LPS and clam mantles, I don't keep clams and my hammer corals and brains never showed signs of nipping. Angels are another one of those fish that can go in a community but will usually fight with other angels, so only one to a tank. If you have 100 gallons or more and you added them all at once you could try your luck with a school but I never had a big enough tank.

Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)

I really enjoy salt water aquariums because of the diversity of color, and the royal gramma being half yellow and half purple really stands out. They're one of my favorites because they stay under 2 1/2 inches and can go in a community tank. They too can only be one to a tank (beginning to see a pattern here). That extends to the entire gramma and dottyback family. I always recommend looking at pics of all of them and choosing, since you can only have one. Sometimes I get the orchid but they are pricier and a little meaner overall. Grammas tend to hide out in the rocks but will swim about if there are dither fish in the tank.

Red Head Goby (Elacatinus puncticulatus)

I really enjoy a busy tank, and the way I accomplish that is by keeping a lot of nano fish. The red headed goby stays under 1 1/2 inches. Like all gobies they are less of a swimmer and more of a sitter. They like to perch on rocks or walls and watch what's going on around them, I find this behavoir very cute. They can be kept in groups, but I did notice a little infighting among mine. Otherwise they are completely docile and make great community tank members. They do need small foods since they stay so little. I fed mine brine shrimp and they ate the cyclopeez I put in for the corals too.

Sharknose Goby (Elacatinus evelynae)

The sharknose is another nano goby that stays under 1 1/2 inches. Looks similar to cleaner gobies with a blue body that has black stripes from nose to tail, the only difference is the nose is pointed (like a shark) and has some yellow. They also like to perch on rocks and watch their surroundings. They always did great in my community tanks and never bothered any other fish. Occasionally they would chase each other around, but never did any damage.

Green Chromis Damsel (Chromis viridis)

The green chromis is the only damsel I like because they are docile enough to keep in a community tank. They are also a gorgeous sight to watch schooling in a tank. I Always kept at least 6 in my tanks. Another reason they are one of my favorites is because I like to have blue in my tank and they are a beautiful shade of pastel blue. They also make a good dither fish because they are always out and about letting the more shy fish know it's safe to come out. They are very hardy and accepted all the foods I put in my tank, even trying to eat the microscopic coral foods I added.

Mandarin Goby (Synchiropus splendidus)

I recommend these fish with caution. I really like them because they are so unique and colorful. They are great in a community tank because they don't bother any other fish. Because of their unique diet needs I have never tried to keep more than one, but I have had others tell me they fight among themselves. The downside is they will not eat processed or frozen foods. They only eat live copepods that live in the rocks. You will not be able to keep one alive in a tank with less than 50 lbs of live rock, best kept in 55 gallons or larger. Without an ample food source they will starve and die within a year.

Tribal Blenny (Ecsenius namiyei)

The only reason these are my second favorite algae eater is because they are more expensive than the starry blenny. Otherwise they are very similar being a great algae cleaner with a sleek look.  The tribal blenny is solid black with blue "tribal" markings on their face. They look hypnotic swimming around the tank searching for algae. Like the starry blenny the tribal blenny too will fight with other blennies (so only one to tank) but they make a good addition to community tanks because they won't bother other fish. They also really like to hide in a hole or the rocks as shown in the photo I found By prilfish from Vienna, Austria (Smooth-fin Blenny - Ecsenius frontalis) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Bangai Cardinal (Pterapogon kauderni)

This is one of my favorite fish because they are so exotic looking. They get a little bigger than some of my other favorites getting around 3 inches in diameter including fins. They need a meaty diet which in my tank included frozen brine and mysis shrimp. Mine usually accepted pellets as adults but it usually takes a couple months of watching other fish eat them to get them interested. The only downside is they may eat ornamental shrimp, like sexy shrimp for example. 

What To Do For Your Aquarium When the Power Goes Out

This can be a scary thing for anyone, especially if you are housing some expensive fish. Of course the best case scenario is you have a generator and you can run all your equipment with that. If this isn't an option for you here is what you do.

The first thing to address will be oxygenating the water. It is a good idea to invest in a battery operated air pump and keep it in your emergency kit with batteries and an air-stone. If you wait until the power goes out you may find they are all sold out. If your tank has an under gravel filter you can drop the air-stone into one of the filter tubes (you may have a power head attached to it). In a reef aquarium you will want it under a piece of live rock to take advantage of the beneficial bacteria living inside. If nothing else just let it hang in a corner but make sure the air hose goes at least 4 to 6 inches into the water and doesn't float back up to the surface.  For most tanks this will be enough to keep the fish safe until the power comes back on.

The second important thing is going to be controlling temperature. You will need to have a thermometer to monitor if the temperature starts to go up or down. If it starts to go above 82 degrees Fahrenheit, you can float frozen water in plastic bottles, preferably around the bubbles from your air pump. Shrimp and other invertebrates will start to die if gets too hot. More often than not the issues that cause the outage happen in the winter months, so the temperature tends to go down; this is good because most fish will tolerate temperatures as low as 68 degrees for a couple days (some fish that won't: discus and cardinal tetra). If you anticipate the outage to last longer than a couple of days, you can try to insulate the tank from the outside with foil and blankets (be sure to unplug any equipment that could be a fire hazard if the electricity were to come back on). Or if the tank is small enough you can transfer the inhabitants, and some decorations for hiding, into a clean, insulated ice chest to keep them warm; be sure to use the air stone and never close the lid all the way. Fish are more vulnerable to rapid fluctuations than prolonged time outside of the safe zone; for this reason, it is a bad idea to pour hot or cold water into the tank to change the temperature. This might cause a sudden increase then decrease in temperature, which would really stress the fish.

Lastly it is important not to put any undue stress on the system so do not feed your fish while the power is out (2 day max.). Healthy fish can go a couple days without food. If the outage lasts longer than a couple days you can start feeding them every other day, very small amounts and you will need to start testing the water for ammonia and nitrates. Do partial water changes if the test results show any ammonia or nitrates above 40ppm. If the power is going to be off for prolonged periods of time (weeks or more) you will need to invest in an under-gravel filter or a sponge filter that you can run on a battery operated air-pump. If you already have a full tank of fish you will want to seed these new filters with bacteria from an old filter, or you can purchase live bacteria at your local fish store.

Hopefully this doesn't happen to you often and if it does you're prepared and it comes back on within a few hours. Happy fish-keeping!

Greek Raspberry Smoothie vs. Juicing

 

Juicing can be a nice refreshing way to drink some fruits and vegetables, but don't let it replace your smoothies. Juicing removes fiber and most people struggle to get the minimum daily fiber requirement (30g) as it is. Fiber helps reduce spikes in blood sugar, reduce blood cholesterol, and keeps you feeling fuller longer. Check out this yummy smoothie:

Greek Raspberry Smoothie

1/2 cup Chobani Greek Yogurt, Plain 0% Fat
1 Tablespoon Agave
1/2 cup Raspberries
1/4 cup Orange Juice (Start with 2 Tablespoons and increase to desired consistency)

Choose Greek yogurt over regular yogurt to boost the protein content. Choose Agave over refined sugar because it is a natural syrup with a relatively low Glycemic Index. Raspberries speak for themselves they are just delicious. Orange juice adds a little more sweet and thins this smoothie out, you can use almond milk or water if you want less sugar. If you want to boost the protein even more and add some beneficial fats you can add a tablespoon or two of hemp seeds.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories - 293
Carbohydrates - 50g
Fat - 0g
Protein - 11g
Fiber - 5g

Image Credit: By Charles Haynes from Hobart, Australia - Smoothie, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39796487.