Coffee coffee coffee ;)
I just noticed that all the ads between the posts on this blog are coffee related (grinders, beans, etc etc). How in keeping with the blog theme! So I suppose if I want that to continue, it means I have to keep talking about coffee. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with AdSense, the ads are automatically generated based on the content of your blog, so that your audience is more likely to be interested).
At the moment (coffee) my daughter has a friend over, and they're (beans) playing in the back yard -
...wait, I can do better than that:
At the moment my little bean of a daughter has a friend visiting. They're too young to go for coffee, so at the moment they're in the back yard, the sound of their happy voices filtering through the window. The two girls, with my son, are a good blend of fun!
(Heh heh)
Showing posts with label food and beverage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food and beverage. Show all posts
Jun 7, 2009
May 29, 2009
How To Grind Coffee Beans When Everyone Is Asleep
I'm back!! (What was I thinking, planning to update 8 blogs daily ;) Monthly maybe.
So here I am, sitting at my laptop, thinking that a fresh cuppa joe might be nice (although it is 10:10 pm). The kids are asleep, and my husband is, um, snoring on the couch.
must have coffee
Unfortunately for me, I'm a little picky about my brew. It's not just that I prefer freshly ground beans, it's also that I don't have pre-ground coffee in my house. Just beans, beans, and more beans, and a noisy grinder.
I came up with this solution awhile back, and it's pretty darn funny so I thought I'd share it (ok, I think it's funny, which is maybe why I need more coffee).
I take a short and a long couch cushion into the kitchen. I put the short cushion on the counter and place the grinder on top of it. I then wrap the long cushion around the grinder, making sure that I cover it completely, top and sides. I then wrap my arms around the whole thing and lean until it starts grinding.
Once you've finished laughing (and wondering why I don't just take the grinder into another part of the house), you can read on to find out that this actually works! The cushions insulate the grinder enough so that the sound is muffled and doesn't wake anyone up. This means I can have coffee ANY time, regardless of who is sleeping nearby.
...why am I still typing?
So here I am, sitting at my laptop, thinking that a fresh cuppa joe might be nice (although it is 10:10 pm). The kids are asleep, and my husband is, um, snoring on the couch.
must have coffee
Unfortunately for me, I'm a little picky about my brew. It's not just that I prefer freshly ground beans, it's also that I don't have pre-ground coffee in my house. Just beans, beans, and more beans, and a noisy grinder.
I came up with this solution awhile back, and it's pretty darn funny so I thought I'd share it (ok, I think it's funny, which is maybe why I need more coffee).
I take a short and a long couch cushion into the kitchen. I put the short cushion on the counter and place the grinder on top of it. I then wrap the long cushion around the grinder, making sure that I cover it completely, top and sides. I then wrap my arms around the whole thing and lean until it starts grinding.
Once you've finished laughing (and wondering why I don't just take the grinder into another part of the house), you can read on to find out that this actually works! The cushions insulate the grinder enough so that the sound is muffled and doesn't wake anyone up. This means I can have coffee ANY time, regardless of who is sleeping nearby.
...why am I still typing?
May 12, 2009
Ahhhh! Chai Tea :)
...with LOTS of organic wild flower honey, and 1% milk. Yummy. Drowning my sorrows, trying to not think about hockey... (ooh!! darn it ;)
Apr 12, 2009
Cold Water Defrosting
One thing I forgot to mention about my favourite defrosting method using a cooler is that because the cooler keeps the water very cold (so, very safe), it takes twice as long. It's still faster than fridge defrosting, but not quite as fast as cold water defrosting in the sink or bathtub (which is not quite as safe).
Bottom line is that we have a bird that needs to go in the oven in about :90, and the cavity that I'm supposed to stuff maybe be frozen solid still.
sigh.
The moral of the story? If it's the day before and you've forgotten to start defrosting like I did, send your husband out to buy a ham instead ;)
Bottom line is that we have a bird that needs to go in the oven in about :90, and the cavity that I'm supposed to stuff maybe be frozen solid still.
sigh.
The moral of the story? If it's the day before and you've forgotten to start defrosting like I did, send your husband out to buy a ham instead ;)
Apr 11, 2009
Turkey Business
Me? Cook a turkey? sigh. Ok, I'll try again.
I've actually done it twice before and all have emerged alive ('cept for the turkey of course). Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, which calls for something. Many people do ham, which is a heck of a lot safer, lol. But noooo... I have to tempt the Food Safe Gods yet again and cook another bird.
So, for my review and benefit (and for those of you in my shoes), here's an overview:
Cold Water Thawing:
About :30 per pound. Turkey must be in leak proof packaging, and water must be kept clean and cold (changing every half hour is a good idea).
At the moment mine is still in its plastic wrap, double bagged in garbage bags, in a cooler full of cold water in the bathtub. I love this method. You close the lid of the cooler which keeps the floating turkey UNDER the water, and the insulation of the cooler keeps the water at a safe temperature. To change to water, simply open the drain at the bottom of the cooler, and then refill once the old water has drained out.
They recommend cooking cold water thawed turkey immediately because the conditions are not temperature controlled, but I've put the bird back in the fridge before cooking it. Mind you, I use the cooler which keeps the water cold, and I check on it constantly. (Believe me, I'm paranoid.)
Cooking:
About :20 per pound (assuming it's properly thawed ;) Rinse out the cavity, stuff it and close it with skewers. Cover with foil in the beginning (remove near the end to brown).
Note: only put the stuffing into the cavity immediately before the turkey goes in the oven - never pre-stuff the bird and let it sit in the fridge. Supposedly that's really dangerous. I've also heard that you shouldn't mix the dry and wet ingredients of the stuffing (assuming you're making home-made) together until the last minute either. Who knows. I'm sure there are people who have done this and been just fine (or who wondered what their stomach pains were from later ;) but I always err on the side of caution.
Happy Easter cooking!!
I've actually done it twice before and all have emerged alive ('cept for the turkey of course). Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, which calls for something. Many people do ham, which is a heck of a lot safer, lol. But noooo... I have to tempt the Food Safe Gods yet again and cook another bird.
So, for my review and benefit (and for those of you in my shoes), here's an overview:
Cold Water Thawing:
About :30 per pound. Turkey must be in leak proof packaging, and water must be kept clean and cold (changing every half hour is a good idea).
At the moment mine is still in its plastic wrap, double bagged in garbage bags, in a cooler full of cold water in the bathtub. I love this method. You close the lid of the cooler which keeps the floating turkey UNDER the water, and the insulation of the cooler keeps the water at a safe temperature. To change to water, simply open the drain at the bottom of the cooler, and then refill once the old water has drained out.
They recommend cooking cold water thawed turkey immediately because the conditions are not temperature controlled, but I've put the bird back in the fridge before cooking it. Mind you, I use the cooler which keeps the water cold, and I check on it constantly. (Believe me, I'm paranoid.)
Cooking:
About :20 per pound (assuming it's properly thawed ;) Rinse out the cavity, stuff it and close it with skewers. Cover with foil in the beginning (remove near the end to brown).
Note: only put the stuffing into the cavity immediately before the turkey goes in the oven - never pre-stuff the bird and let it sit in the fridge. Supposedly that's really dangerous. I've also heard that you shouldn't mix the dry and wet ingredients of the stuffing (assuming you're making home-made) together until the last minute either. Who knows. I'm sure there are people who have done this and been just fine (or who wondered what their stomach pains were from later ;) but I always err on the side of caution.
Happy Easter cooking!!
Mar 30, 2009
Wassup, Weather Gods?
Seriously. Can I plant my four year old's bean stalk in the garden yet? I don't want to kill the darn thing.
We have a magic window sill that can grow just about anything. Two years ago, A's preschool bean stalk grew up to the top of the window, so tall that I had to support it with straws taped together. I moved it out to the garden and before I knew it, it was over my head (maybe there's some truth to that Jack story ;) We were eating beans off it for a couple of months.
Now J has one too, and it's looking like it wants to go outside. I honestly don't know if he remembers A's beanstalk, or would even care if his went outside and died, but it would bug me.
So I ask you, yet again, southern BC weather peeps, are we DONE with the cold and snow already???
We have a magic window sill that can grow just about anything. Two years ago, A's preschool bean stalk grew up to the top of the window, so tall that I had to support it with straws taped together. I moved it out to the garden and before I knew it, it was over my head (maybe there's some truth to that Jack story ;) We were eating beans off it for a couple of months.
Now J has one too, and it's looking like it wants to go outside. I honestly don't know if he remembers A's beanstalk, or would even care if his went outside and died, but it would bug me.
So I ask you, yet again, southern BC weather peeps, are we DONE with the cold and snow already???
Mar 27, 2009
Broccoli For Headaches?
Who knows. All I know is that I have had a head splitting migraine all day. I read somewhere that foods high in calcium, such as broccoli, can help. Desperate for relief I dove into the fridge and found the broccoli. Mmmmm. Fresh, too! Crunch crunch crunch...
...and now, about an hour later, my headache does seem to have subsided. Oh it's still here, don't get me wrong, but I'm sitting up at my laptop instead of lying on the couch my eyes closed.
Mind you, I have the TVNC (two very noisy children), so we'll see how long this lasts...
...and now, about an hour later, my headache does seem to have subsided. Oh it's still here, don't get me wrong, but I'm sitting up at my laptop instead of lying on the couch my eyes closed.
Mind you, I have the TVNC (two very noisy children), so we'll see how long this lasts...
Mar 22, 2009
Coffee Brewing Tip
If you`re looking to perfect your coffee brewing technique, here`s something to try:
Use two filters, and a coarser grind.
The reason: over extraction makes coffee bitter, and a grind that is too fine results in over extraction (but a grind that is too coarse with one filter results in weak coffee).
However if you use two filters, the water doesn`t pass through as quickly, and the coffee will be more full bodied. That, combined with a coarser grind to reduce bitterness, makes a better tasting cup.
I read this tip awhile ago, and the results were so good, I haven`t looked back. You may have to experiment with the way you grind your beans - I know for myself, over-grinding was an ingrained habit that took awhile to break. I use a re-usable filter, combined with a paper one as well. I compost my used grinds and paper filters, so at least that makes it a bit more green.
Have fun, and happy brewing!
Use two filters, and a coarser grind.
The reason: over extraction makes coffee bitter, and a grind that is too fine results in over extraction (but a grind that is too coarse with one filter results in weak coffee).
However if you use two filters, the water doesn`t pass through as quickly, and the coffee will be more full bodied. That, combined with a coarser grind to reduce bitterness, makes a better tasting cup.
I read this tip awhile ago, and the results were so good, I haven`t looked back. You may have to experiment with the way you grind your beans - I know for myself, over-grinding was an ingrained habit that took awhile to break. I use a re-usable filter, combined with a paper one as well. I compost my used grinds and paper filters, so at least that makes it a bit more green.
Have fun, and happy brewing!
Feb 27, 2009
My New Best Friend
Oh MY.GOD.YUM.
I finally got around to trying coffee flavoured Bailey's. The regular Bailey's that DH bought came with a 50ml trial size of the coffee variety.
Now while I realize that there could be a slight bias at work here (i.e. coffee ;) there is no denying the YUM factor. All that's missing is the Pot Of Gold chocolates...
I finally got around to trying coffee flavoured Bailey's. The regular Bailey's that DH bought came with a 50ml trial size of the coffee variety.
Now while I realize that there could be a slight bias at work here (i.e. coffee ;) there is no denying the YUM factor. All that's missing is the Pot Of Gold chocolates...
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