Coffee

[Pulsegleaner]

home production of rough textured flavoring like chocolate might be possible, but getting the really smooth texture will likely be incredibly difficult short of technologies i know nothing about. in other words, not happening here... when you consider the shipping costs of the large pods v.s just shipping the finished nibs it just isn't a good idea. plus much better to recycle the pods/gunk/etc. as close to where grown as possible. just common sense. don't move what you don't have to.

Number one of those being a conching machine, the device that polishes the cocoa particles and distributes them evenly through the cocoa butter. Without it, chocolate comes out kind of crumbly and grainy. If you have ever seen those hockey pucks they use for making Mexican hot chocolate (or had a chocolate bar from the Bonnajuto company in Sicily, or a Taza stone ground bar) THAT'S unconched chocolate.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

i'd love to have one just once to experience it. yes, it's a long process, fermenting for several days first, then drying, then getting rid of the seed coat, then...

As I'm not sure exactly WHERE in Mid Michigan you are, this probably won't work, but I got mine at H-mart, and there is an H-mart in Troy. If mine had them, they probably have them.

 

[flowerbug]

My thinking from here in the lazyboy, @flowerbug .

Don't move if you don't have to.

I did go to buy some Japanese persimmons, tho! Back before any serious lunch hunger discomfort set in. They're ripe persimmons!

Oh well, time to get some exercise with the Indoor Mile. Better do it before I decompose into a nap.

Steve

sweet dreams!

 

[flowerbug]

Number one of those being a conching machine, the device that polishes the cocoa particles and distributes them evenly through the cocoa butter. Without it, chocolate comes out kind of crumbly and grainy. If you have ever seen those hockey pucks they use for making Mexican hot chocolate (or had a chocolate bar from the Bonnajuto company in Sicily, or a Taza stone ground bar) THAT'S unconched chocolate.

*nods*

 

[flowerbug]

As I'm not sure exactly WHERE in Mid Michigan you are, this probably won't work, but I got mine at H-mart, and there is an H-mart in Troy. If mine had them, they probably have them.

i'm quite a ways from there and very unlikely to go that ways, but if by chance i ever do i'll put it on my list of things to check out. traffic down there is rather crazy. highway speeds have been increased and so when bad things happen it's even worse, but this way they get to move more people per unit time and thus not have to build more roads. 85mph with someone riding your butt just isn't any fun at all...

 

[baymule]

I got the floor in the middle bedroom finished yesterday. It looks so nice. The rest of the house now looks like an explosion in a garbage dump. What a mess!

I leave in the morning to go to new house, dragging flatbed trailer loaded with concrete blocks. We’ll get the two 40’ shipping containers blocked up and truck and trailer unloaded. A friend is coming to help me and my son. Another friend is coming to put the new door locks on and maybe put the bunk bed together. I’m spending the night, hope to get some painting done, come back Sunday. Y’all have a great weekend!

 

[Marie2020]

I got the floor in the middle bedroom finished yesterday. It looks so nice. The rest of the house now looks like an explosion in a garbage dump. What a mess!

View attachment 45061

I leave in the morning to go to new house, dragging flatbed trailer loaded with concrete blocks. We’ll get the two 40’ shipping containers blocked up and truck and trailer unloaded. A friend is coming to help me and my son. Another friend is coming to put the new door locks on and maybe put the bunk bed together. I’m spending the night, hope to get some painting done, come back Sunday. Y’all have a great weekend!

You have a good weekend and make sure it's not all work .

 

[digitS']

i've gotten really fond of hot chocolate with some green chili paste in it. once it gets colder out that becomes my main winter beverage.

Okay, it's another dreary day. DW is having her Swiss Miss and so I tried it with Tabasco. Is 5 drops enuf, 8 too many. Trying it with 6 ...

What comes on PBS? New Scandinavian Cooking and Andreas is making hot chocolate and puts a 🌶️ in it!!!

It's really quite good. Complimentary ... Oh yes, my compliments for the idea .

Warm Steve

 

[baymule]

Hot chocolate and chili? I may have to try that!

Good morning y'all. Awake at 2 AM. Getting tired of this crap, I'd like to sleep until 6 or 7. Just not happening.

Anyway, I left yesterday morning with a heavy loaded truck and trailer, packed with concrete blocks and pads. Max speed 60 MPH. I happily let speed demons fly past me. No way I was going fast dragging that trailer with me. Nope!

Got there at noon, friend showed up to help, another friend showed up to change door locks for me. Son was gone to get another friend with tractor. They got back and I had the treat of watching 3 men with 2 tractors doing their best to move a 40' shipping container to not much avail. Classic entertainment. They pushed, pulled with chains, and moved it a little. As far as lifting it to block it up? Nope. Gonna take a bigger tractor. Like maybe a cab 100 horse power big tractor. So, we unloaded all those concrete blocks.

Friend Jesse got the door locks done and came out to help with blocks. Then we all stood/sat around chewing the fat--a southern euphemism for a lot of talking and blather. LOL My friend Steve that came to help with the shipping container failure turned out to know son's friend Keith from 1979 and they had a good time visiting and reminiscing about old times.

Yesterday, I got one room prepped and painted, still need to do trim, door and the closet.

Son's house is in worse shape than I thought, I certainly do pick challenges. What's going to be my bedroom (eventually) was at one time, a carport. There was a opening for a door way on the back wall. That opening is still there, with apiece of plywood leaned up against it with some kind of book case against the plywood to keep it from blowing over. The sunroom on the back leaks because it was improperly joined to the roof and needs to be torn down and totally redone. The laminate flooring was not put down right and is loose. It should survive me and the first set of renters after I move on, at which time, he can put down better flooring. Laminate imitation wood with fiberboard backing is crap anyway. I've made that mistake before. There is a stack of various building supplies in the living room floor, the whole place is a mess.

On a bright note, when I got home with truck and trailer, I backed the trailer up where I wanted it. I haven't backed up a trailer in over a quarter century and never was great at that anyway, but I did it! (Baymule stands up, takes bows to standing ovation)

I'm sitting here this morning in dismay at the piles of crap in this house. There will be a memorial for BJ here on Saturday. My plans of taking a load of big chunks, such as a freezer or two, a large walnut wardrobe, filing cabinet, couple of chairs, etc, have been dashed by the reality that the new to me house needs a major overhaul. So I must make room some other innovative way. I don't know at this time just what that is going to be, but I'm sure I'll think of something. Got to finish clearing and cleaning the porch too.

 

[flowerbug]

Son's house is in worse shape than I thought, I certainly do pick challenges. What's going to be my bedroom (eventually) was at one time, a carport. There was a opening for a door way on the back wall. That opening is still there, with apiece of plywood leaned up against it with some kind of book case against the plywood to keep it from blowing over. The sunroom on the back leaks because it was improperly joined to the roof and needs to be torn down and totally redone. The laminate flooring was not put down right and is loose. It should survive me and the first set of renters after I move on, at which time, he can put down better flooring. Laminate imitation wood with fiberboard backing is crap anyway. I've made that mistake before. There is a stack of various building supplies in the living room floor, the whole place is a mess.

On a bright note, when I got home with truck and trailer, I backed the trailer up where I wanted it. I haven't backed up a trailer in over a quarter century and never was great at that anyway, but I did it! (Baymule stands up, takes bows to standing ovation)

haha! you got it done!

I'm sitting here this morning in dismay at the piles of crap in this house. There will be a memorial for BJ here on Saturday. My plans of taking a load of big chunks, such as a freezer or two, a large walnut wardrobe, filing cabinet, couple of chairs, etc, have been dashed by the reality that the new to me house needs a major overhaul. So I must make room some other innovative way. I don't know at this time just what that is going to be, but I'm sure I'll think of something. Got to finish clearing and cleaning the porch too.

if you're going to move stuff i'd just load it in the trailer and be done with it, at least then it is out of your way for further efforts. renting a storage shed at the other end may be a way to go.