Flying to Little Rock for the JPFitness Summit '08.
I love to fly. I even love layovers.
You know how some people only dance at weddings? I only meet people at airports. It's at the gates where I meet them, but only when it's not the final leg home.
I almost wrote 'strangely' in there. Like 'strangely not on the final leg.' But it's really not so strange. When you're not going home, you're more free. When you know you might see these people again, you're right back to normal.
Later! Boarding time...
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Waffle Cake, Cake Waffles, whatever... Damn good!
My kids and I celebrated birthdays a few days early since I'll be out of town next weekend. Allie's is Friday and mine is Saturday. So Monday seemed like the best time to live it up.
Peddle boats at the RSM lake.
Those might be air quotes. Not sure.
After boating (which included some fishing for the boy), we had some delicious and nutritious In-N-Out Burgers before heading home to waffle cake.
Waffle cake, cake waffles, doesn't matter. They are simply waffles made from cake batter, then spread with frosting. I have no pictures, but they look just like waffles. ...with cake frosting spread on top... Delicious.
We unwrapped presents and spent quite a while playing Al's new Guitar Hero for the Wii.
I got a homemade mix CD from the girl. She put all these great songs on there - Moonshadow, So Far Away, Cat's In The Cradle, Horse With No Name, Too Late, American Pie, and Time In A Bottle.
She also deviously sandwiched two of my most hated songs into the mix -- The Who's Pinball Wizard and James Blunt's You're Beautiful. She was laughing hard when those songs came on. But, just you wait, Allie... Someday you'll get married. ..and I'll have a little chat with that DJ.
Peddle boats at the RSM lake.
Those might be air quotes. Not sure.
After boating (which included some fishing for the boy), we had some delicious and nutritious In-N-Out Burgers before heading home to waffle cake.
Waffle cake, cake waffles, doesn't matter. They are simply waffles made from cake batter, then spread with frosting. I have no pictures, but they look just like waffles. ...with cake frosting spread on top... Delicious.
We unwrapped presents and spent quite a while playing Al's new Guitar Hero for the Wii.
I got a homemade mix CD from the girl. She put all these great songs on there - Moonshadow, So Far Away, Cat's In The Cradle, Horse With No Name, Too Late, American Pie, and Time In A Bottle.
She also deviously sandwiched two of my most hated songs into the mix -- The Who's Pinball Wizard and James Blunt's You're Beautiful. She was laughing hard when those songs came on. But, just you wait, Allie... Someday you'll get married. ..and I'll have a little chat with that DJ.
TJ's Dark Sumatra
I know I said I didn't like dark, dark coffee, but this one is really good. Not burnt, but still a bit smoky. Try it.
Monday, May 19, 2008
My Cats, Part Two -- F'ing Cats!
Jack
Won't shut up when I'm on the phone. Silent at all other times.
Drinks my leftover booze outta the glass. Dips his pay down in and licks it off. Once, he got sorta drunk.
Loves to bring ALL the beanie babies out and spread them around the house. Every. Fricking. Day.
Mayo
Opens the bathroom door if you don't lock it. Yes, she actually turns the damn nob!
Opens the sliding screen doors to get outside if you don't latch them.
Shreds paper. Only crisp, new paper. Like a resume or my daughter's homework.
Unknown
At least one of them knows how to turn on the ceiling fans. Talk about annoying.
Won't shut up when I'm on the phone. Silent at all other times.
Drinks my leftover booze outta the glass. Dips his pay down in and licks it off. Once, he got sorta drunk.
Loves to bring ALL the beanie babies out and spread them around the house. Every. Fricking. Day.
Mayo
Opens the bathroom door if you don't lock it. Yes, she actually turns the damn nob!
Opens the sliding screen doors to get outside if you don't latch them.
Shreds paper. Only crisp, new paper. Like a resume or my daughter's homework.
Unknown
At least one of them knows how to turn on the ceiling fans. Talk about annoying.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Iced Coffee
Yeah. Too hot for hot coffee, even at 9am. It was 97 degrees today.
I gave up the iced coffee when Dietrich's closed up shot, but only because the stuff at Starbucks didn't compare. Well, maybe it still doesn't or maybe I just have no more point of comparison. Now, I like it. With half and half.
My biggest problem is that I suck it down too fast. A couple of good pulls and it's done. Sad for me. Time to learn to make it at home.
After a few "failures" with brewed, then chilled coffee, I googled and found out the issue. Ice coffee is made with toddy coffee. They say you need a fancy toddy coffee maker. Bullshit.
Toddy Coffee
8 scoops coffee beans
4 cups water (not hot)
Grind the beans, but leave them pretty coarse. Coarser than a french press grind, but don't sweat it.
Put the ground coffee in a jar with a lid and fill with the cool water. Put the lid on and shake a bit to make sure the grounds are wet. Leave the jar on the counter for 8-12 hours.
Put a coffee filter in your drip coffee machine and gently pour the toddy coffee into the filter basket, topping it off as the level in the basket allows. Once done, rinse the jar and pour the coffee back into the jar. Refrigerate the toddy coffee.
I plan to play around with the amount of coffee in the jar. Some sites have you making ultra strong concentrate and adding 2 to 3 parts water to make the iced or hot coffee.
Iced Coffee
Glass of ice
Toddy coffee
Water
Sweetener (optional)
Dairy (optional)
Play around with the ratios. I go about 1/2 and 1/2 water and coffee.
I gave up the iced coffee when Dietrich's closed up shot, but only because the stuff at Starbucks didn't compare. Well, maybe it still doesn't or maybe I just have no more point of comparison. Now, I like it. With half and half.
My biggest problem is that I suck it down too fast. A couple of good pulls and it's done. Sad for me. Time to learn to make it at home.
After a few "failures" with brewed, then chilled coffee, I googled and found out the issue. Ice coffee is made with toddy coffee. They say you need a fancy toddy coffee maker. Bullshit.
Toddy Coffee
8 scoops coffee beans
4 cups water (not hot)
Grind the beans, but leave them pretty coarse. Coarser than a french press grind, but don't sweat it.
Put the ground coffee in a jar with a lid and fill with the cool water. Put the lid on and shake a bit to make sure the grounds are wet. Leave the jar on the counter for 8-12 hours.
Put a coffee filter in your drip coffee machine and gently pour the toddy coffee into the filter basket, topping it off as the level in the basket allows. Once done, rinse the jar and pour the coffee back into the jar. Refrigerate the toddy coffee.
I plan to play around with the amount of coffee in the jar. Some sites have you making ultra strong concentrate and adding 2 to 3 parts water to make the iced or hot coffee.
Iced Coffee
Glass of ice
Toddy coffee
Water
Sweetener (optional)
Dairy (optional)
Play around with the ratios. I go about 1/2 and 1/2 water and coffee.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Sun Dried Tomato & Porcini Mushroom Vinaigrette
I've been meaning to whip up a dressing, since I'm getting tired of Ranch every day. I've had a partial bag of sun dried tomatoes and a few dried porcinis in the pantry. Neither was enough for any real meal, so I thought a dressing would work well.
I made this work friendly, but feel free to toss in a fresh or roasted garlic clove, as well.
This would go well on salads, of course, but you could toss with some grilled veggies, too. Drizzle it on chicken or beef. Dipping sauce for artichokes...
Sun Dried Tomato & Porcini Mushroom Vinaigrette
Makes 6 servings
2 sun dried tomatoes
4-5 dried porcini mushrooms
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil (or some of the oil from the tomatoes, if you're using oil soaked sun dried tomatoes)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
fresh ground pepper
pinch of sugar or sweetener, optional
In a tall, narrow glass, soak the dried mushrooms in 1/4 cup boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes. If using dry (not oil soaked) tomatoes, add them to the water, as well.
Remove the tomatoes and mushrooms from the liquid and chop them. Put them in the blender jar. Add vinegar and blend and pulse until smooth. With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil and run until it's emulsified. It won't take long, because the tomatoes and mushrooms add some body and substance to the dressing.
Taste the soaking water. If it's bitter, discard it. If it's tasty, carefully pour off the liquid, leaving as much of the sediment behind (dried mushrooms can leave some grit...) as possible. Use enough of the soaking water (and extra water, if needed) to bring the dressing to 6oz. Shake, stir, or blend to combine.
Salt and pepper to taste. Add a pinch of your sweetener of choice, if desired. Just a pinch.
One ounce equals two tablespoons, so this makes six servings of dressing.
Nutrition, per 2 tbsp -- Calories: 52, Fat: 5g, Carbs: 3g, Fiber: .5g Protein: 0
I made this work friendly, but feel free to toss in a fresh or roasted garlic clove, as well.
This would go well on salads, of course, but you could toss with some grilled veggies, too. Drizzle it on chicken or beef. Dipping sauce for artichokes...
Sun Dried Tomato & Porcini Mushroom Vinaigrette
Makes 6 servings
2 sun dried tomatoes
4-5 dried porcini mushrooms
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil (or some of the oil from the tomatoes, if you're using oil soaked sun dried tomatoes)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
fresh ground pepper
pinch of sugar or sweetener, optional
In a tall, narrow glass, soak the dried mushrooms in 1/4 cup boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes. If using dry (not oil soaked) tomatoes, add them to the water, as well.
Remove the tomatoes and mushrooms from the liquid and chop them. Put them in the blender jar. Add vinegar and blend and pulse until smooth. With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil and run until it's emulsified. It won't take long, because the tomatoes and mushrooms add some body and substance to the dressing.
Taste the soaking water. If it's bitter, discard it. If it's tasty, carefully pour off the liquid, leaving as much of the sediment behind (dried mushrooms can leave some grit...) as possible. Use enough of the soaking water (and extra water, if needed) to bring the dressing to 6oz. Shake, stir, or blend to combine.
Salt and pepper to taste. Add a pinch of your sweetener of choice, if desired. Just a pinch.
One ounce equals two tablespoons, so this makes six servings of dressing.
Nutrition, per 2 tbsp -- Calories: 52, Fat: 5g, Carbs: 3g, Fiber: .5g Protein: 0
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Trader Joe's Coffee
Lately, I don't have much of value to post here. But, this is good, in a hugely minor way...
I'm a big fan of coffee, although I have changed from black only to black or with cream in the last year. Half and half is good stuff. Too good...
Since most Deidrich's Coffee locations closed up shop, I had been buying my coffee at Peet's or Ralphs (still Peet's, though).
But, a couple of months back, I went down the wrong aisle at TJ's was hooked on their cool looking coffee cans. That's the best reason to buy food, right? The way the package looks?
The two up front are the most current cannisters. Breakfast Blend and Smooth and Mellow Blend. They're both pretty good, although the Breakfast Blend has that Columbian taste that I don't really care for as much. So, I will probably pass on this one the next time.
The Smooth and Mellow Blend (which I confess to only buying because of the totally hip and 60s look of the can) is really, really good. This is my fourth or fifth can! The decaf version is equally good.
These three are some of my other favorites. If you squint, you'll see that they are all "Medium Dark Roast." That's what 75% of TJ's varieties seem to be labeled. But, that's just lucky for me. That's my preference.
They do have some very milder and light roasts, but if memory serves, it was Columbian (pass...), Kona (which I think is overrated, but still a good price at TJ's), and the Breakfast Blend.
They also have quite a few dark and very dark roasts; espresso roast, french roast, Bay Blend (1/2 dark and 1/2 medium), Volcano (super, super dark), etc. I'm not a big fan of dark roasts, although I do like it from time to time.
They have many decaf coffees, plus special blends, such as half caf. They've got fair trade, organic, and fair trade organic coffees. They've got weird , rare, and specialty coffees, too. I like the peaberry, for instance.
At Christmas, they had a normal holiday blend AND a Wintry [sic] Blend that had whole spices tossed in. Far better than regular flavored coffee, but now I have half a cannister of peppercorn and clove scented coffee that I really should toss. Next year, I'll make a pot or two myself by tossing some peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and cloves in the grinder along with my own beans.
Wrapping it up...
In my mind, it seems that Starbucks* has us conditioned to think that they've got the best beans. But here's the reality. Their roast is so dark that it actually makes it harder to screw up the pot. While you can't get a mild and subtle cup of coffee from their beans, you also can't make it too weak and watery or too strong and bitter by using a crappy drip machine. The overroasted beans are the great equalizer here.
With their beans, that distinctive Starbucks roast is always present in your home cup, masking the taste of your latest big coffee making screw up (tap water, old beans, bad grinder, water that's too frickin' hot, a badly in need of descaling drip machine, etc.). If that's you, then Starbucks is your friend (but TJ's French Roast or Volcano varieties will also buddy up just fine).
I don't know how great Starbucks actual beans are, but there are others out there that are just as good, but with a less roasted character. Peet's is one. Seattle's Best (I like Henry's Blend the best). I'm glad I realized that TJ's can stack up.
By the way, TJ's prices are really good. Coffee ranges from $4.99 for 12oz of French Roast to $7.99 for 13 or 14oz of my favorites. The Smooth and Mellow is $5.99 for 14oz, I think.
* I'll confess that the missing apostrophe in Starbucks throws me for a loop, so I just leave it out. There's no right, just wrong.
I'm not the only one confused, I guess. Gotta use that apostrophe somewhere!
I'm a big fan of coffee, although I have changed from black only to black or with cream in the last year. Half and half is good stuff. Too good...
Since most Deidrich's Coffee locations closed up shop, I had been buying my coffee at Peet's or Ralphs (still Peet's, though).
But, a couple of months back, I went down the wrong aisle at TJ's was hooked on their cool looking coffee cans. That's the best reason to buy food, right? The way the package looks?
The two up front are the most current cannisters. Breakfast Blend and Smooth and Mellow Blend. They're both pretty good, although the Breakfast Blend has that Columbian taste that I don't really care for as much. So, I will probably pass on this one the next time.
The Smooth and Mellow Blend (which I confess to only buying because of the totally hip and 60s look of the can) is really, really good. This is my fourth or fifth can! The decaf version is equally good.
These three are some of my other favorites. If you squint, you'll see that they are all "Medium Dark Roast." That's what 75% of TJ's varieties seem to be labeled. But, that's just lucky for me. That's my preference.
They do have some very milder and light roasts, but if memory serves, it was Columbian (pass...), Kona (which I think is overrated, but still a good price at TJ's), and the Breakfast Blend.
They also have quite a few dark and very dark roasts; espresso roast, french roast, Bay Blend (1/2 dark and 1/2 medium), Volcano (super, super dark), etc. I'm not a big fan of dark roasts, although I do like it from time to time.
They have many decaf coffees, plus special blends, such as half caf. They've got fair trade, organic, and fair trade organic coffees. They've got weird , rare, and specialty coffees, too. I like the peaberry, for instance.
At Christmas, they had a normal holiday blend AND a Wintry [sic] Blend that had whole spices tossed in. Far better than regular flavored coffee, but now I have half a cannister of peppercorn and clove scented coffee that I really should toss. Next year, I'll make a pot or two myself by tossing some peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and cloves in the grinder along with my own beans.
Wrapping it up...
In my mind, it seems that Starbucks* has us conditioned to think that they've got the best beans. But here's the reality. Their roast is so dark that it actually makes it harder to screw up the pot. While you can't get a mild and subtle cup of coffee from their beans, you also can't make it too weak and watery or too strong and bitter by using a crappy drip machine. The overroasted beans are the great equalizer here.
With their beans, that distinctive Starbucks roast is always present in your home cup, masking the taste of your latest big coffee making screw up (tap water, old beans, bad grinder, water that's too frickin' hot, a badly in need of descaling drip machine, etc.). If that's you, then Starbucks is your friend (but TJ's French Roast or Volcano varieties will also buddy up just fine).
I don't know how great Starbucks actual beans are, but there are others out there that are just as good, but with a less roasted character. Peet's is one. Seattle's Best (I like Henry's Blend the best). I'm glad I realized that TJ's can stack up.
By the way, TJ's prices are really good. Coffee ranges from $4.99 for 12oz of French Roast to $7.99 for 13 or 14oz of my favorites. The Smooth and Mellow is $5.99 for 14oz, I think.
* I'll confess that the missing apostrophe in Starbucks throws me for a loop, so I just leave it out. There's no right, just wrong.
I'm not the only one confused, I guess. Gotta use that apostrophe somewhere!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Spring
I know we've got it good out here in Southern California. Nice weather, most of the time. But, it's been pretty gloomy lately. Particularly on the weekends when I've got the kids.
Finally, we see some signs of spring; tadpoles and frogs, lizards coming out for some sun, flowers here and there, and baby birds.
These are the still cute versions of the Canada Goose. Nice and quiet...
Finally, we see some signs of spring; tadpoles and frogs, lizards coming out for some sun, flowers here and there, and baby birds.
These are the still cute versions of the Canada Goose. Nice and quiet...
Sunday, May 11, 2008
More fishing
Tony and his friends were reeling the fish in, yesterday!
Total: something like 15 bluegill, 2 bass, and 1 catfish (not pictured).
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