Yet, in viewing the picture below, you will see that one green tea is obviously green; the one without the recognizable, green Starbucks straw. (Also, please take note of the barista’s rendition of my name. Classic.)

It appears Starbucks is serving dehydrated urine while Panera opts to serve green-colored green tea. Fascists.

I decided to be an obnoxious consumer and tweeted Starbucks.

Ya, they didn’t reply. Can you blame them? The difference between the shades of “green” in these two drinks is the epitome of a news-worthy PR scandal (in my world.) What would  they do if the world (yes, the world) stopped paying 4 + dollars for their gourmet, green tea because of the complaint of such an influential, inspiring 19-year-old. Hell would rise .

The lesson: if you’re going to pay $4.50 for an iced, un-sweetened green tea, please question the color. You may be surprised when you stop being an oblivious Starbucks clone.

xoxo – Slater

The windows were down; I was singing along to Cake, Rosie was sticking her head out the window, ears flapping in the wind. Rather than going to 7-Eleven for my coffee, I opted for Dunkin Dounts since they have a drivethrough window. Iced coffee with Splenda in hand, we were headed to the river. Usually I take A1A to the Loop, but I decided to take the Beach Street entrance and save the ocean view for the end. Rosie looked around and pranced all over my car. Stepping on shoes and clothes, jumping into the back seats occasionally. She’s such a cutie. We switched between my playlist titled “Windows Down, Sun Out, Music Up” and “Soundtrack to the Summer”. The gorgeous, bright day made the Loop seem especially pristine. 

The puffy clouds in the sky reflected on the calm water as fisherman casted their lines. Cyclists and runners were everywhere, enjoying the nice day too. Once we got to Highbridge, I decided that I wanted to backtrack and explore a road that I’d never driven down. Everytime I come up to the three way stop, I turn on my blinker to turn left towards Highbridge, always wondering where the road going straight would take me.

Today’s the day

, I thought to myself

. 

I love driving around when I’m not in a hurry to go anywhere. I went straight, rather than turning, on to Walter Boardman Lane. When I came around the first curve, I knew this was a drive I’d be taking again. It was gorgeous. Long, straight road flanked by farmland.

Enormous tracts of land, with cattle pastures and clusters of trees. After a few minutes, I was in Flagler. Singing along to The Killers, I decided to turn around. Rosie stuck her head out the window hand, putting her paws up on the ledge. I could have sworn she was smiling.  We drove back over Highbridge, then got on to A1A. Beach turnoffs and parks were teeming with tourists; it’s nice to see people out and about. The Granada plaza was packed with cars and tourists in bathing suits. Surfers crossed the street with boards in hand, as children followed close behind bearing boogie boards. It’s cool to be a local in a beach town.

LATVIAN: Kādu laiku atpakaļ šķita, ka top lieta Rīgā ir mufini – pēc Muffins and More parādīšanās tie biezā slānī bija pieejami arī tradicionālākās beķerejās un ēstuvēs. Tagad šķiet pēdējā gada laikā jaunais trends ir “macaron” cepumi. Nupat uz Dzirnavu ielas atvērta neliela kafejnīca / saldumu veikaliņš, kur macaron ir pamatlieta, kas tiek pārdota, un viss pārējais dienas kūka, bombongas un cup-cakes šķiet tikai piedeva. Interesanti, vai franču cepumiņi ilgi būs stilīgi tā, lai no tā reāls bizness sanāktu?

ENGLISH: Some years ago it seemed that muffins and cup-cakes are the new trends in Riga. After Muffins and More appearance on the scene, lots of other places started offering this treat. But now in the last year it seems there’s a new kid on the block – macaron cookies. On Dzirnavu Str for less than a month a confectionery place is open that sells macarons as their main product. And I’m just wandering, if the trend lasts long enough to make it a business.

Lūk dažas vietas Rīgā, kur var dabūt macarons // Here are some places in Riga you can buy macarons:

arbOOz – Dzirnavu 34a

Mierā -  Meža 4a

Kanēļa konditoreja – Berga Bazārs

Bet ja vēlies uzzināt ko vairāk par macarons un atrast vēl vietas, kur tos pārdod – ieskaties Četras Sezonas rakstu ar ārkārtīgi apetītelīgu foto!

The 3 ingredients:

• 1 cup Olive Oil

• 1/2 cup white or brown Sugar

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

You stir together all the ingredients until they are well mixed and while in the shower scrub this mixture into the skin for a couple of minutes and then let it sit on your legs for about 10 minutes. Rinse the mixture off with warm water, pat dry and apply your moisturizer.

Twice a week you can also use an anti-cellulite coffee cream

You will need:

• 1/4 cup coffee grounds

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or your favorite body lotion

Instructions:

Apply the anti-cellulite paste onto troubled areas massage the paste into your skin using a circular motion and then use plastic wraps for 15 minutes to help skin absorb the caffeine. Coffee helps redistribute fat cells and decrease the formation of cellulite. You can also heat the areas with a hairdryer.

Cozy Corner Coffee as the name implies, strives to be a cafe for folks to hangout and chillout. While the environment is pleasant enough for a cuppa joe or to get some work done, thanks to the free WIFI and power sockets, the food leave much to be desired. Chomping on the hard and dry tandoori chicken wrap gave my jaws a real workout. The waffles did not stray too far from the top of the bad waffles list either.

With the proliferation of F&B joints – Nylon, Just Want Coffee, Batterworks and Grin Affair, Everton Park is fast taking over the baton from Tiong Bahru as the next hipster enclave. While you are there, take a stroll at nearby Blair Road and soak up the lovely laidback neighbourhood vibe.

COZY CORNER COFFEE
4 Everton Park, #01-50

Opening Hours:
Daily from 830am – 730pm

“Coffee is a great power in my life; I have observed its effects on an epic scale. Coffee roasts your insides. Many people claim coffee inspires them, but, as everybody knows, coffee only makes boring people even more boring.

…

This coffee falls into your stomach, a sack whose velvety interior is lined with tapestries of suckers and papillae. The coffee finds nothing else in the sack, and so it attacks these delicate and voluptuous linings; it acts like a food and demands digestive juices; it wrings and twists the stomach for these juices, appealing as a pythoness appeals to her god; it brutalizes these beautiful stomach linings as a wagon master abuses ponies; the plexus becomes inflamed; sparks shoot all the way up to the brain. From that moment on, everything becomes agitated. Ideas quick-march into motion like battalions of a grand army to its legendary fighting ground, and the battle rages. Memories charge in, bright flags on high; the cavalry of metaphor deploys with a magnificent gallop; the artillery of logic rushes up with clattering wagons and cartridges; on imagination’s orders, sharpshooters sight and fire; forms and shapes and characters rear up; the paper is spread with ink – for the nightly labor begins and ends with torrents of this black water, as a battle opens and concludes with black powder.” — Honoré de Balzac

“Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all.” – David Lynch

“I don’t know where my ideas come from. I will admit, however, that one key ingredient is caffeine. I get a couple cups of coffee into me and weird things just start to happen.” – Gary Larson

“I like coffee exceedingly, but relish its imitation Postum just as much.” – H.P. Lovecraft

“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” — T.S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

“The voodoo priest and all his powers were as nothing compared to espresso, cappuccino, and mocha, which are stronger than all the religions of the world combined, and perhaps stronger than the human soul itself.” — Mark Helprin, Memoir from Antproof Case

“If it weren’t for the coffee, I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever.” – David Letterman

“Among the numerous luxuries of the table… coffee may be considered as one of the most valuable. It excites cheerfulness without intoxication; and thee pleasing flow of spirits which it occasions… is never followed by sadness, languor or debility” – Benjamin Franklin

“Strong coffee, much strong coffee, is what awakens me. Coffee gives me warmth, waking, an unusual force and a pain that is not without very great pleasure.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

“Coffee is real good when you drink it gives you time to think. It’s a lot more than just a drink; it’s something happening. Not as in hip, but like an event, a place to be, but not like a location, but like somewhere within yourself. It gives you time, but not actual hours or minutes, but a chance to be, like be yourself, and have a second cup.” – Gertrude Stein

“Coffee: Induces wit. Good only if it comes through Havre. After a big dinner party it is taken standing up. Take it without sugar — very swank: gives the impression you have lived in the East.” – Gustave Flaubert

“The best Maxim I know in this life is, to drink your Coffee when you can, and when you cannot, to be easy without it. While you continue to be splenetic, count upon it I will always preach. Thus much I sympathise with you that I am not cheerful enough to write, for I believe Coffee once a week is necessary to that.” – Jonathan Swift

“How sweet coffee tastes! Lovlier than a thousand kisses, sweeter than Muscatel wine!” — Johann Sebastian Bach, Coffee Cantata

“I never drink coffee at lunch. I find it keeps me awake for the afternoon.” — Ronald Reagan

“I never laugh until I’ve had my coffee.” — Clark Gable

The saddest part was that none of them were particularly good. Call me a skeptic, but I don’t really believe in putting fruit in tiramisu. One of the highlights was an “apricot tiramisu” which had a top layer of apricot goo that oxidized, turning into a delicious-looking diarrhea-inspired brown. There’s nothing more devastating than having to throw away almost an entire case of tiramisu, but it was honest-to-God inedible. We advertised it to colleagues from nearby offices, who would hurry along excitedly at the promise of an Italian treat and, upon taking a look, would suddenly go “oooooh, I’ll just have a bit… I’m on a diet really”.  After having tried a plethora of different tiramisus (plural of tiramisu anyone?) I came across this traditional and simple, yet impeccable recipe.

The key is the mascarpone – no matter what you’re told, do not substitute with quark, Philadelphia or let yourself be tempted to engage in any other soft-cheese shenanigans. Tiramisu is made with mascarpone. Punkt. Having said that, the beauty of this recipe lies in its flexibility: you can adjust the alcohol, sugar and coffee levels to your taste. It is simply victorious.

You will need:

5 eggs
500g mascarpone
½ cup caster sugar
1/3 cup + tablespoon Marsala wine
coffee (instant works just fine)
cocoa powder
many lady fingers (who comes up with these names?), depending on how many layers 1 or 2 packets

1. Separate eggs, making sure there’s no egg yolk in the egg whites.
2. Beat the egg whites till you get stiff peaks. Put aside.
3. In a large bowl, add sugar and Marsala to the egg yolks. You can adjust the amounts slightly to your taste (more/less alcohol). Beat vigorously with an electric mixer until you get a velvet-smooth beige mix (zabaione! Nom) and you can’t see the sugar crystals anymore.
4. Mix in the mascarpone and continue beating until it’s just mixed in.
5. Fold in the egg whites gently until it’s all nice and even. Taste, trying to forget that what you have in front of you is pretty much a big bowl of raw eggs. YUMMY!
6. Prepare some lukewarm coffee, and add the tablespoon of marsala. Again here, you can adjust the strength of the coffee and amount of marsala to your taste!
7. Get either a large gratin dish or small cups. Dip the lady fingers in the coffee mixture QUICKLY and lay them out. Seriously, do it fast. They will fall apart otherwise.
8. Pour the mascarpone mixture and smooth with a spatula. Lick spatula. No, just kidding. Ok fine, lick it. (PRO TIP: You can achieve multiple orgasms layers by just adding half the mascarpone mixture and repeating the lady finger layers).
9. Put in the fridge and leave to set overnight (or at least 5 hours).
10. Dust with cocoa powder and serve!

One two three four – SCORE
[Numerical ratings are out of four, where four is best/healthiest/hardest.]
Taste: 3.92 we agree Tiramisu is not for everyone, but I have witnessed non-believers gobble this stuff down.
Difficulty: 2 pretty straight forward, specially as far as desserts go.
Healthiness: 1.3 Raw eggs. Creamy cheese. Biscuits. Sugar. Alcohol. No way this is good for you. Except maybe for your soul.
Cost: Okay, here’s where Tiramisu lets us down. It’s not cheap. Mascarpone. Marsala wine. Eggs. It adds up.
Overall: 3.3 Only because it’s so expensive

Original post can be found here.

Ingredients for Almond Mocha

Serving size: Measurements given for an approximately 16 Fluid Ounce cup. Adjust measurements to fit your mug/cup.

Ingredients

• Coffee (I used Starbuck’s Blonde Veranda Blend, bought from Walmart)
• Milk (Add to your preference. My parents used 2% Milk, I used Vanilla Soy Milk, and both were delightful.)
• 2 Tablespoons (sweet mocha) or 1 Tablespoon (not so sweet mocha) of Chocolate Syrup
• 1 Tablespoon (sweet mocha) or approximately ½ Tablespoon (not so sweet mocha) of Almond Syrup
• The tiniest pinch of Cinnamon
• Whipped Cream (optional)
• Cocoa Powder (optional)

Directions

Obviously, start brewing up some of your favorite coffee. I don’t drink coffee very often, so I keep a small bag of “the good stuff.” I offered my parents some of it to experiment with the mocha, because worst comes to worst we’d still have good coffee to drink.

While the coffee is brewing, you can work on making the rest of your mocha. In a mug, pour in the chocolate and almond syrups, as well as your preference on how much milk you generally like in your coffee. Now, take some cinnamon and pinch it between your thumb and fore-finger. Holding it over the mug, rub your fingers together a few times, maybe three times, and wash the rest of the cinnamon off of your fingers. We only want a little bit of cinnamon intensify the chocolate smell and taste, but not enough to actually give a cinnamon flavor.

Now, simply pour in the coffee when it’s done brewing, stir, and your Almond Mocha is ready.

However, if you want to go the extra mile (which takes very little effort) and have it look fancy and über special: take some whipped cream (I used a canned variety with a spray nozzle), and spray it a pretty swirly cone shape. Find some cocoa powder, take a pinch, rub your fingers together (just like with the cinnamon) until you have the desired amount of cocoa powder sprinkled on top of the whipped cream. It might look a little something like this…

Almond Mocha with whipped cream and cocoa powder sprinkled on top.

Boom. Done.

For a visual, here is a Youtube video I made on it.

I feel like I can TASTE the cream and it’s making me a little sick.  

I am amazed at how I can finally taste little nuances like that in foods and ingredients.   Guess all those chemicals really ARE designed to make you just crave more of them without realizing the taste?  

Case in Point: when I started this journey, coconut oil didn’t really taste all that special…it was the same as olive oil as far as I could tell.  Now, I can definitely taste a fruity taste in my olive oil (that I SWEAR wasn’t there before) and the coconut oil makes everything I cook with it taste like a party in my mouth.  (spinach last night w/ coconut oil and garlic was probably the best veggie I’ve ever had…bar NONE!)  I know it’s not a huge step, but it lets me know that even if the numbers aren’t budging as fast as I’d like, that I’m doing something GOOD for myself and my body.  And ya know what?  It makes me HAPPY! 

Actually, I am very happy with my progress.  I haven’t been 100% dedicated to the workout side of things.  I’ve also had my fair share of slip ups but you know what?  I’m STILL attempting it.  Even after stumbling.  That’s huge.  Normally I mess up and I throw up my hands and say “Screw it”.  Not this time.   

Sunday I took my niece, Punk, to a local Amusement Park.  I didn’t really pack much as far as food goes because my plan was to get there around 11 and eat an early lunch at Subway before going in.  I figured Punk would want a snack around 3 or 4pm.  No big deal.  Then we’d leave about 7 and get dinner somewhere where I could get a massive salad and then head home.  Well….. we left the park at 10pm.  Which means we ate dinner at the park.  As a pescatarian, my options were severely limited.  I opted for fish and chips (despite the fact that where we ate DID have a salad).  I KNOW!!!! I KNOW!!!  But guess what happened?  I FELT MISERABLE.  My stomach hurt, my head hurt, my bones hurt.  (ok… my bones didn’t actually hurt…I exaggerate)  but even the next day I felt foggy and sick.  Now…3 days later….I finally feel like myself again.  NOTE TO SELF:  Remember how greasy, heavy food makes you feel!  On the plus side… we walked…a lot…. I mean A LOT A LOT!  And know what else?  I still was down for the week.  All in all, I call that a success. 

It’s all a learning curve, right?

Til next time!

-She

Lately I’ve been…

reading  Finished reading Fly Away by Kristin Hannah.  If you’ve read the prequel Firefly Lane, you will definitely enjoy this book.  I always enjoy a good Kristin Hannah book.  I am now reading Khaled Hosseini’s newest novel, And the Mountains Echoed.  I was a huge fan of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, so naturally I had to read this book.  So far there are a LOT of character introductions, and I’m hoping that somehow they will all end up stringing together and making sense eventually.  So far it’s interesting…I think I’m just waiting for the connection and the point of the whole story.  I’m confident that it will come, but will let you know how I end up liking it.

writing  E-mails catching up with friends.

listening  Really liking Lana del Ray’s Summertime Sadness.  The original is beautiful, but I love the Cedric Gervais remix of course.  I don’t really have summertime sadness myself…quite the opposite actually, but for some reason, I just dig this song.

thinking  That they must have been working on the apartment above my office for about the past 5 years.  Seriously…will they ever be done???

smelling  And also tasting, this delicious Aloha Banana smoothie I’m consuming.  Fruit-a-holic.

watching  Saw an episode of the Kardashians (yes, I’m guilty) last night where Kim is in severe pain during her pregnancy.  I think this all goes to show pregnancy never happens the way you plan, and you have to be prepared for all kinds of challenges.  I have had my fair share, but very thankful to be feeling good right now!

wishing  That I could see into my belly to see what my little man looks like.  Weird?  Maybe, but I think it’s weirder to feel and see kicks and movements inside me all day without actually being able to see who’s in there doing it!

hoping  For my Uncle to come home from the hospital soon.  His surgery went very well, and we are so grateful.  Hoping that he will have a good recovery.  He is a tough cookie!

wearing  Floral pants from Motherhood (super sale right now!), Mint Poly button down from Express, Sparkly Flats from Nordstrom Rack, Sunnies from Francesca’s, Michael Kors watch, and my Henri Bendel Bracelet.

loving  The fact that we are having a family reunion this Saturday with my Dad’s side for the first time in probably at least 15 years.  So excited to see all of my cousins and extended family.  It’s been way too long!

laughing  At the fact that I got pooped on by a bird yesterday…yes I can only laugh because it did not get on my head or my clothing, and it was easy to clean off.  Thank goodness, because I had a meeting 15 minutes later…

wanting  Coffee.  Been getting a bit more sleepy again as I am now in the third trimester of my pregnancy.  And the smell of it, just makes me want it more!  Been trying to stay away from coffee though most of the time (except for my weekend treats).  Hence, the vitamin packed smoothies to wake me up!

needing  A back massage.  Thinking of making an appointment to get a prenatal massage soon to ease the aches and pains of the third tri.

feeling  Hormonal.  One minute, I’m super happy.  The next minute, I’m crying.  And I am not usually a crier.  I feel like my mood can change with the flick of a light switch lately.

craving  Ice cream.  But that’s really nothing new…I heart ice cream.  Especially in the summertime.

clicking  Catching up on all my favorite blogs and discovering some new ones as well.

*

What have you been up to lately?

Happy Hump Day!

Love,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

I don’t think I will bother this sweet kitty…would you?

At a time when people are flowing in and out of town, resembling the ebb and flow of the ocean, some people think outside the box.

The only way to have a Family Reunion “Stay-Ca”

Making friends while on vacation….yep!

Kiddie control is a valuable asset when traveling.

Schedules go out the window when traveling.

Dealing with house-sitters when you come home…I think I would have used a different service.

Some things are not the same when you get home.

This is a fun family activity…except that all my kids were like the gray kitty..up and alert!

Yep…my kids always wanted to know about the next meal!

Warning…some things are not a described when ordered online!

Food and Coffee:

So ‘fess up…how many muffins did you really eat?

Which one are you?

A mother’s job is never done….right!

Things that should never happen.

GRUMPY CAT Time:

That’s all I have to say about that!

Oh…and Happy Birthday anyway…

Now for the award presentation…(drum roll…)
Blog Worthy Award Winner #1:

Even more scary is the fact that this was sent to an actual father on Father’s Day!

Blog Worthy Award Winner#2:

One of those many voices….

Did you find something to make you smile today? I hope so!

Keep posting those pics and…Have a great day!

Peach State

Anywho, on to why you can take the girl out of NY but not the NY out of the girl!

There are few things I know at this point in time”

1. I only know 1 way to the airport and 1 way home.

2. I know 2 routes to BOTH grocery stores and how to get home.

3. I can make my way to 2 out of the 4 pools in my complex, I have NO clue where the other 2 are.

4. I think I can get used to the life of laying out by the pool 5 days of the week and job hunting 2 days a week (don’t tell Rascal!)

5. I miss my family and friends in NY – I am glad that my older, not so much wiser, brother is coming into town tonight to stay a few days.

6. I like crispy bacon, do not like being cold, do not like traffic, need an IV line of coffee straight into my body, and have minimal patience with 97% of the human population.

So here I am, on my own in this HUGE new city with AWFUL traffic, slow lines, and NO clue as to what a bacon egg and cheese sandwich is.  I can admit that I am a bit particular, quirky, picky, (whatever you would like to describe it as) at times but hey aren’t we all?  It took me about 32 minutes to get from the front door of my apartment all the way to the drop off doors at the airport.  Now sure, on my way up to the airport I saw dead stopped traffic on the other side of the highway and I thought to myself “suckers!! That will all be gone by the time I’m on my way home!”  HA! THANK YOU KARMA FOR SHOWING YOUR FACE SO SOON.  It took me over an HOUR to get home.  Now in NY yes traffic gets backed up, it’s bumper to bumper, people are hoking their horns, giving you the finger, and cursing up one side and down the other on you if you just so happen to cut them off.  Well not here!  These people carry guns in their glovebox and leave about a mile open between cars in order to be polite and let people in.  People were looking at me as if I were crazy for actually closing a gap and getting somewhat close behind the car in front of me.. imagine that!  I replied to their shocked faces with a sweet smile, wink of an eye, and an ever so slight wave – my out of state license plates can do the rest of the explaining.

Next up – and mind you this is all before 945am – comes breakfast.  I made the fatal mistake of not drinking coffee or eating breakfast before embarking on this journey.  Again, little quirky fact about me Agatha, I need coffee and food in order to keep me calm and from my head spinning off of my shoulders.  I like to think that I would be a good candidate for the Snickers commercials where they say when you’re hungry you don’t act like yourself and once you eat a snickers you return to normal – well that’s me in a nutshell at least once a day. At this point I get off of the highway and go to the only Starbucks I know how to get to because to go home, brew a pot of coffee and make breakfast will just take too long.  I pull in to the parking lot and see a sea of about 75 cars and NO open parking spaces.  I should have taken this as my #1 sign to just go home, but I didn’t and went on my way.  I go to pull into a spot I find way up in the front thinking “this is my lucky morning! Front row spot” and as I’m 1/2 way in the spot I see a sign that reads “For GC Endo ONLY”  F*&K! Ugh! okay Karma! you win again, I shouldn’t be so selfish and want a close spot.  Red flag #2 at this point.  So I circle around, park all the way in the back, treck all the way to the front for the entrance and wait in a line of about 15 people.  I know most of you are thinking by this point everything would have been done at home, and my hat off to you for thinking about that.  You should probably also know that I suck at making coffee…. I follow the directions and every time I skrew it up.  Fun fact about NY- THERE ARE NEVER LONG LINES.  I have to say kudos to the Starbucks and other busy places there that can move a line like I have never seen before.  Here I stand, in this line of people stuck on stupid. I cannot stand being behind people who don’t know what they want- either know it or move the hell out of my way until you do.  I’m finally to the register, give my very specific order, pay, and move to the other line of people waiting for their drinks.  Finally mine is called and as I”m about to either pass out from being so hungry or stab the people who so rudely stand at the counter waiting for their drink when the 15 people in front of them haven’t been called and are patiently waiting in yet another line, I grab it and go for the door when the floor suddenly jumps up and trips me out the door, oh wait that’s just my own clumsiness.  Again, you win karma or whatever you refer to it as – I’m sorry for thinking such snide things in my brain, at least I kept the in my head and didn’t open my huge mouth like I normally do.  Back to my 97 degree oven of a car and I finally make it home.  I figure I can make my own breakfast, I do NOT want some packaged breakfast sandwich and there are no delis here.  I started the stove, put the bacon on, checked out facebook, did a few things, and smell something burning!  UGH I forgot about the bacon… quickly made some eggs, toast, and had me a delish B.E.C.S.P.K! (bacon egg cheese salt pepper ketchup (not catsup as some southern grocery stores spell it)).

All of this got me thinking  – why are some areas of the country faster and more efficient and others so much slower?  Is one worse than the other?  Just some food for thought.

Needless to say, I think I have had my fill of chaos for the day and plan to sit my happy ass by the pool until I have to go back to the airport and pick up my lovely brother.

Xo

Ags

One local Craft Brewer caught wind of this contest and helped make it happen.  Jeremy Sibley of Old Yale Brewing recruited three other great BC breweries including Townsite Brewing, Cannery Brewing and R&B Brewing to bring the Canadian Band Beer Series to life!  Every Friday from May 17th to June 7th 2013 a new beer was released.  The series started with the Old Yale Brewing’s offering named the “D.O.Ale” inspired by D.O.A this was followed by R&B Brewing’s “You Say Party We Say Rye” inspired by “You Say Party” (Originally ‘You Say Party We Say Die’ but changed after the the drummer died after playing a show in Vancouver from a brain hemorrhage).  The next release was Townsite Brewing’s “Said the Ale” inspred by “Said the Whale” and finally Cannery Brewing’s “Pink Mountainhops” inspired by “Pink Mountaintops“.

Old Yale Brewing – D.O.Ale

From Chilliwack’s Old Yale Brewing comes the “D.O.Ale” a classic brown ale.  The beer pours a brown colour with a tan head.  The aroma consists of roasted malts, sweetness, chocolate, brown sugar  and coffee.  The flavour is of coffee, milk, roasted malts, chocolate, sweetness, bitterness and brown sugar.  The alcohol content of the beer comes in at 5% with an IBU of 28.  This is a great mix of flavours that come together and kick your but just like D.O.A does!

Old Yale Brewing
Our philosophy is that, when life gets too hectic, it’s sometimes best to take a step back and enjoy the simpler things in life. Since 2000 we’ve been dedicated to creating a true handcrafted beer, and we’re proud of what we do.

D.O.A.
For more than thirty-five years, hardcore punk pioneers D.O.A. have been happily slashing away at all manner of philosophical enemies. They’ve travelled the globe almost continuously since they formed in 1978, always wearing their politics on their leather sleeves.

R&B Brewing Company – You Say Barley! We Say Rye!

From Vancouver’s R&B Brewing Company comes their “You Say Barley! We Say Rye!” a Dark Rye IPA.  The beer pours a dark copper colour with an off white head.  The aroma consists of rye and barley malts, pine and floral hops.  The flavour is of rye and barley malts, pine, resin, hops bitterness with a semi sweet finish.  The alcohol content of the brew is 5.5% and the IBU is 55.  This is one tasty India Pale Ale and You Say Party would be proud to have this named loosely after them!

R&B Brewing
At R&B Brewing Co., we’ve been brewing finely handcrafted ales and lagers in the heart of East Vancouver’s historic Brewery Creek district for more than a decade, with a commitment to keeping things modest, independent and unique.

You Say Party
You Say Party (formerly You Say Party! We Say Die!) is a dance-punk band formed in Abbotsford, B.C., in 2003. Before their recent hiatus they toured extensively in support of their highly successful fourth album, XXXX.

Townsite Brewing Company – Said the Ale

From one of my favorite breweries Townsite Brewing tucked away in  Powell River comes their “Said the Ale” a Belgian Pale Ale.  The beer pours a deep red/copper colour with an off white head.  The aroma consisted of fruit, yeast and some great floral hops.  The flavour was of pine and hops up front with some sweet fruits and yeast.  The alcohol content came in at 5.8% with an IBU of 28.  The beer was super tasty and I would pick this up if it was a normal seasonal brew!

Townsite Brewing
At Townsite Brewing, we’re passionate about sustainability and community, but more than anything we’re passionate about great craft beer. Frankly, we are ecstatic that we get to make it in this beautiful place along the shores of the Salish Sea. Why not come visit us?

Said the Whale
Their hook-heavy pop rock sound has landed them a national CBC documentary, a Juno Award and a seemingly endless series of tours. Theirs is a true grassroots success story that has allowed the group to take its place among the Canadian indie rock elite.

Cannery Brewing – Pink Mountainhops

From Penticton BC’s Cannery Brewing comes the “Pink Mountainhops” a maibock or strong golden lager.  The brew poured a light straw yellow with a white head.  The aroma was of sweet apples, grains and grass.  The flavour consisted of sweet fruits such as apples and a nice mild hops bitterness.  The alcohol content of this brew was 6.5% and the IBU was 40.  Not the best of the band beer but very worthy of being in this company of 4 great beer!

Cannery Brewing
A microbrewery that produces individually handcrafted fine ales and lagers of unmistakable complexity and balance. We pay unrelenting attention to every detail of the brewing process — and it shows. We are the Small Brewery with Big Flavour!

Pink Mountaintops
Stephen McBean formed Pink Mountaintops as the slightly mellower counterpart to psych-rock juggernaut Black Mountain. The Vancouver band has featured a host of prominent guest musicians over the course of three albums.

I would like to finish by saying this may have to be the best Collaboration between a brewery (or 4) and any corporation.  All the beer involved were great tasting and it also sounded like some of the bands were actually involved in some of the planning of the brew!  This just sounds so bloody Canadian I can not believe it!

Tonight, I am dreaming about a good cup of latte in a rustic themed cafe I recently had the chance to dine at. Everyone seems to be going for the Seksan look of unfinished finishes, as usual, I have to be like everyone. Adopting the idea of natural finishes on textures and materials in my design palette. Isn’t this setting simply invigorating? It did help make the coffee taste richer.

On a side note, I am jiving to the grooves of Mumford & Sons’ much acclaimed Babel album and James Morrison’s older Undiscovered album, with Philip Philips’ The World from The Side of The Moon close behind. Needing some slow tunes to help me keep calm and carry on for another month.

Hope you are all faring much better than I.

The formatting of this poem is meant to lead the mind off cliffs and bounce it over canyons. The space between words is a breath. It is as much a part of poetry as the sounds of the words. Both pull people together and tear them apart. Breath is universal.

Poetry tastes best when

delivered without a safety net

like a spontaneous painting

that creates reality was the

poetry there before it was

seen like the image heard

from a suddenly painted

canvas there is no

consensus on truth or reality

and every bad joke has a hint

of past experience in it like

a lie told to a true believer

becomes real through the eyes

of the listener I sat in an

isle seat 30,000 feetover the

Atlantic Ocean and watched

a Rabbi a Holistic Healer and

a male nurse arguing over

who’s going to administer

CPR to a dying man the

pilot was asking if there was a

doctor on the plane

8 month old triplet girls

behind me cried louder than

the woman next to me the

man who suffered a fatal heart

attack was a retired Austrian

cardiologist I sat in my

t-shirt sometimes you wear

clothes sometimes they

surround you little wobbly

tables are symbolic dividers

between two bodies in

conversation every country

has them I left my

apartment and went

downstairs to get a drink

cold Iraqi tea with rice milk

and red spice put my cup

down and sat on one side of

the table waiting for nature

to abhor a vacuum one day

I took a seat next to a visitor

in a neighborhood of

foreigners he unbuttoned

his shirt and lifted the t-shirt

under it an old woman

walking by spat on the

sidewalk in front of our table

and mumbled something

under her breath a large

black swastika was tattooed

between his nipples

a neo-nazi on a soul-searching

journey in a Jewish country

he said that he came here to

find Jesus I sat by another

little wobbly table on a breezy

Bulgarian afternoon a man

took a seat on the other side

of the table we were both

eating the same oddly

flavored ice cream after a

while his words began to

sound familiar and I heard

Glasgow a Scotsman in

Bulgaria was telling me how

the death of his mother freed

him to see the world on his

terms he said that he did

not want to return to Scotland

until he was too old to

remember where he was I

could not find my way in

Spain misplaced on a

corner of two words I did not

understand the third such

corner I sat down on the

sidewalk and began to cry

a man sitting at a little wobbly

table outside of the café on

that corner got up I don’t

speak Spanish or

Portuguese Dutch? he

settled on German-English

and walked me back to my

hotel less than a mile away

he was from Switzerland

twenty some years ago he

said that people here are more

true to themselves and the

food tastes better while

delayed in France by the

worst rain storm the country

has seen in fifty years I sat

in the isle seat of an airport

terminal eating a tuna

salad sandwich because there

is no French toast in France

and watching a white Russian

man in line behind a black

African woman entertain

his companion with

comments about the woman’s

resemblance to a monkey

and the negative correlation

between her intelligence and

the size of her rear after a

while the woman turned

around and in flawless

Russian advised the man that

she had earned her degree in

Economics from Moscow

University and unlike him

did not have to bribe her

professors in order to pass

people keep each others

poetry verbal creations

written by the lips of strangers

interactive breathing hand

gestures this wide that

deep animated accents

poetry is in proximity and

kindness and little wobbly

tables and isle seats and

amplitudes and letting

people listen

NEW YORK (WLNY) – There’s nothing better than a hot, steaming cup of joe to start your day — but the creations of latte artist Mike Brach are more than just a mug of coffee.

They are works of art.

More: NYC’s 6 Best Cups Of Organic Coffee

Mike, a.k.a. “Baristart,” is an NYC based artist/barista with a very special and unique talent of creating detailed portraits and designs in coffees.

He visited The Couch to show us the secrets behind his craft.

For Father’s Day this year, I decided to make my dad an incredibly moist chocolate cake covered with a delightfully nutty chocolate glaze.

It’s amazing.

Make it right now.

Your dad will love it.

Midnight Chocolate Bundt

Slightly adapted from Joy the Baker,
http://joythebaker.com/2010/05/the-making-baking-and-consumption-of-the-best-chocolate-bundt-cake-ever/
.  The glaze is a take on the Texas Sheet Cake glaze from some very old issue of Country Living.

When I made the cake, there was quite a bit of spillage from one spot, which was very unusual.  While I highly doubt that that is a normal occurrence, I would recommend using a little bit of the batter to make say 3 or 4 cupcakes, as I note in the recipe itself.  The glaze recipe also makes plenty to frost said cupcakes.

Cake:

320 mL / 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon brewed coffee

70 grams / 3/4 cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder

480 grams / 2 1/4 cups unrefined cane sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 whole eggs

1 egg yolk

320 mL / 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk or soured alternative milk

150 mL / 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

75 mL / 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yoghurt

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

385 grams / 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted

Glaze:

100 grams / 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

75 mL / 1/3 cup plain soymilk

25 grams / 1/4 cup natural, unsweetened cocoa

330 grams / 3 cups organic confectioners sugar

35 grams / heaping 1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and then chopped

a pinch of kosher salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To make the cake, place rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan and line a cupcake tin with paper liners, and set these aside.

In a small pot, whisk together the coffee and cocoa.  Place on a burner and bring to a boil, stirring continually.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the large bowl of your stand mixer, combine the sugar, baking soda, salt, eggs, and egg yolk using the whisk attachment.  Beat on low for 1 minute.  Add in the buttermilk, oil, yoghurt, and vanilla extract and beat on low for one minute more.

Dump in the sifted flour and combine on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Pour in the cooled chocolate coffee mixture and beat once again on medium speed for 3 minutes.  The batter will be very thin.

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and cupcake tins.  You want the cake pan to be about three-quarters of the way full, and the rest can go into the cupcake liners.  Place in the oven and bake for 60-75 minutes (start checking the cupcakes after 20 minutes), or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.  Place the cake in the pan on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely in the pan before flipping out.

To make the glaze, combine the butter, milk, and cocoa in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  When it begins to boil, everything will separate and look really freaky, but that’s fine.  Remove from heat and gradually add in the powdered sugar until fully combined.  Dump in the walnuts and vanilla extract and combine.  Let the glaze cool for a little while to thicken up, and pour it onto the cake and cupcakes.  Let the glaze solidify before serving.

Makes 12-16 servings

Gluten-free coffee and chocolate chip cookies, chewy and delicious

One of the things I love about baking cookies is that you don’t have to cook them all at once. Keep any left over cookie dough in a zip-lock bag – in the fridge for a couple of days, or in the freezer for a few months. I sometimes make big batches of dough and freeze enough for about 4 or 5 cookies per bag; then if you need a cookie fix or have friends coming over for a cuppa you can take a bag out, bring them back to room temp (it doesn’t take long, maybe an hour or so) and bake a fresh batch of cookies whenever you want! I’ve made these cookies gluten-free, but you could easily use normal plain flour if you’re not eliminating gluten from your diet.

Gluten-Free Coffee and Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Ingredients:

• 115g butter
• 100g soft light brown sugar
• 60g caster sugar
• 4 tsp instant espresso powder
• 1 egg
• 160g gluten-free plain flour (I used rice      flour)
• half tsp bicarbonate of soda
• pinch salt
• 75g milk chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate

Heat the oven to 190C. In a bowl, beat the butter, sugars and espresso powder until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat again until well mixed. Add to the bowl the flour, bicarb and salt and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until well incorporated and there are no patches of dry ingredients. Stir through the chocolate chips.

Use a dessert spoon to place heaped spoonfuls of the mix on an ungreased baking tray. Make sure they’re well spaced as they will spread a lot – you should get about 6 on a tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes. They’re ready to take out when they’re golden, but still seem a little underdone – as if you’d leave a big dent if you prodded them with a fingertip (my best tip for cookies is to slightly undercook them; they’re a much nicer texture when cooled that way). Leave to cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes until they’re set, then use a palette knife to slide them off the tray and leave them to cool completely on a rack.  Make a mug of tea and tuck in!

You could also replace the chocolate chips with a big handful of chopped walnuts for a twist on the classic coffee and walnut cake.