Friday, March 7, 2014

Caramelised Carrot Coconut Cake, and Music for Cows


Caramelised Carrot Coconut Cake


Caramel flavor with soft carrots and coconut is divine.

This cake takes a bit more time and effort since a caramel is first prepared, carrots cooked in it and the mixture cooled. But it is well worth the extra time and effort. The recipe is available here.

Today's Favourite Photo
Mendl's Shortdough Cookies



Today’s Favourite Blog
Source: modern farmer
Lot of weird research is happening in the world. In my previous post I talked about research involving extracting bacteria (probiotics) from baby poo and adding it to sausages to make it healthier. This post is on a tastier note, milk.

Research has shown that cows produce more milk when listening to music. In 2001, a pair of psychologists from University of Leicester in England showed that slow music played at a large dairy farm increased the cows’ milk production by 3 percent as compared to fast music which had no effect.

In 2012, the British Columbia Dairy Association put the theory of music’s potential effects on milk production to the test with their “Music Makes More Milk” contest. The public was invited to create and submit songs that cows would “vote” based on milk production. A song called “A Moo Down Milk Lane” won.

The University of Leicester study reported that songs like “Everybody Hurts” by REM and Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” soothed cows enough to produce the most milk, while such Y2K Euro club classics like Mousse T vs. Hot N Juicy’s “Horny” failed to deliver positive results.

One conclusion is that animals seemed, in general, to find slow, rhythmic music most relaxing.

But it doesn’t stop at music. In a study in England, dairy cows reportedly increased milk production during a theatrical reading of Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” Some cows do have refined (or bad?) taste.

I wonder if certain types of music make us drink more milk?

3 comments:

  1. Carrot and coconut! What a great idea! I have never thought about it, but it totally makes sense. And looks delicious too.
    I have heard about cows and music... I have heard they prefer classical music. I would be shocked I think if they gave more milk listening to disco ;-)

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    Replies
    1. I am not sure, if they listen to disco, start dancing and shaking their belly/udder, maybe more milk will come out?

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  2. Any cake involving caramelisation is awesome, especially with carrot and coconut. Well they say plants like classical music, why not cows!

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