Friday, August 24, 2012

Coffee Shake!

One thing I've been really liking (almost to the point of addiction) is the McDonald's McCafe Mocha Frappe (a/k/a McDonald's Coffee Shake).  Well!  I can now make a pretty decent imitation of them in my kitchen!

Start with the "iced coffee concentrate" that the Pioneer Woman does.
Her recipe is basically 1 lb. of ground coffee, 2 gallons of cold water, steep for 8 hours, strain. You can read the linked article for exact steps and other ideas for your Iced Coffee once you have the concentrate.
I made it with 1/4 lb. of coffee and 2 Quarts of water.  I actually just let it steep overnight in the fridge, and I strained it through a coffee filter.  Takes  a while, so I may make myself a reusable "coffee bag" out of some old silk shirts I have so I don't have to do the straining thing.

Anyway, once I had the concentrate, I was ready.

  1. Put ice cubes in a blender until they reach the 16-oz line.
  2. Fill with iced coffee concentrate until the mix of ice and concentrate is at the 16-oz line.
  3. Add 1/2 Tbsp. Pure Vanilla Extract (no, not the imitation stuff.)
  4. Add chocolate syrup "until it looks good".  I added a couple squirts, maybe 2 Tbsps altogether.
  5. Blend until the ice is all busted up and you have a shake!
 Because there's a LOT of air being injected into the mix as you blend, it'll actually fill about a 24-oz cup.

I tell you what, it's so doggone close it's unreal.  I did leave out the whipped cream  though - I didn't have any, and it doesn't really add anything to the shake except make it pretty.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Chuck Norris is Watching You Drive

This is the building next to the one I work in. I drive past this every day.


Closeup of the artwork on it:

Monday, April 23, 2012

The Removal Of The Pool

The chronology of the pool removal, more or less.
Take off the rails:


Fold up the liner as best we could.


Pull the siding down.  Kev did a lot of it, but he had an assist from Mister Wind Gusts.



Pull the siding and the liner out of the way.  See those posts?  They're connected to each other side-to-side by a 1/8" (or so) steel plate / L-bracket that goes under each post - and under the sand (and therefore the pool).  Each one is also connected to the one directly across the pool from it by a 1/4" (or so) steel BAND that runs entirely under the pool.  And the sand.  And some clay.  I don't think it needs to be said that THOSE were a pain in the butt to get out.


After the removal.  Pool all gone!


Closer - North side:


And south side.  Yes, we did keep the pool ladder as another method of accessing the deck.  Deck retention is still in discussion, but we're planning on keeping at least some of it.


The yard sure looks different now.  Jeremy's enjoying it, since he has SO much more room to run & play in.  Plus, we have more opportunities to throw his ball up on the deck, over the deck, under the deck, etc. rather than just around the north side of the pool or around the south side of the pool.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

How To Remove A Pool, Part 1

Step 1: Take off the rails.


Step 2: Roll up the liner.



Step 3: Let the wind knock it down.



Closeup of the North End:



Closeup of the South End:

Monday, April 16, 2012

Closing the Pool

We're taking out our swimming pool, and selling off all the cleaning equipment. Filter, pump, vac, hoses, skimmer, everything. If you know of anyone that could use these, please send 'em our way. http://fortwayne.craigslist.org/for/2961234843.html The filter is practically new - we only got it a couple years ago! This is a steal for someone if they need one.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Calling

One of the members of our congregation died yesterday. I was asked later on last night if I could play the organ for the funeral. I agreed, and I started thinking about it. People have different callings. Some to be teachers, some pastors, some cooks, some parents, etc. The organ, and the playing thereof, is one of mine. And it's important to me - not just The Playing Of The Organ, but the making sure, whenever it is possible for me to do so, that grieving families don't have the added stress of a VERY limited selection of hymns / music for the funeral. Making sure that they don't have to make do with "canned" music. As I told Pastor: "Not if it is within my power. NOT. ON. MY. WATCH." It's important to me that the families have "live" music. Evidently...that is my calling.

Grief

Grief is a silent, indisious destroyer. Grief is a noisy explosion. Grief is a dark, dank pit with no way out. Grief is huge and overwhel...