MintyBoost.

What is MintyBoost, I hear you ask ? (If you didn't ask, then you aren't reading your script correctly.)
MintyBoost is a little package of electronics that allow you to charge your iPhone, iPod and any other device that charges from a USB port, from AA batteries.

Why are the electronics needed, I hear you ask ? (What do you mean that's not in the script ? Which script do you have ?)
The elctronics are needed because two AA batteries output 3 Volts but a USB port is 5 Volts. The electronics are needed to step the voltage up, smooth it out and restrict how much current the device being charged, can take.

Why did I build one, I hear you ask ? (Look! Keep up, it's over the page.)
I bought and built one because I found that my phone was flat after a days riding and tracking where I was going on Runkeeper. This meant that after a hard days riding, when I just wanted to relax on the train and listen to some music, I couldn't as my phone was flat.

Where are the photos ? (Ok, now you're just being stupid by ad libbing.)

The innocent Mint tin that has been corrupted. (The mints were delicious, even if they are not "curiously strong")


The inside showing the battery holder for the 3 AA's and the electronics with the USB port to the right.


Closeup of the USB port and the electronics.


Batteries included !

Chicken Stock.

It started with the book, Cooking for Geeks, continued with various internet post about the freshness and ease of making stock.
I'd have to agree it is very easy, throw everything in a pot and simmer it for a couple of hours. Strain and bottle.
I was given a leftover chook (Thanks Chrissie !) and supplemented it with a pound of chook necks.


After the simmer for 2 hours, I was left with 3 bowls of very delicious looking chicken soup.


It did look like a horrific accident involving a chicken coop, a steam boiler and a vegie patch.


This is the result after coarse filtering (aka strainer), I didn't skim the fat off before this stage as is was entwined with the herbs and carrots.


I filtered it with a 100 micron filter to remove some of the solids.


This was the solids left in the filter.


And the end result was a lovely bowl of stock.


I'll put this back into the fridge to solidify the fat ready to be skimmed off. I'll then divide it up and put some through a very fine 5 micron filter to make a clear consomme.

I made this recipe tonight. Sounds weird, (lentils with pasta ?), looks great and was really easy to make.

You slice 1 kilogram of onions (2 pounds) and cook them for 25 minutes.


On the side you boil some French lentils and put them in with onions and add some spinach. And that's pretty much it.


The recipe also adds the orecchiette in with the rest but I wanted to use it as a pasta sauce and freeze it, so I cooked the pasta and mixed it together after.


It was absolutely delicious, the onions are sweet and the pepper in the mix sets that off beautifully. The lentils have their own earthy flavour and the spinach compliments them nicely and rounds out the dish. In the famous sign off of Julia Child, "Bon appetit"