Thank you Willis Carrier

Today in 1902, the first 'modern' air conditioning unit was designed for use in a Brooklyn printing plant that set the standard for the following AC units.

Previously, of course, there were the use of iceboxes to try to help cool an area down but for the most part, there was little to do when it became too hot, too cold, or too humid. The first cooling unit was created by Alfred Wolff in 1902 to help cool down the NY stock exchange however, this device had no control over humidity, filters to clean the air, or temperature control. Within the span of a few years, the concept rapidly developed creating zones and eventually led Willis Carrier who patented his "Apparatus for Treating Air" being:

1. Control temperature
2. Control humidity
3. Control Air Circulation and ventilation
4. Clean the air

With this patent, Willis took the title of the creator of the modern AC. Later he created several tables that all HVAC technicians are aware of, for example the law of constant dew-point depression.

So, I would like to say, thank you Willis Carrier for 110 years of keeping us cool.

Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes - Recipe Monday

Today we are trying something new: A recipe! Because, well the wife took over :) We will see whether it will become a thing or not. So let's get started.

Here is what you will need to make these super delicious vegan summer cupcakes:
Makes 12 cupcakes:

• 4 tbsp (vegan) butter or margarine at room temperature
• 2/3cup sugar
• 2tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 egg replacement (I used 2 tbsp flax seed meal and 6 tbsp water, but if you are not vegan feel free to use 2 eggs)
• 1 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk (such as plain soy milk)
• 7 oz strawberries (about 8 strawberries), pureed (try raspberries or maybe even peach)

1. Preheat your oven to 325F and lightly grease a muffin pan.
2. In a bowl, cream together the butter/margarine, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in the egg replacement, then add in the flour and baking powder and stir until well combined.
4. Lastly add in the pureed strawberries. The batter will look nice and pink.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

What is great about these cupcakes is that they are easy to make and don't require any weird ingredients... and they are a lot cheaper than anything you can buy at the store. (We buy flour, soy milk and vanilla extract from Costco.)
And if you are worried that these might taste funky, I assure you they taste wonderful. I never use milk or eggs in my baking and no one has ever noticed a difference. I halved the recipe yesterday and made 6 cupcakes, and what can I say... they were gone by bedtime. In addition, they don't need fancy frosting. They are wonderful with just a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of melted chocolate.

Meet the cat

Last month was "Adopt a Shelter Cat Month" at our local Humane Society. We adopted our precious fur ball in March 2010 and we both agree that it was the best decision. It was an expense, of course, but an expense that we are glad we made.

Although she is an indoor cat (always has and always will be, but she loves sleeping on the windowsill when the window is open), we still use Frontline to prevent ticks and flees. Of course there are tons of flee/tick prevention products out there, just as many ways to purchase them. We used to buy 3 months worth of Frontline at Costco, which had the best price compared to other local stores. Now we order 6 months worth of it online through PetCareRX (www.petcarerx.com). They often have coupons and/or free shipping and you can sign up for them and earn reward points for your purchases. And they send reminder emails so we don't run out, which is nice. So far we have only positive things to report. Shipping is fast, the product arrives in excellent condition, and the price is good. I will admit that I was at first hesitant to order her Frontline online, but I am happy we did. Now we don't have to worry about Costco being out of stock, which they frequently were.

Have you made any experiences with online retailers targeted at your ball of fur?

Net Debt - July 2013

Student loans: -$78,707.91
Car loan: $0
Revolving Credit card debt: $0.
Mortgage: -$136,028.01
Total Debt: -$214,735.92


It has been forever since I have last blogged, however, since then I've paid off my car loan debt and now I'm only left with student loan and mortgage. Currently I am paying about $100/mo to pay down the interest and hopefully that will increase in the future! It would be amazing to have my student loans down to 75k before the year is over. I guess we'll see if that's possible and depends a lot on certain things on our side.

Net Debt - Sept. 2011

Student loans: -$77,809.34 (+0)
Car loan: -$2,837.21 (+163.31)
Revolving Credit card debt: $0.
Mortgage: -$138,506.89 (+543.45)

Net debt: -$219,153.44