New Camera

I bought a new camera to replace my now dead Nikon 3100. My new camera is a Sony Cyber Shot D-9. Hopefuly I'm as happy with this as my last one. Here's some pics I took with it the other day. The pic of the bridge has Donner lake in the background, and was taken from Donner Pass rd, in Truckee. The oak leaves and flower pics were taken in my backyard. (I've resized the photos to make them small for this blog).

USA National Gas temperature Map

Gasbuddy.com has a map which allows you to compare gas prices across the US. Ya, it kinda stinks being in CA! I just bought gas yesterday for $2.97 at 87 octane! A month ago it was around $2.30.

The workings of the Internet

Ever wonder how the Internet really works? How does all that info go across the web? What is the web? The Security Now! podcast does a great job of explaining it in plain English. I recommend you listen to it. Click to listen to part 1 or part 2.

Billards Trick Shots

Flower Photos

Here's a link of some flower photos I've taken over the past few years. These were all taken with my now deceased nikon 3100. It was pretty good with close-ups. Too bad it recently stopped working.
All photos are Copyright Alex.Rybicki ©2006

My Pizza Recipe

I make pizza from scratch all the time now. Here's how I make it.





In a mixing bowl, add in this order:

• 1 tbs salt
• 1 tbs sugar
• 2 tbs olive oil, yes the good stuff
• 2 cups specialty flour (the yellow bag, for bread machines)
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 packet of quick acting yeast
  
• 1 more cup specialty flour (thats 3 cups total)
  

Mix the ingredients for about 15 minutes with your hands, until you get something that somewhat resembles pizza dough.

Form into a smooth ball.

Then coat the outside with approx. 1tbs olive oil. This is important, as this allows you to fling it in the air like a maniac if you so desire. It wont stick to itself later.

Let it rest in the mixing bowl covered on your counter for about 1-2 hours, or until you need it. Keep it in the fridge if you don't want to use it right away, that keeps the yeast from taking over.

When you go to make pizza, just get your pizza cooking sheet, oil it.

Preheat your oven to temperature (see below).

Take the dough ball and press it flat between your hands into a shape about 9 inches round and 1 inch thick, this will let you rest the dough on your knuckles. Gravity will form a pizza shape around your knuckles if you keep shifting the weight between your hands.

spread the dough onto your cooking sheet.

spread one small can of cheap tomato paste (NOT SAUCE) over the surface.

spread dried basil flakes over the paste.

spread cheese, (about 1-2 cups, shredded)

spread your toppings. I like sliced onion and imitation crab meat. ya, I know. Get over it. It's good. The meat isn't really meat so much as a dough, so it makes kind of a bread itself.

for thick soft crust:
cook for about 15-20 minutes on low rack. Oven temp should be set to bake at about 425 F (218 C).

for a thin crisp crust:
cook for about 10 minutes on a low rack. Oven temp should be set to bake at about 525 F (273 C).

enjoy!

Carrot Cake

Ok, enough of this blog thing, I'm going to try and make a Carrot Cake based on Alton Brown's recipe, which can be found on the food network.