12/24: Watch this space.
I have some stuff to say for the end of the year, but it's something I need to write and edit a bit. However, it's coming - and I think you guys are going to like it. :-)
All sorts of fun stuff to write about - just not right now.
This weekend, guys - I promise. :-)
This weekend, guys - I promise. :-)
06/28: Random question...
any of you reading this have any suggestions/recommendations on how to... pace my cooking? So that things all get done closer to the same time and all that?
06/12: I know, I know...
I owe you guys an update. Just... have been a bit crazy recently - but I'm going to do my best to get one up this weekend. :-)
03/03: Sick, day 2...
Well, finally, I feel a bit better. Had a 100.5 fever by the time I went to bed last night. Fever seems to have broken, though, and I have a bit more appetite... and a NASTY head cold. Feel a little fuzzy, ears are all clogged, sinuses are screwy, but I'm getting back to work tomorrow by hook or by crook. I don't like calling out sick to begin with, so these past two days, I've been going nuts...
However, onto lighter topics. Finally got around to making my "kitchen sink" brown/robust porter a week or so ago. The whole thing went well - part of the brewing was observed, but that's for something else I have coming down the pipe. All will be known on 3/15. :-) But yeah, the brewing went well, and it seems like I remembered everything I needed to do. No problems like I normally run into, and I even remembered to oxygenate the beer before (and a little bit after) I pitched the yeast. So I check a few hours later, before I go to bed, and the middle of the airlock is up - a good sign. Means that the yeast are done reproducing and will start fermenting in earnest soon enough.
Fast forward to following morning.
I'm lying there in bed, half sleeping, half awake, when I notice this odd, intermittent, hissing sound. I'd compare it to some animal or something like that, but honestly, I don't know what it would even be. I did know, however, that it was coming from either in or near my kitchen. I walk over there, and what do I see? The fermentation had taken off - and then some...
Yep. All that from one packet of yeast. Guess I gave them enough oxygen. ;-) So what I did was swap in my blowoff tube...
...and let it keep fermenting. I was actually able to watch the foam climbing up the tube - I know this all sounds kind of ridiculous, but hey, what can I say, I'm a brewing geek. :-) Didn't expect it to take off quite like this, though - but if I know the yeast are this hungry already, I'm thinking I need to brew again this weekend... I just hope that the gravity is low enough on this porter. I'm thinking the next one will be a Vanilla Imperial Porter of some kind, need to figure out my grains and recipe for that one.
Being sick for these couple of days have taken a bit out of me - not to mention the case of cabin fever I have going on over here... I was talking to Mom last night and mentioned that I hung up my magnetic knife rack.
"Oh, well, you must be feeling better if you were able to do that..."
"Actually, no, I just did it because I needed to do SOMETHING." (She and I both said "something" together.)
I've been doing some straightening, some cleaning, but I'd love nothing more than to just get some sort of real activity in, you know? When you're trying to get rid of what's left of your head cold/flu (since I was really achy and whatnot as well), even the thought of walking a hundred yards down to the mailbox seems a little less appealing... If I had more stuff on hand here, I'd cook something - but I don't really have enough worth anything to cook... Guy Fieri inspired me a little earlier, though - what about something like Whiskey Baked Beans? Slow cooker, regular baked beans - but with a cup or so of whiskey in there for just a slightly different flavor...
And one other thing that's been bothering me recently - my favorite chinese food place was sold. Now, the food in there isn't quite as good anymore. So I've been going to some of the other places around here, but each one is just missing... something. Maybe this is where I finally get serious about teaching myself more about chinese cooking. I've already found a recipe for twice cooked pork (one of my favorites, with General Tso's, Chicken in Garlic Sauce and Ta Chien chicken being up there as well) that seems like it's doable for me, and of course, I can always put my own twist on it. So we'll see - who knows where this might take me. I already make my own wontons...
Alright, can't think of what else I wanted to write about - so this is good enough for now. Hopefully it won't be as long for me before I write again next time...
However, onto lighter topics. Finally got around to making my "kitchen sink" brown/robust porter a week or so ago. The whole thing went well - part of the brewing was observed, but that's for something else I have coming down the pipe. All will be known on 3/15. :-) But yeah, the brewing went well, and it seems like I remembered everything I needed to do. No problems like I normally run into, and I even remembered to oxygenate the beer before (and a little bit after) I pitched the yeast. So I check a few hours later, before I go to bed, and the middle of the airlock is up - a good sign. Means that the yeast are done reproducing and will start fermenting in earnest soon enough.
Fast forward to following morning.
I'm lying there in bed, half sleeping, half awake, when I notice this odd, intermittent, hissing sound. I'd compare it to some animal or something like that, but honestly, I don't know what it would even be. I did know, however, that it was coming from either in or near my kitchen. I walk over there, and what do I see? The fermentation had taken off - and then some...
Yep. All that from one packet of yeast. Guess I gave them enough oxygen. ;-) So what I did was swap in my blowoff tube...
...and let it keep fermenting. I was actually able to watch the foam climbing up the tube - I know this all sounds kind of ridiculous, but hey, what can I say, I'm a brewing geek. :-) Didn't expect it to take off quite like this, though - but if I know the yeast are this hungry already, I'm thinking I need to brew again this weekend... I just hope that the gravity is low enough on this porter. I'm thinking the next one will be a Vanilla Imperial Porter of some kind, need to figure out my grains and recipe for that one.
Being sick for these couple of days have taken a bit out of me - not to mention the case of cabin fever I have going on over here... I was talking to Mom last night and mentioned that I hung up my magnetic knife rack.
"Oh, well, you must be feeling better if you were able to do that..."
"Actually, no, I just did it because I needed to do SOMETHING." (She and I both said "something" together.)
I've been doing some straightening, some cleaning, but I'd love nothing more than to just get some sort of real activity in, you know? When you're trying to get rid of what's left of your head cold/flu (since I was really achy and whatnot as well), even the thought of walking a hundred yards down to the mailbox seems a little less appealing... If I had more stuff on hand here, I'd cook something - but I don't really have enough worth anything to cook... Guy Fieri inspired me a little earlier, though - what about something like Whiskey Baked Beans? Slow cooker, regular baked beans - but with a cup or so of whiskey in there for just a slightly different flavor...
And one other thing that's been bothering me recently - my favorite chinese food place was sold. Now, the food in there isn't quite as good anymore. So I've been going to some of the other places around here, but each one is just missing... something. Maybe this is where I finally get serious about teaching myself more about chinese cooking. I've already found a recipe for twice cooked pork (one of my favorites, with General Tso's, Chicken in Garlic Sauce and Ta Chien chicken being up there as well) that seems like it's doable for me, and of course, I can always put my own twist on it. So we'll see - who knows where this might take me. I already make my own wontons...
Alright, can't think of what else I wanted to write about - so this is good enough for now. Hopefully it won't be as long for me before I write again next time...
03/02: Being sick sucks.
So I have all sorts of stuff I want to write about, I just haven't had a chance recently.
Then I wake up today with a fever of 101.3. It's gone down a bit over the course of the day - now it's "only" 100.
Still calling out sick again tomorrow, though. Feel like death warmed over.
/me sighs
Then I wake up today with a fever of 101.3. It's gone down a bit over the course of the day - now it's "only" 100.
Still calling out sick again tomorrow, though. Feel like death warmed over.
/me sighs
*insert long rant about stuff that's irritating*
However, that doesn't mean it's been ALL smooth sailing. I feel like I'm hitting... this kind of mental burnout. I've seen it happen to a few of my friends, too - I know I'm in good company. The difference here, though, is that I'm finally taking care of myself when I feel it happening. A few years ago, I wouldn't've done anything about it - and I would've ended up a lot worse off because I'd just end up completely mentally shot and exhausted. Instead, this time, I'm taking a day trip tomorrow. It's about 4 hours away, but I'm making the drive from where I am on Long Island to Brewery Ommegang, in Cooperstown. I've loved their beers (well, most of their beers) for quite some time now - one of my personal favorites is their saison, Ommegang Hennepin. So I'm treating myself. Yes, the economy's on its way down, and we're all supposed to be saving our money because everyone's corrupt and the world is horrible and all that jazz - but I'm lucky enough to be in a position where I can buy myself little things here and there. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for teaching me financial responsibility. :-) Doesn't mean I don't make a bad choice here and there, but hey - don't we all sometimes?
And on the completely-superfluous-use-of-eight-otherwise-good-dollars front, I managed to score another bag of crap from Woot. :-) I'm a little too lazy right now to put a link up to explain what it is, but the quick version is that for 8 dollars (a dollar a piece and 5 dollars shipping), they'll send you "three" items and a bag of some kind. Why is the 3 in quotes? Because generally, you get at least 3 items. I think they use stuff like this as a way of cleaning out their warehouse - people will get 4 items, 5 items... and there's no guarantee they'll all work/be useful. In a recent BoC, I got a brand new flight-style joystick. Still had the plastic wrap on it. Just like it has for the past 12 years. That's right, it came out around 1996 or so. And someone else, in the last one, got about 50 or so broken mp3 players. He's trying to fix them, last I knew, but if he doesn't succeed... well, he's out $8. And to me, the anticipation, the waiting, the hoping is worth the $8 in and of itself. If I happen to get one of the nicer items people have gotten in their shipments, like a Zune or a Roomba, I wouldn't complain - but it's not necessary. Would just be nice. :-)
Alright, time for me to head off - but I just wanted to give you guys a little update as to what's going on. Soon enough I'll get some more of my labels posted, for perusal and comment, but not right now. Have a couple of other things I want to take care of tonight.
Have a good one, all, and if I don't talk to you before then, hope you get everything you want this season. :-)
However, that doesn't mean it's been ALL smooth sailing. I feel like I'm hitting... this kind of mental burnout. I've seen it happen to a few of my friends, too - I know I'm in good company. The difference here, though, is that I'm finally taking care of myself when I feel it happening. A few years ago, I wouldn't've done anything about it - and I would've ended up a lot worse off because I'd just end up completely mentally shot and exhausted. Instead, this time, I'm taking a day trip tomorrow. It's about 4 hours away, but I'm making the drive from where I am on Long Island to Brewery Ommegang, in Cooperstown. I've loved their beers (well, most of their beers) for quite some time now - one of my personal favorites is their saison, Ommegang Hennepin. So I'm treating myself. Yes, the economy's on its way down, and we're all supposed to be saving our money because everyone's corrupt and the world is horrible and all that jazz - but I'm lucky enough to be in a position where I can buy myself little things here and there. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for teaching me financial responsibility. :-) Doesn't mean I don't make a bad choice here and there, but hey - don't we all sometimes?
And on the completely-superfluous-use-of-eight-otherwise-good-dollars front, I managed to score another bag of crap from Woot. :-) I'm a little too lazy right now to put a link up to explain what it is, but the quick version is that for 8 dollars (a dollar a piece and 5 dollars shipping), they'll send you "three" items and a bag of some kind. Why is the 3 in quotes? Because generally, you get at least 3 items. I think they use stuff like this as a way of cleaning out their warehouse - people will get 4 items, 5 items... and there's no guarantee they'll all work/be useful. In a recent BoC, I got a brand new flight-style joystick. Still had the plastic wrap on it. Just like it has for the past 12 years. That's right, it came out around 1996 or so. And someone else, in the last one, got about 50 or so broken mp3 players. He's trying to fix them, last I knew, but if he doesn't succeed... well, he's out $8. And to me, the anticipation, the waiting, the hoping is worth the $8 in and of itself. If I happen to get one of the nicer items people have gotten in their shipments, like a Zune or a Roomba, I wouldn't complain - but it's not necessary. Would just be nice. :-)
Alright, time for me to head off - but I just wanted to give you guys a little update as to what's going on. Soon enough I'll get some more of my labels posted, for perusal and comment, but not right now. Have a couple of other things I want to take care of tonight.
Have a good one, all, and if I don't talk to you before then, hope you get everything you want this season. :-)
