BEER BREAD: SCIENCE IN THE KITCHEN!

Last week while browsing through Pinterest and Instagram, I came across the completely new to me concept of beer bread. Long story short: you make bread with beer. Despite my love of baking and basic chemistry knowledge, I was fascinated that this is something that exists, and that it is easy to make. Surprisingly all of the ingredients were already in my refrigerator and I got started on trying this baking experiment.

I'm not entirely sure of the chemistry behind it, but my loose understanding of beer bread making is that when yeast (from the beer) meets up with the baking powder and the starches in the flour, the dough starts to rise and leaven. There's no kneading involved or having to wait for yeast to rise, so this is really easy to make, plus its fun to watch the dough start to bubble and foam when you pour in the beer!

How You Make It

What You'll Need:

3 Cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Teaspoon Salt

12 fluid ounces (your typical glass bottle) of beer, I used Sweetwater Whiplash.

What To Do:

Set your oven to 375°. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and stir them together well. Slowly pour in the beer and mix it into the batter while being amazed by the science happening in front of your eyes! Pour the mixture into a greased 8"x4" baking pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. Poke with a toothpick to see if your bread is done. If the toothpick comes out clean, your bread is ready.

I baked this late at night, so I don't have any good pictures of the making process to share. The beer I used is a seasonal brew from Sweetwater, a Belgian IPA, but you can use any beer that you have available.

The bread came out delicious, and I can't wait to eat more of it and try other variations on the recipe. Next week I'm planning to try it with rosemary and other herbs from my rooftop garden. Hopefully I'll be able to post pictures of the making process next time!

Hat tip to the blog Farm Girl Fare for showing me what to do!

STREETS ALIVE! A CAR FREE PARTY IN THE STREET!

Last weekend Atlanta welcomed Streets Alive to the streets of some of its more walkable neighborhoods. Streets Alive is a twice a year event where roads and streets are closed off to car traffic, and pedestrians and cyclists have free roam of the space. This time, the event connected the Atlanta Beltline with Virginia Highland, Inman Park, and Boulevard. The event turns into more of a party, with bicycle parades and a general convivial atmosphere. 

Atlanta has its problems when it comes to transportation, but events like this show that the city is ready for more walkable and bikeable streets. Streets Alive is based on Ciclovía, an event in Bogota where streets are closed weekly to car traffic, and open exclusively for the use of pedestrians and cyclists.

ART BIKES FOR SOPO BICYCLE COOPERATIVE

Friday night the bike we painted for Sopo's Art Bike Auction will be on display at the Big House in Atlanta. Sopo Bicycle Cooperative is an Atlanta organization that brings access to bicycles to all people. Sopo teaches classes about bicycle maintenance and repair, and also has a program to let anyone build their own bike for a low cost.

If you're interested in attending, RSVP on facebook. For more information about Sopo and the Art Bike auction, visit http://www.artbikes.sopobikes.org/.

Photo by Scott Lowden.

NEW ITEMS IN BOLD NEW COLORS, DIRECTLY FROM SHAPEWAYS

We're excited to bring to you new bold colors for fall and winter this year. We're adding coral red, bright pink, and violet to our repertoire of colors. We also have new bike planters that clip onto your handlebars for you to have more ways to accessorize your ride. Since these products are shipped to you directly from our 3D printing company, we're able to offer them at a better price so you can carry more plants with you on adventures!

International customers, you can orders these items directly from our Shapeways shop.

VISITING CHICAGO'S LINCOLN PARK CONSERVATORY

Last month I got the chance to travel to Chicago. I always associated the city with cold and snow, and I never imagined that the city could be so beautiful in the summer. Since the weather was so beautiful during my stay, a little bit of adventuring was in order to see what the city had to offer. The Lincoln Park Conservatory was a short walk away from my hotel, so a visit there was definitely in my travel plans.

Botanical Gardens are one of my favorite things to visit in any city. It's fun to step into a different climate and see flora you wouldn't normally see. Even though the weather outside was beautiful, it's still fun to step inside the greenhouses and explore something new.

The Chicago Conservatory isn't very large, but they have enough of a selection to imagine you've travelled to a tropical destination. Also, since the Conservatory is a public park, its free to visit which makes the trip that much better.

VISITING CHICAGO'S 3D PRINTER EXPERIENCE

Last month I travelled to Chicago, and while I was there I decided to check out their new 3D Printing store, The 3D Printer Experience. By their name, it's pretty obvious what they do. I'd seen some of stuff they've made on social media, and wanted to give them a visit in real life.

Part of their store is dedicated to a small gallery space where they showcase 3D printed products and art. On display were pieces by Sophie Kahn and other artists and designers working with this medium. In the photo above, you can also see a Buddha statue there alongside it's colorful copy that was recreated digitally.

They also do more though than act as a storefront for goods made on demand. The store also offers modeling classes, printing services, and you can even scan yourself and create a printed bust. One of the coolest parts about the store is that they have a wall of 3D printers of all makes and models. You can learn about the different types of printing technologies and see what you're making materialize before your eyes.

During my visit, I opted out of getting my head scanned and turned into a bust, but I did use their machines to print out one of our new bike planters. They have a plethora of plastic colors to choose from, and being someone who likes bold color choices, I knew I'd come to the right place. Unable to choose just one color, I printed my new bike planter out in about 7 colors.

We printed the planters out on their MakerBot Replicator 2 in PLA, a biodegradable plastic made from corn starch. Objects made in this material won't last forever, but they will last a long time. When you're done with them you can compost them, and the material is renewable. 

Later in my visit I got the chance to borrow an adorable city bike made by another Chicago company, Heritage Bicycles from my hotel and take my new planter out for a test drive!

If you want to learn more about 3DPX, visit their website or follow them on Twitter.