TRUE!!

 

WOW, beautiful cat but wouldn't get him angry... going to the beach this year is a nice change!!

 

 

Love that!!!

 

Hi.

Looks like it was pretty quiet yesterday. Hey TNMM- I like the nickname "FREEBIES"! Cool pics of that big kitty too!

Hal- No, we won't be going to the Dragon for MOTD. My brother is bringing his girls here. They live in NH and one of the girls has never been here. The other was just turning two and didn't like people much. It's been almost 3 years since they've been here. We are planning to have fun.

I like the Dragon, but there are many other beautiful roads all around NC/TN and surrounding areas too. I think our trip will be in the fall again. This coming fall we will probably end up going toward "The Smokies" and Blue Ridge Parkway for leaf peepin'! Last fall ended up starting out beautifully and then there was the freak snow that we were not prepared for. I can't remember when... it was late October though... 20-something. Would have been nice if we could have extended the trip for a few more days 'cause it warmed up some and the leaves needed that extra cold air! Oh well, the year before that we were in the VA area part of Blue Ridge(late Sept-early Oct) and it was too early for peak leaf color (since it had been too warm!). Still love it though.

Gem- I see you pulled out my backpackin' smiley guy! That was the one I used when we saw pics of her nasty *** feet!

Hey dg- somewhere packed in this mass of pages are the GPS coordinates to her trailer park.... She lives in Silver Springs. There is no Mini. Well, at least the Google Street View didn't show one there!


Hope everyone is doing well. It is very nice here today.

Oh Gem... you mentioned something about the new Cabrio. We had gotten the new '08 (replacement for the '05) before the "change" for a couple of reasons. Chrome roll bars and Supercharger (burble). There were several dealerships that tried to talk us into waiting for the new one but... I am SO glad that we got the last of the first gen. I LOVE looking in my rearview and seeing those blingin' chrome roll bars! It's the most beautiful frame for any scene behind me! I was just thinking about it the other day and realized that I would be really sad if they weren't there. They are part of the charm of that MINI. Sometimes I find myself just looking in the rear view just to look at them!

Kiki- Do your rear seats fold down now? Ours do... maybe that was an option? As for the coupe holding more... well, I'd love to have a competition with someone some day. I would almost guarantee that I could fit more in mine. Top down... just stack it up and close the top if I have to... but I certainly prefer TOP DOWN. BTW- Nice stickers CC!

As for coffee... I can only drink the Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks. Has to have LOTS of Peppermint and LOTS of Chocolate. But I normally drink instant coffee... I know, please try to stop cringing! I can't get into a coffee conversation... I like mine to taste like melted coffee ice cream! But I can tell you that the husband is more obsessed than I. It's been awhile, but he has an old hot air popper (originally for popcorn) and he has all these calculations for times and cracks and whatever else. If only it tasted like it smells. Personally, I don't like coffee that has to be chewed. I remember getting "coffee" in Italy and there was no amount of sugar, water or cream that would make it drinkable for me. It was at the border point between Italy and Switzerland (near Grande St. Bernard)... so maybe their biggest concern wasn't making coffee?

 

You should have asked for cappucino while you were in Italy. It would have saved your morning.

 

I don't remember if it was considered coffee, cappucino, latte or cafe au lait... all I know is that I discreetly went to use the restroom so that the husband could drink it for me.

 

I forgot about the back packer when you used it... but he looked like he needed a walk... so i let him out! Again with the nasty *** feet photos, i'm still trying to get that image out of my mind....
I agree with you on the Chrome roll bars, i like htem and glad i got the '08 also. I don't think i would like the retractable ones, but would be very curious to see the '09... just for kicks! My Nugget isn't going anyway any time soon!!!!

 

If it was straight black in a teeny cup with a tan colored foam on top, it was an espresso. If it had no tan colored foam on top, it was still an espresso, but made by a barista that has no clue. Properly made espresso should not taste bitter. It should have a strong flavor that almost tastes like bittersweet chocolate. The bottom of the shot should be black, with the middle being a medium brown called the heart and a deep tan foam on top which is called the crema. I can't imagine that you got a bad cup of coffee somewhere in Italy, but I suppose it could happen.

In Italy, if you want coffee like what most people here drink, you ask for an Americano. If you were given a large cup that was a beige color with about a third of the cup being a white foam on the top, it was a cappuccino. Cappuccinos are usually sweetened with some sugar while the milk is steamed.

No foam, but still beige in color is a latte, or cafe latte depending on which country in Europe you're visiting, which is actually the same thing as a cafe au lait, but cafe au lait is what they call lattes in France. Cafe au lait literally translates to "Coffee with milk". Lattes in America tend to have flavoring put in them. They don't tend to use flavoring in Italy for their coffee, or sugar... or much of anything else.

I do like Starbuck's peppermint mochas because the peppermint and the chocolate are so strong that they cover up the bitter flavor of starbucks poorly pulled espresso shots, but probably my favorite drinks at starbucks right now are actually their tea lattes. They have one called "The London Fog" which is earl gray tea with a shot of vanilla espresso syrup and they steep the tea in milk. It's very good. The vanilla flavoring brings out a floral lavendar sort of aroma to the earl gray. I'm trying to recreate these drinks at home and think I've almost got it with the vanilla rooibos.

 

RandomGem - if I didn't know better, I'd say coffee is a kind of passion for you... *insert fluttering innocent eyelids.*

 

Coffee is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

 

Awww, that looks like a little tail gate,,,,, and for the record I don't have one of the coupe's,, I have the spacious clubman.
Thanks for the visuals.. the cabrio looks well thought out. I have convertibles for many years, it was funny, I did the very same thing I would put the top down to haul my massage table. if I put the top down I could manuever the table in such a way where I could then bring the top back up. But rainy days becasme a pain so I traded it in for a SUV. now the Clubbie makes a nice comprimise. I tell you I love that car. I would like to think that there is a Cabrio in my future someday, but for now the clubbie suits me needs perfectly.
But I am soooo digging that "tailgate"....

 

Hey,,, now this is starting to pique my interest!! He loves cream in his coffee,, so maybe he would enjoy your mixture.... hhhmmm,,,,,

 

I did have it pointed out to me by the gorgeous and intelligent TNMM, that soy milk is not for everyone and you should talk to your doctor before adding soy milk to your diet, and you should only use organically produced soy milk. Which I do.

You might try buying some of these disposable dixie cups...

http://www.buzzillions.com/dz_89109_...z_10ea_reviews

Place two shots of espresso in the bottom. Then add one shot of your chosen flavoring. Steam your milk (or you can nukerwave it on the beverage setting in your microwave) and pour it on top. Stir and if you have any foam, pour that on top of the finished product. Pop on a lid and send him to work.

Basic, American style latte or mocha recipe.

 

me too!!!

 

TNMM-- this whole thing is incredible!! This is totally my type of vacation


and I think the Mt. Lion snuggling with the hot water heater is pretty cool too!!
Thanks for going "off topic",,, if that is even possible on this thread.... and I love love love your nickname of Freebies~!!!!

 

Yah, I thought of that,, don't want my honey growing breasts!! He would probably like hot water with some yummy type of creamy milk creamer concoction in it.... but thanks for the heads up..

Gosh, catching up on here is a full time job!!!

 

Our Relentless Sexy Barista is really good at the flattery <but if she saw me right now, after spending the past 6 hours in the mud with the horses and the vet for annuals, she'd not even acknowledge my existence!>

OK RG, Queen of Coffee, I was under the impression that Cafe Au Lait was actually coffee with steamed milk (which is how I've had it in Paris, and also how my Puerto Rican Aunt makes Cafe con Leche), while Cafe Latte is expresso with steamed milk...

I suggest that we all take a road trip to Eastern Washington to truly experience our Relentless Sexy Barista and her talents! Any takers? Instead of T-shirts, I also suggest we have travel coffee mugs (specially made to fit our MINI drink holders) made!

Giggle!

(btw, RG, I LOVE YOU! I haven't been told I was gorgeous or intelligent in a very long time, let alone BOTH in the same sentence!)

 

Oooh good question! Most coffee in Europe that is not made with an espresso machine is made with a French Press, which produces... not coffee, but espresso. Espresso is defined by higher content of dissolved solids in the liquid, not by the quantity of liquid produced. All coffee related drinks that contain more dissolved solids in them than an automatic drip coffee maker can give you are by default... espresso.

In order for a french press to work properly the grinds have to be fine enough to partially dissolve in hot water, without the help of steam to force water through them as is done with an espresso machine, hence... more dissolved solids in the liquid... and... espresso.

A cafe au lait is the same drink that will be served to you in Italy as a latte, the difference between the two in Europe is actually in what mode the drink is served to you, not in the content of the drink itself. Both have the same dissolved solids to milk ratio. Cafe au laits are served in a white cup, while lattes are usually served in a drinking glass.

In America, there's no real difference. We use both terms interchangeably.

And you're very welcome. You are gorgeous and intelligent and if you're not hearing it often enough, we'll just have to engage in a conversation with your live ins about that :-)

 

I think my whatever drink was made by Border Patrol. How do you say... "You want this or not?" in Italian? I'm going to look on Google Earth. I know I stood on the dividing line between Italy and Switzerland (the cliche- half of me is in one place and half in the other ). Only mountains there... no cafe or buildings.

The husband has a French Press too. I've learned all about the perfect Crema from him and have watched the shows on TV... listened to all of it... but in the end I heat my 10-12oz of water to the less than optimal low temp... add my tsp of Nescafe instant coffee... 2-3 "pink sugars" and 1 TBS cream.

He's an engineer. I won't go further into his precise measuring techniques at this time.

** I was just informed that "it was pretty good". So I stand corrected. Looking at Grand St. Bernard... this was 10 years ago... south side of the lake.

 

I love my french press, i use it daily, so nice.

 

LOL,,, Ola, my oldest son is an engineer, he married an engineer. Can you imagine how regimented my grandkids days are? I already see in the grandson that same **** retentive pattern. In a completely adorable way, of course!! (I always wondered what your husband did for a living,,,,,)

 

I got dad one of those travel-french-presses. He seems to love it.

 

I'm sorry for you.

So there was a time when the husband was going to make brownies. The recipe stated to use a certain sized pan and cook for however many minutes per whatever sized pan. Well, I never have the exact sized pan and half the time I don't really measure anything... but somehow I've always managed. Since he can't deal with this matter of uncertainty (mind you that I'm certain our oven temp's not calibrated)... he gets the measuring tape, opens the oven and tries measuring the pan while it's cooking! So now we forever have brownie batter in the measuring tape and he's had the oven door open for some time while he does all the calculations.

There was also an issue once with liquid measurement (for cooking) and he was taking "surface tension" into account!

His "job" is to bother me (I think).

 

The French Press is a really great and relatively inexpensive way to make *good* coffee. They're easy to use, easy to clean and take up a lot less space in your kitchen than an automatic drip coffee maker does. I have lots of friends that have them for the purpose of conserving space in their kitchens and have never heard anyone complain about them breaking down and have enjoyed many fine cups of coffee made with this method.

It's not as great a cuppa as I get from my robot espresso machine, but it's still darned good.