Some space thoughts…

I been counting down on ISRO’s Chandrayaan 2 mission, like million other space enthusiasts around the globe, since its launch in July 2019. So, on Friday night before falling asleep I did my routine of checking out all the available information on internet related to the mission, YouTube, ISRO website and every other bits and pieces on the internet. 

Knowing that I will be fast asleep at the time of the soft-landing phase of IST 1.30am to 2.30am, I was hoping for the great news when I wake up in the freezing early morning spring day here in Melbourne. So, I wake up with such enthusiasm and anticipation that could only match my similar experience 4 years ago when the New Horizons mission flew past the distant dwarf planet Pluto. Back then we wouldn’t have known if the mission was successful until much later, and understandably the space enthusiast fraternity had to wait for more than 24 hours to get the confirmation of that missions’ achievement of its objectives. This was not much different in terms of magnitude though it may sound less complicated in terms of distance and complexity. 

I remember as a 7-year-old kid, way back in 1972 at Bahrain, spending hours on my view master slides going through all the moon landing pictures in 3D. They all looked so real and strangely high in resolution, considering the film technology, especially taken with the specially adapted Hasselblad cameras that were fixed on the astronaut’s space suit, without any viewfinder to aid them to aim at the subject. It was such a fascinating story for a young boy who was stargazing and dreaming about celestial bodies and interstellar journeys. I have even had scrap books made of Viking 1 and 2 missions to Mars in the  mid-70’s.

In the morning I woke up to the news of partial failure of the mission, online. It shows how complicated the space missions and space travel are, and it also shows how dangerous manned missions could be, should we ever manage to get beyond the low earth orbit (Yes I am a sceptic and I strongly believe that we never went to moon. In my opinion, it was all an elaborate hoax to win the space race back in the cold war era!) unless someone convince me how human bodies can withstand or pass safely through the massive belts of deadly radiation just above the low earth orbit spreading up to 2500 miles above.

So much for the space thoughts for the day, disappointed yet I was so proud about the achievement of the ISRO space agency and it is in no way a failure. This is only the beginning and am sure the champions of ISRO  will not only land in the south pole of moon, but also on distant celestial bodies like Mars!! Like the adage, sky is the limit or rather the space is the limit, I must say?

Now it is time for some cooking. Turned on my Spotify app and the first song came to my mind was David Bowies “Space Oddity”, how appropriate I thought to myself while I started my preparation for my cooking adventure. So, for today I thought of making a sugar free low carb condensed milk. Ever since giving up on refined sugar and added sugar in my diet this was one big thing that I missed in cooking . Traditionally the condensed milk is loaded with such high amount of sugars that it will blow away all your daily sugar  intake limits. Especially for children, as I remember, condensed milk is something of finger licking goodness that comes in small cans!! As a kid I used to have the privilege of licking clean the emptied cans when my mother used to make Kheer or some sweet dishes at home.

I have come across a good recipe recently on YouTube which I wanted to try out today. It is so very simple to make and involves only 4 ingredients. This recipe I got from a website called   http://www.ketomealsandrecipes.com and it’s worth the try. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 480 g (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
  • 120 g (10 tbsp)  sweetener  – ground to confectionery
  • 36 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
  • 10 g (2 tsp)  vanilla extract

 Method

  • Place the cream and confectionery sweetener in a deep-sided, wide pan, such as a frying pan. Set heat to medium low, stir frequently as the liquid comes to a very gentle boil. Reduce the heat and continue cooking at a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently while cream is being reduced and thickened. Control the heat carefully to prevent scorching (you may have to reduce or turn-up the heat to keep a constant brisk simmer)
  • Add the unsalted butter, stir in and simmer at low heat for one to two minutes
  • Turn off the heat, add vanilla and stir until well blended and the liquid is smooth and glossy
  • Let the sweetened condensed milk cool on the counter for at least one hour before using (in order for flavour to develop) or refrigerate until needed. Liquid will thicken as it cools in the refrigerator – let rest one hour before using. Best if left overnight for flavours to develop.

Footnote:

If the sweetened condensed milk is too solid, remove the needed amount and re-melt, as you would with chocolate, in 10 second bursts in the microwave, or place over a double boiler. The Sugar Free Sweetened Condensed Milk will keep well in the refrigerator for one to two weeks.

Macros

Based on 20gm per serving for a 200gm total. 187 Calories per serving.

 Per Serving
19.6g Fat
1.0g Portein
1.5g Carbs
0.0g Dietary fibre
1.5g Net carbs

About the Author

George Samuel is a food entrepreneur, currently working on a low-carb food startup business in Melbourne Australia. He has 30 years of experience as Project Manager in the IT and Telecomm sector. Food is his passion and he has appeared on Victorian Channel 31 delivering cookery shows for Black and White digital media in 2012. He is passionate about clean eating and whole foods and is also a big advocate of sugar free living. His mission is to help people to live a disease-free lifestyle.

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