Breastfeeding is best - a myth?

When talking to breastfeeding mums, it is obvious that they believe breast milk is better than anything else. They sometimes even become agressive if you dare to suggest that artificial milk (or milk powder) could excellently replace mother milk. Some people even talk about the Ayatollah's of Breastfeeding or the Breast Milk Maffia. But the ultimate question is of course: are they wrong?

Clinical studies have proven that in most situations human breast milk is the best source of nourishment for human infants, and this for at least up to the first six months after birth. Breast milk promotes health of both mother and child, reduces health care costs and prevents disease. Of course there are exceptions, for example in situations where the mother takes certain drugs or suffers from tuberculosis or is infected with HIV.

The only point of discussion amongst real scientists (thus excluding those 'scientists' that are being paid by the food and pharmaceutical industry) is about how long you should breastfeed to obtain the greatest benefits. There is also some debate about how "bad" using artificial feeding is. For example, in both developing and developed countries, artificial feeding is associated with more illnesses and deaths from diarrhoea in infants.

Whether breastfeeding in public is accepted, depends on culture and country. In most Western countries the majority of the public approves of breastfeeding in public, but some mothers are reluctant to do so out of fear of public opinion. Government should take every measure possible to promote breastfeeding and therefore make is less likely that mothers have fears about public opinion.

Llanfair PG

llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a village and community on the island of Anglesey in Wales, situated on the Menai Strait next to the Britannia Bridge and across the strait from Bangor. The village is best known for its name, the longest place name in Europe and one of the longest place names in the world.The short form of the village's name is Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, also spelled Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll. It is commonly known as Llanfair PG or Llanfairpwll.

The name means: St Mary's Church (Llanfair) in the hollow (pwll) of the white hazel (gwyngyll) near (goger) the rapid whirlpool (y chwyrndrobwll) and the church of St Tysilio (llantysilio) by the red cave ([a]g ogo goch)

365 Project: One Photo A Day

We are starting a new project: One Photo A Day. As you may deduce from the title, we will try to take one picture every day in 2011 and upload it here. It can be something that happened at work, an object we found interesting or a memorable situation.

The Stravinsky Fountain

The Stravinsky Fountain (fr: La Fontaine Stravinsky) is a whimsical public fountain ornamented with sixteen works of sculpture,moving and spraying water, representing the works of composer Igor Stravinsky. It was created in 1983 by sculptors Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, and is located on Place Stravinsky, next to the Centre Pompidou, in Paris

Within the basin are sixteen works of sculpture inspired by Igor Stravinsky's the Rite of Spring, and his other major works; The black mechanical pieces of sculpture are by Jean Tinguely, the colored works by Niki de Saint Phalle.

The sculptures in the fountain represent:

l'Oiseau de feu (The Firebird)
Le Clef de Sol (the musical key of G)
La Spirale (the spiral)
l'Elephant (the elephant)
Le Renard (the fox)
le Serpent (the serpent)
La Grenouille (the frog)
La Diagonale (the diagonal)
La Mort (death)
La Sirène (the mermaid)
Le Rossignol (the nightingale)
"L'Amour (Love)
La Vie (Life)
La Coeur (the heart)
'Le Chapeau de Clown (the clown's hat)
Ragtime (Ragtime)

Source: Wikipedia

Recipe for Flammkuchen - Tarte Flambée

This is a very typical - and delicious - Alsatian appetizer. This simple thin bread dough topped with onions, cream and bacon is also known as flammekueche (Alsatian name). The name comes from a time when the pie was baked in a fire oven and was surrounded by flames. The tart can be served either with cocktails or as a first course with a spicy Gewurztraminer.

Ingredients for 4 to 5 servings:

500g (1 lb.) bread dough,
40cl (13fl oz) crème double or 1/2 cup low-fat ricotta beaten + 1/2 cup half-and-half,
1 tablespoon oil,
1 large onion, thinly sliced,
80g (3 oz) smoked bacon,
50g (2 oz) butter,
salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.

Preparation Steps:

1. Fry sliced onions in butter over low heat until soft and golden, then mix to the cream mixture and season. Slightly fry the bacon cut into match stick-size pieces.

2. Roll out the dough to form a thin rectangle, place on a buttered baking sheet.

3. Spread the mixture cream and onions evenly over the dough, within a 3/4 inch from the edge. Sprinkle with the oil and dot with the bacon . Brush the edge of the dough with water.

4. Bake for 10 minutes in a very hot oven (maximum thermostat position) or until the pastry is golden brown. Cut into squares and serve hot.

Tip: Pinot Blanc, light Pinot Noir or Riesling are the recommended wines

What is a Kougelhopf

a Kougelhopf (Raisin and Almond Yeast Cake) is a speciality dessert from Strasbourg.

This yeast-risen coffee cake, with raisins and a surface sprinkling of flaked almonds and confectioned sugar, has become one of the region icons. For a perfect shape and texture, it is best baked in the authentic earthenware grooved mold.
In Alsace the cake is served on many occasions all year around: as a dessert; for breakfast, spread with fruit preserves, as appetizers, serve with a Gewurztraminer or a Cremant d'Alsace. It is considered to taste best when slightly stale.

A perfect gift for Geeks

I found the perfect t-shirt for a geek!