Welcome to Saturday's Potluck

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso

Good morning - Drinking good coffee is one of the luxuries of life I am very serious about. Discovered the pleasure of fresh ground whole beans and flavored roasts about 40 years ago at college when on a tight budget. The local roaster I used for years shifted to providing large volumes of products to the grocery stores. As availability increased, freshness decreased and amaretto is not available for small volume purchases.

The search for another roaster is over. Bought some green coffee beans a few weeks ago and been working up the courage to try roasting. Did not want to spend several hundred dollars on a home roaster so used the skillet technique. First, outside on the barbecue burner was concerned the fragrance would be overwhelming. Second time used the electric burner on the kitchen stove. Both methods were successful, will probably get a dedicated caste iron skillet instead of a roaster.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYpl0In8laI]

If I want flavored coffee prefer to brew flavored beans vs adding sweetened, flavored creamer. Keep a dropper bottle of Almond Extract to sprinkle over the coffee grounds when added to the drip coffee pot just before brewing. Usually drink it black, sometimes add a little cream about the consistency of half and half. Found a small farm to purchase raw milk. They are Jersey cows so high volume of cream.

How to Make a Simple Homemade Coffee Creamer to keep in the refrigerator about 3 cups.

To add flavor to creamer
Amaretto: Add 2 teaspoons of almond extract
French Vanilla: Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Pumpkin Spice: Add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.

________

I read A History Of The World In 6 Glasses (beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola) several years ago found it an interesting journey through history. Thought it fit today's Open Thread.

The Review

World History is a long and complex topic. Though many accomplished authors such as Bill Bryson and H. G. Wells have attempted to condense history into a single book, very few have succeeded. There is just too much of it. Attempts to boil down the last 10,000 years have resulted in either superficial books with very little depth, or great textbook like tombs too inaccessible for the casual reader. Happily, A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage succeeds where others have failed. Standage's book does this by sacrificing the breadth of every possible topic for an impressive depth and focus. Instead of trying to sum up the complete history of man, this book spotlights a single topic, in this case beverages, and then takes the reader on a journey through time to see how his topic interweaves the past. Standage is a delightful writer, mixing his light hearted style with exceptional historical savvy not just on the topic of drinks, but throughout.

Despite my now positive opinion of this book, I have to confess that when I first picked up A History of the World in 6 Glasses, I did not expect to enjoy it. Not only am I skeptical of any book claiming to sum up the antiquity of man in 300 pages or less, but I myself do not drink any of the 6 beverages this book discusses. As such, learning the history of these drinks did not sound immediately appealing. However, what I quickly learned is that this book is not a history of 6 drinks, but rather just as the title states, a history of the world, told through the story of 6 drinks. As the book points out in the introduction, second only to air, liquid is the most vital substance to man's survival. The availability of water and other drinking sources have "constrained and guided humankind's progress" and "have continued to shape human history". Throughout time, beverages have done more than quenched our thirst; they have been used as currencies, medicines, and in religious rites. They have served as symbols of wealth and power, as well as tools to appease the poor and downtrodden.

The Song
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AScN4J5DLdI]

The Book
A History Of The World In 6 Glasses epub

________

What is on your mind today?

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Comments

We buy whole beans and grind a mix as needed.
Roughly 50 / 50
Guatemalan French Roast (Arabica) dark roast and
Organic Sumatra Estate (Arabica) medium dark.
Marketed by Wellsley Farms.

Packs a punch!

Zing

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studentofearth's picture

@QMS I keep migrating back to Columbia beans with occasional excursions to Ethiopia and Mexico. Hawaii (Kona) has become so popular it now exceeds the budget. Darker roasts with whipped milk and alkali processed chocolate powder for an occasional treat.

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4 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

It was a little indie shop with a neighborhood clientele. They roasted on site and were really proud of what they did. They had a little cart file with 3x5 cards that was their "bonus" program for regulars. Unfortunately, I moved out of the neighborhood and rarely could get back there. They couldn't survive and threw in the towel a few years ago.

These days I have a single serve machine (Nespresso) because I'm trying to drink less and the temptation goes down if I don't have the ritual of making it. Nespresso isn't bad as far as these things go (Keurig is garbage) but it's no where near the same thing.

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Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

studentofearth's picture

@Dr. John Carpenter to the coffee shop a pleasure. I miss the once weekly excursions to pick-up fresh roasted beans for the office. Unfortunately like many small business they also disappeared. Tend to avoid the roaster aiming for the Starbucks burnt flavor.

Nespresso makes a good cup of coffee, have a good friend with one.

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4 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

They do all kinds of exotics, like Ethiopian and Jamaican.
Just driving by you get the flavors wafting thru the wind.

https://guide.farmfreshri.org/food/member.php?fn=398

I have to stop after 2 cups mostly, as the jitters get serious.

A one (big) cup press which I like is made by AeroPress.

https://aeropress.com/

comes with filters and stirring paddle.

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studentofearth's picture

@QMS for airline travel. I small portable drip coffee maker carried for years which takes a little to much space for a carry-on bag only trip.

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3 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

@QMS
I loved using it (daily and traveling) until I found the extraction chamber was eroding. As in dissolving the plastic in a network of what looked like tree branches. The only place the missing material could have gone was in to the hot coffe and down my gullet!

I called the company and requested a glass or stainless steel version. Crickets. Oh, well........

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Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes

"The Java Jive" (Ink Spots, 1940)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP6IUqrFHjw width:420]

Right on. I love coffee but lately think it might weaken my bones after all these years. Whilst scraping sanding and painting the tiny deck I felt a rib go pop reaching down one too many times over the top rail. I should have been on the other side but then falling off the roof comes in to play, so... that was that, bruised rib(?) and a total system crash with jawbone blowout and everything else. I can take deep breath again finally, after about seven or ten days of ouchy. Not bad, but missing days isn't funny either. There is only one coat of primer on half the deck, so gotta get back out there rsn. real soon now LOL

Friends, there is a freak primrose in the dirt patch this year:
freaksideview.jpg
Evening Primrose, side view

freakfrontview.jpg
Evening Primrose, front view
Dark zoom on the triple quadruple stocks melded together, none of the other six have that special look. wassup
,,.

Whodini - Freaks Come Out at Night
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxwrLLlQwBw width:500]

http://www.eattheweeds.com/oenothera-biennis-foraging-standby-2/

Primrose means first rose, and since its blossoms open at night “evening” was added to common name a few centuries ago.

huh how many few centuries?

Linnaeus, who started naming plants in the mid-1700’s, said it was introduced to Europe from North America in 1614.

LOL oh shit that is red yarn material leading right on over to Malthus on archive.org where I was trying to read the "Full text of "An Essay on the Principle of Population"", and so ends this adventure down that hole. Welcome new robot overlords! ha ha ha back to the future

Life IS. generally speaking, a blessiog independent of a future .state
h IS a gift which the vicious would doi always be ready to (hrow away,
eveo if (bey had oo fear of deatfi. Ihe partial poio. ihereftfe. that is
loflictcd by die supreme Creator, wtule he is formog numtcrlcss
bungs (o a capacity of (he highest eojoyinenis, is but as the dual of the
balaoct lo comparison of the happioess that is ccmmueicated, and we
have every reasen to thuik that there is oo more evil in the world than
whai IS absolutely oacessary as cne of the logredietiis in the mighty
process.

Ihe striLog netessuy of general laws fer the formaiioo of intelletr
will not ui any reapcci tc contradicted by ooe or iwo exceptions, and
(fiesc evidently not iniendid for pamal purposes, tut calculated to
opaate tipcn a greai pan of mankind, and througfi maoy ages. Upon the
idea that I have given of ifie formation of miod. ifie lofiingemcei of the
general law of nature, by a divioe revelation, will appear in tbe li^t of

Plr«i |aiMe« Ixl Jolvi^ la Si haul i CkirA Ywd. Lootija.

Peace and Love

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smiley7's picture

@eyo

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@smiley7 cheers and a Happy May Day to you, have fun.

Peace and Love
{hugs}

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studentofearth's picture

@eyo always enjoyed foraging.

If miss coffee switch to decaffeinated or a mixture of regular and decaf. Caffeine is the culprit. Definitely no sodas since their correlation to decreased bone density is greater. Hopefully you have some medical coverage to diagnose and obtain treatment or monitoring. Outcome is always better when addressed early with osteoporosis. Ribs are not usually the first bones the problem is noticed.

Always good to have you contribute.

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6 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

mimi's picture

@eyo
may be you oould freak out over some soft cushions in your bed? Wink
Please.

But you mention that coffee may weaken your bones? That scares me, because my bones were so worn off that I needed surgery on my knee and the good doctor put some fancy device into my knee that makes walking less painful. It works great!. I searched a bit and got the answer that caffeine leaches the calcium ouf of the bones.

Now I know why I crave for calcium rich 'Quark' food.

Quark is a fresh cheese of European origin. It is a mild creamy cheese without the sour taste of yogurt. It is a soft un-aged cheese and is not the same thing as cream cheese or cottage cheese. ... It usually has much lower fat content than cream cheeses and has no salt added, but often herbs.

The imagery in my head tells me a story that you just WANT to break your bones. Stop that. Now. No more. nade, Niente. This is an order. An order of a German kind. Capisce? /s

But I love you nevertheless. Tell your bones to behave.

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mimi's picture

@mimi
I think she understood this, as we go a long way back together. But in case you thought that I was insensitive to her pains and conditions, I am really not. Sometimes it just all overwhelms me and I react with exaggerating sarcasm or something like it.

Thanks eyo, I am very lucky to have had an excellent doctor operating my brittle knee. And I know you haven't such care in your country. So, I thought of kidnapping you and bring you here to get medical care and help you need

I got for my knee what they call an implantation of knee joint sled prosthesis sitting on some cement inside the knee. I can't thank the doctor who did the operation strong enough.
I was also so lucky to live near one of the best special clinic for trauma surgery. Our old chancellor Helmut Schmidt trusted that clinic and got treatment there.

Ok, I am preparing the crime of kidnapping a very patriotic American citizen to Germany. I hope that would not initiate wwwIII. Just in case it happens you know the truth who was responsible for it.

Sigh, I hope I made you smile a bit.

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@mimi I don't know why I "get" your humor but you often make me laugh so thanks a lot.

"you just WANT to break your bones"

LOL! I know, right? Try being inside my head for a day... never mind! It is often so completely detached from the body I just float around like a dumb ass thinking "right on man, ur so in the zone". FUCK

"An order of a German kind. Capisce?" ~doink!~

LMAO! Stop it you're killing me...
eutif ealaa
عطف على
have mercy says wordhippo

Dank Ich liebe dich auch.

Peace

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@eyo About a month ago, I bent over to yank up a vine from the ground and I felt and heard something in my rib cage pop. Well, I have had broken ribs, bruised ribs, and torn tendons at the rib cage, and doctors basically say take aspirin and be careful for 6 weeks.
This getting old shit is ridiculous!
I turned 69 today.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

smiley7's picture

@on the cusp

sending the best virtual champagne, wishes and great tidings for tomorrows.

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@smiley7 We are in Florida, looking for alligators and snakes. That will make us feel better about ourselves!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

travelerxxx's picture

@on the cusp

Another belated Happy Birthday to you. Couldn't make it here Saturday, so this will have to do!

You're around a year ahead of me.

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@travelerxxx for another 4 to 6 days! Lol!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

mimi's picture

@on the cusp
I thought you were much younger. Smile
I realize that I always think that I am getting older but all others never do and stay
put.

Wishing you all the best for the next decade. Celebrate every day for the rest of your life, one day at a time.

Cheers, Prost, santé
Drinks

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@mimi I am in very good health, able to work, travel, and still have a frame of mind that life is a wonder to be experienced and enjoyed.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

studentofearth's picture

@on the cusp Hope you had the weekend off to celebrate.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

@studentofearth Thanks!
I did take off work for a week, am enjoying the time away from the constant worries of dozens
of clients.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

Hope you're having a great trip!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout Me and my guy have both gotten a bit older during out year together, but we think we are aging gracefully.
We are headed to The Alligator Farm to go on an air boat ride, hoping to see some gators and snakes.
We are in the land of Latin culture. Currently, 2 huge families partying in the pool are playing competing Latin music, and they do not seem to mind. interesting.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

phillybluesfan's picture

Delocator.net launched in 2005 so users could locate independently owned cafés. The Delocator is the opposite of an online retail store locator, common to corporate store websites. In 2006 book stores and movie theaters were added. Finally, in 2009, users can log in to the site, modify their entries and add more types of independently owned stores. Jim Bursch reprogrammed the site so the zip code function works in all areas. Corporate industries invading American neighborhoods, from coffee to book store and movie theater "chains", pose a threat to the authenticity of our unique neighborhoods. Although there is room on the map for shared territories - both the homogenous corporate enterprise and the independent ventures across the nation, our independent, community-operated businesses deserve your dime.

In An Analysis of the Potential Economic Impact of Austin Unchained (Nov. 15, 2003), Civic Economics reports: "For every $100 in consumer spending at Borders, the total local economic impact is only $13. The same amount spent with BookPeople (an independently owned bookstore) and Waterloo (an independently owned music store) yields more than three times the local economic impact."

Many independent store owners talk about knowing the community, creating a friendly and supportive atmosphere, and chatting with clients about their kids, school games, and local news. "People say we're cozy, not corporate," said coffee shop owner Holler. "We can make our own rules and we can empower our staff to do so as well. A Starbucks employee doesn't have the pride in ownership that they do at our store."

Support the underdog and promote a future that includes the culture of small businesses! Independent bookstores are facing a grave challenge. Cody's Books in Berkeley, California was a bona fide cultural institution on Telegraph Avenue. In his recent announcement (May 10, 2006), owner Andy Ross says, "It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that Cody's will be closing our doors at the Telegraph Avenue store for the last time on July 10." In the past fifteen years, Cody's sales have declined by 66%. Cody's is certainly not the only independent bookstore to close its doors. The American Booksellers Association has seen a decline in membership from 5200 bookstores in 1991 to 1702 stores in 2005.

With chains on the rise, supporting local institutions (and many independent bookstores are truly thought of as cultural institutions) promotes a future that includes our neighborhood bookstores, movie theaters and coffee shops and denies the type of news that Andy Ross so sadly delivers. Become active on Delocator.net and help promote independent businesses across the country!

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Few are guilty, but all are responsible.”
― Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Prophets

studentofearth's picture

@phillybluesfan of all types. It has a page lets a non-owner recommend a favorite which may not be on the search list. Does not require the business to pay for a listing.

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5 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Thanks for this OT. A real lover of a good cup of coffee! Carry a French press with me on all my trips to make a real cup of coffee. There is a local coffee roaster in Santa Fe that has the roaster right in the store and when they are roasting, smells are wonderful. Have a group of local musicians that come in the play on Sunday morning which encourages you to spend an entire morning there!

Have the old wooden coffee grinder from my mother and use it on occasion to make some brew. It is best used with the press because most times the grind is not real fine.

Enjoying a cup of coffee as I write this watching the neighbors cats in their yard moving through the 6 inch high grasses chasing grasshoppers and each other. At times all you can see is the grass moving and a tail. Makes me wish to me in Africa on a driving safari watching lions or other cats move through the grass.

Have a good day all. Now off to the chores on my list!

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Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.

This ain't no dress rehearsal!

smiley7's picture

drinking Peaberry from Kauai.

First farmer's market of the year today: eggs up $1, plantings up $2 and organic meats up a lot as much as $4 per pound. So, i passed on loading up on plants for the windowsill, prices too steep.

Spring is about two weeks away up high, can't wait for the magical green show.

Thanks for the OT and have a good one.

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studentofearth's picture

@smiley7 grew flowers or formally landscaped locally. My Mom and Grandmothers place was covered with flowers, a variety of green foliage and food gardens. Learned to enjoy the labor of others and spot those hidden plantings to stroll or drive by.

Believe food inflation is on the way. At some point it may become cost effective again for a household member not to have an outside job and spend the time sourcing, raising and fixing food. Interesting times.

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7 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Lookout's picture

I feel lucky to have access to organic whole beans at the grocery.

I grind prior to pouring through a melitta cone and filter every morning.
I drink mine black, but sometime have a final cup of bulletproof coffee.

I make mine with grass fed butter and a little salt. Coffee depletes your electrolytes

Once visited a coffee plantation in Guatemala. Lots of work in that crop. Amazing it is as cheap as it is considering all the hand work that goes into its production.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCU3E7H6VcY 5 min
How is Coffee Made? John Cragen Takes you on a behind-the-scenes tour of a coffee plantation in Tres Rios, Costa Rica!

Beautiful day here. Hope your May Day is also lovely!

Beltane is the cross-quarter day that marks the mid-point in Spring. We are now half way between the Spring Equinox & the Summer Solstice.

EDIT to add...
https://www.wsws.org/en/special/pages/international-mayday-online-rally-...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R31eSiMu48g]

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

studentofearth's picture

@Lookout I missed the significance of the date. My Mom's best friend would remind me for years it was May Day by hanging a bouquet of fresh picked flowers on the doorknob, ring the bell and disappear. Thanking her was rude behavior, the flower delivery was as magical as the Easter Bunny hiding eggs.

Bulletproof coffee appears to be similar to coffee with top cream added. Top cream floats to the top of non-homogenized milk and is used to make butter. Really enjoy in the winter when lots of outdoor work is being done.

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6 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

enhydra lutris's picture

usually go with a plain old Mr. Coffee coffeemaker which we can set up the night before and simply fire up in the morning for multiple cuppas muy pronto. On the road, I bring my travel kit which is an aeropress with supplies, an electric kettle, and a vacuum container of Peet's Major Dickasons dark roast espresso grind which I use to crank out americanos until we're sated.

Meanwhile, in most of the world it is May Day, and in some of it it is also Beltane. Some "May Day" celebrations will go down on Monday in order to have a legal holiday (workers' day, generally) and some will occur both today and Monday.

whatever;

Or, practice your Italian (Viva PCI!)

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

If not, I'll do without. I grind the beans just before use. Then a simple melita drip setup... more than a little heavy cream. I'm down to one cup/day. That will do me.
When traveling, we take our coffee grinder and beans with us. Every once in a while we find a good coffee shop. That always sparks joy.

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studentofearth's picture

@randtntx if not enjoyable. I have at times carried water from home to insure great coffee while staying in some areas.

Like the exotic flavor of the tune, travel to another experience and body simply wants to move.

up
5 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

earthling1's picture

a Mr. Coffee for years because it was so easy and fast.
However, we loved to campout and the best part of waking up (not Folgers in our cup) was perkin' coffee over a fire in an old fashion percolator.
Eventually, we figured out that was why we liked to campout so much.
Now we use a percolator every morning with fresh ground beans.
And we still love to camp.
Had to give up the smores though, sniff sniff.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

enhydra lutris's picture

@earthling1
even after we got the trailer.

be well and have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

studentofearth's picture

@earthling1 for the butane or propane stove. Someone was always close by to remove from heat at the right time. Perfect cup. At home I wander too much, drip is more consistent and if I wander back in 45 to 60 minutes the house does not need aired out.

Miss toasted marshmallows my favorite corn syrup product.

up
6 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Granma's picture

Several years ago. He roasted his own coffee beans at home, a few days worth at a time. I think he roasted them in a skillet in the oven. Searched for, but did not find the article. I wanted to post the link and read again how he said he roasted his beans to check my memory.

I've noticed many, maybe most people seem to prefer dark roasts, at least in the Pacific Northwest. Before Starbucks and some of the other coffee places, people tended to drink their coffee differently according to what part of the country they lived in. For instance, in NYC, if you ordered a cup of coffee to go, sugar and cream went into the cup first, then the brewed coffee was poured in. That was coffee regular and the way most people drank their coffee in that area. Starbucks and the many other coffee shops have changed those regional preferences.

I'm continually surprised by how many people get their morning cup of coffee at the coffee stands rather than brewing it at home. It isn't unusual to see a line of 10 or 12 cars waiting their turn to order at the window. And that has held true through the pandemic.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@Granma
parents, elder brother and I drank it black. A bit later one could hit coffee houses and imbibe espresso, mocha, cafe au lait and all that type of stuff, which, for me, was espresso at first and then americano if I had enough of them. Some of those places also now and then had poets or musicians or comics or such. When I got to the bay area, it was the Cafe Med in Berkeley and Cafe Trieste in North Beach.

That all started changing in '66 when Peets opened in Berkeley. AFAIK he was the first to start offering all of the different varieties like Sumatran, Costa Rican this and that, Ethiopian, and the like. After a while, the Starbux dude, who learned his trade at Peets, began plastering his copy-cat shops with their private language "will that be a vente?" all over the place.

The only time I put anything in the cup first is my special, generally available only in bars and such put some dutch chocolate syrup (like used in a good mocha) and a couple of shots of Jameson's in the cup, and then build an americano on top of it. Delightful beverage.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

studentofearth's picture

@enhydra lutris Just can't convince myself its okay to have a cup first thing in the morning.

up
4 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

enhydra lutris's picture

@studentofearth

Everybody knows that the first tot is due when the sun is over the yard arm, about 11-ish in northerly climes. The thing is, that's a British tradition, and it's 11 in Portsmouth England at 3 am on the west coast of the US. Q.E.D.

be well and have a good one

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4 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

studentofearth's picture

@enhydra lutris Creates a new quandary, was going to fix evening mocha cup in just a bit OR is it now too early in England?

Take care.

up
5 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

studentofearth's picture

@Granma fragrance of a freshly opened container and first pot out of a 3 lb package. He certainly was young when started in business.

James Athearn Folger was just 14 years old when he and brothers Henry, 16, and Edward, 20, left their home in Nantucket, Mass., to make the long boat trip to Gold Rush California. The Folger boys departed in the fall of 1849, rafted and hiked across the Panama isthmus and arrived in San Francisco on May 5, 1850.

By the time they reached the West Coast, they were nearly broke. James agreed to earn money in the city while his older brothers traveled north to pan for gold. James had worked as a carpenter since he was 11, so it was a natural move for him to take a job with William H. Bovee, a 27- year-old transplanted New Yorker who wanted to create a spice and coffee mill. They decided to build it in the heart of San Francisco, just six blocks from the waterfront.

Starbucks roasts are so dark it encourages ordering one of the more expensive "mixed" drinks which originally tasted like hot sodas, so sweet. Good marketing technique, plus peer pressure not sophisticated if drink coffee brewed at home. As if it is too complicated for a mere mortal.

Oregon based chain Dutch Brothers seems to be the favorite locally based on car lines and Starbucks with tourists.

up
6 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Roast coffee seems to be seriously off-peak flavor after about a week in the freezer and less at room temperature. The stuff you get in the stores is probably way past it's peak so buying from a roaster who really turns it over, is a must.

Unless, you roast your own. It's really pretty easy to do. I started out using a metal pan cornpopper. They're good in that they allow you to roast a weeks supply at a time; the downside is that since the pan gets hotter, they frequently don't hold up for very long. I use an air bed roast which is pretty much like an air corn popper. I've been using one from FreshRoast (see coffeebeancorral.com for the roaster and green coffee). You have to use it where you've got an outdoor-venting hood or outdoors (my solution) since the roasting can produce a lot of smoke as the husks char up. I usually don't fuss too much over the roasting time, but I suspect that by being more careful about the time setting on the roaster I could squeeze out a tiny bit more quality from the roasting.

After a while it's easy to take home-roasted coffee for granted, but after a week on the road, my first pot of home-roast really stands out after all bad to okay coffee I usually encounter.

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studentofearth's picture

@MinuteMan and I am hooked. The first batch was too light, immediately got a caffeine buzz. When I mixed it with my store bought roasted beans before grinding. When brewed I could taste the staleness.

Impressed with the information available at coffeebeancorral.com. Bought a couple of organic sample packs to experiment.

Thanks for joining the conversation today.

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5 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

mimi's picture

I liked to read about the role of coffee in almost all revolutions.
How Coffee Fueled Revolutions—And Revolutionary Ideas - From the Ottoman Empire to the American and French Revolutions, coffeehouses have offered a place for (sober) people to discuss new waves of thought

Bingo.

On the lot my son is living on there is a coffee tree. I always thought about picking the beans and roasting them, but the tree is beyond the part that belongs to my son's garden area. Should I steal the beans? Next time, in my next life, God willing, I will just do that. I don't cook fancy coffee though. And we stopped making a whole thermos of coffee but just one cup by one cup

Thanks for the great Potluck essay, SoE. Really loved reading it and the comments too. Smile

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studentofearth's picture

@mimi appear to be common theme at C99. Really enjoyed today's thread.

Might check who's area the coffee tree is located. They might be willing to share or trade.

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4 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

mimi's picture

@studentofearth to me it
realize if I picked some beans, but you know, it's around the globe for me.

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WARNING: There is no turning back once you start roasting your own!

I started with an old, unmodified, hot air popcorn machine. That led to the purchase of an old school 1500w West Bend Poppery machine which was quickly tricked out with an extension tube (larger batches) microprocessor controlled temperature and an adjustable line voltage control. It’s a bit geeky and quirky but roasts excellent and repeatable batches.

I’ll be backpedaling to a simpler, integrated unit when (if) it ever burns out, but I’ll likely never go back to buying anything on the grocery store shelf. I’m an incorrigible coffee snob at this point, I’m afraid.

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Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes

studentofearth's picture

@ovals49 I am hooked on home roasting. Fresh flavor is worth the effort.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

travelerxxx's picture

@ovals49

Who knew? Not me. A couple of months ago, I learned that people use popcorn poppers for roasting their coffee beans. I'd never heard of this, but learned of it when reading comments regarding a particular type of popcorn popper I used to own. This was at a sales site which I like.

Did some more checking and, yup, they're commonly used. So, I learned something.

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studentofearth's picture

@travelerxxx interesting as a dedicated roaster to use on a burner. Thanks for the link.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

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studentofearth's picture

@humphrey

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

@humphrey
Even with unshakable faith in the engineering and the construction, the inevitable swaying motions and vibrations (noises?) would have me in a cold sweat.

Honestly, I’m not sure I could even begin if there were going to be more than a few people on it with me. You know there word likely be some pranksters among them who would like to ramp up the adventure by getting bigger movements going by synchronized pumping and jumping, just to make it even more “fun”.

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6 users have voted.

Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes

in Kenya, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jordan, and Ecuador. The process of growing them, picking them, drying and roasting them is incredibly labor intensive. If those pickers were paid a living wage, none of us would be able to afford it.
My preference is Jamaica Blue Mountain, but it is so good, nothing compares. Thus, I buy Folgers 100% Colombian, drink 2 or 3 cups in the morning, call it good. If and when I retire, I might explore other roasting/beans/stuff.
I had no idea caffeine depleted bone density, so I am glad I stopped with the coffee throughout the day habit years ago.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

studentofearth's picture

@on the cusp Trees were planted in rows for an automated picker to shake the trees. Moving away from original plantings, hard to find laborers for harvest.

Also avoid soft drinks if concerned about osteoporosis.

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4 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Wow thanks a million studentofearth kind and gracious host, and every one who commented. I am deeply disturbed to learn that caffeine may not be giving me the strong bones I need to perform the normal life maintenance tasks that (used to) bring joy. My coffee addiction brings joy every day, which is a big deal especially during depressive episodes. Putting down the IV bag will be the hardest thing yet.

injectit.jpg

I get my beans at the fancy food store nearby, roasted up north in Fort Bragg. Right before lockdown last year I met the guy refilling the bulk containers and we had a chat. My first question was "So, do you guys put crack in Paul's Blend, or what?" Ha ha yeah. After that the bins got removed and there was a period of time before the new two pound bulk bags appeared on the shelf. Thank god, er I mean thank Paul.

https://www.thanksgivingcoffee.com/award-winning-coffee/

Okay it will take a few days at least to digest the possibility my relationship with coffee must end, if I want to have strong bones up until the end. Maybe I don't need them like I think I do, I don't know yet, gonna take deep breaths and contemplate my existence again. Ha!
...

Slippery, slick is the earth.
It is the same as the one mentioned
Perhaps at one time one was of good
life; later he fell into some wrong, as if
he had slipped in the mud.

...

My friends, stand up!
The princes have become destitute,
I am Nezahualcoyotl,
I am a Singer,
head of macaw.
Grasp your flowers and your fan.
With them go out to dance!
You are my child,
you are Yoyontzin.
Take your chocolate,
flower of the cacao tree,
may you drink all of it!
Do the dance,
do the song!
Not here is our house,
not here do we live,
you also will have to go away.

...

Is it true that we are happy,
that we live on earth?
It is not certain that we live
and have come on earth to be happy.
We are all sorely lacking.
Is there any who does not suffer
here, next to the people?

What if the song and the dance are created from the caffeine? /addict

Aztec Thought and Culture
A Study of the Ancient Nahuatl Mind

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Lookout's picture

@eyo

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/build-healthy-bones#TOC_TITLE_HDR_5

Don't be afraid of salt, light salt has potassium.

My partner improved her bone density scan last year. Dr was amazed and wanted to know what she was doing. Taking high dose D and K is probably most responsible as well as lots of EVOO to boost Omega 3.

All the best!

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3 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

studentofearth's picture

@eyo Just did a quick view on several write-ups about osteoporosis. Lots of confusing and contradictory information on prevention and treatment. The suggestion Lookout is good, also read this one.

Osteoporosis diagnosis is a judgement call made after evaluating different information. (Info appears good at this site, but lots of link jumping.) This is why the suggestion to see a medical professional for diagnosis.

As osteoporosis has no obvious symptoms, an evaluation of risk factors for osteoporosis (see risk factors and patients at high fracture risk) combined with a thorough medical history that includes information on any recent fractures is the first step toward a diagnosis and should indicate whether a bone mineral density (BMD) test is necessary or not. This practice is common across different healthcare systems and a few clinical guidelines even recommend a fracture risk assessment before performing a BMD test [1

At one time, not that long ago, treating Osteoporosis was simple. Increase bone density with a medication and mineral supplements. Just this one annoying fact kept appearing in studies. Increasing bone density did not correlate with improved fracture rate, sometimes increased the problem by making bones more brittle. Which leaves us with the problem if something effects bone density by increasing or decreasing is it good or bad? Calcium supplements are another story altogether.

The coffee picture is confusing as this summary page demonstrates. Caffeine does decrease absorption of calcium. Other chemicals in coffee stimulate acid release in the stomach possibly increasing the absorption of calcium. This might be part of the different results of fracture rates in various studies.

Soda beverages have a strong correlation to increased fracture rate, with and without caffeine.

A study published in November 2019 does link soda consumption to hip fractures among post-menopausal women. The research found that women who consumed an average of more than 14 12-ounce sodas per week were 26 percent more likely to experience a hip fracture than women who never drank soda. The risk rose to 32 percent among women who consumed more than 14 servings a week of caffeine-free soda. Drinking fewer than 14 sodas per week did not increase the risk.

My suggestion if the only concern about coffee is osteoporosis use these guidelines.
1). If using mineral supplements take 1/2 hour before drinking coffee or 2 hours after.
2.) Do not count any milk added to coffee as part of daily calcium intake.
3.) If those suggestions are too complicated switch to decaffeinated.

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2 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.