The Coffee House

[smoke665]

In the kitchen to mix up a batch of Orange Creamsicle Moonshine that I had read about. After modifications I ended up with this recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon fresh 100% Orange Juice (the less pulp the better).
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 cup French Vanilla liquid coffee creamer
• 1 Fifth of 190 proof Everclear (150 proof can be substituted just won't be as stout)
• 1/2 cup Vanilla vodka (You may want to adjust this to taste at the mixing stage)
• Mason Jars with lids.

Instructions:

• You need a big pot with extra room for when it foams up (and it will - don't ask). Mix the orange juice, sugar, vanilla extract together over medium heat. After it heats up add in the creamer. Stir until creamer is fully incorporated.
• Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
• Add the Everclear (WARNING DO NOT BE AROUND OPEN FLAME WHEN DOING THIS). Stir mixture.
• Add the vanilla vodka. I'd start with the 1/2 cup mix and taste. I think I finally added just over 3/4 cup total.
• Pour the mixture into the mason jars, and refrigerate.
• NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU'RE TEMPTED - Let it age for at least 2 weeks, as it will only get better.
• Shake before serving over ice
• Enjoy

 

[snowbear115 46]

House I grew up in, Dickerson / Jefferson, Detroit. Still someone living there. I shot from car, my parents didn't want me to get out of car, lol. Pentax P30T 50mm f/2, 400 TX. Still a rough hood, maybe more so today, looks the same to me.

View attachment 142545

A little reminiscent of the house MLW lived in when she was in S. Rockwood

 

[Frank F.]

House I grew up in, Dickerson / Jefferson, Detroit. Still someone living there. I shot from car, my parents didn't want me to get out of car, lol. Pentax P30T 50mm f/2, 400 TX. Still a rough hood, maybe more so today, looks the same to me.

View attachment 142545

Ist that typical for the area? Seems to be a modest and friendly form to accommodate a little family.

 

[jcdeboever]

House I grew up in, Dickerson / Jefferson, Detroit. Still someone living there. I shot from car, my parents didn't want me to get out of car, lol. Pentax P30T 50mm f/2, 400 TX. Still a rough hood, maybe more so today, looks the same to me.

View attachment 142545

Ist that typical for the area? Seems to be a modest and friendly form to accommodate a little family.

Not really, most of the houses are burned out, torn down. But the ones standing and occupied look like these. At one time there were a house on either side, no longer. It's Urban decay mostly in this east side neiborhood. All the liquor stores are still open and running strangely enough.

 

[Gary A.]

House I grew up in, Dickerson / Jefferson, Detroit. Still someone living there. I shot from car, my parents didn't want me to get out of car, lol. Pentax P30T 50mm f/2, 400 TX. Still a rough hood, maybe more so today, looks the same to me.

View attachment 142545

Ist that typical for the area? Seems to be a modest and friendly form to accommodate a little family.

Not really, most of the houses are burned out, torn down. But the ones standing and occupied look like these. At one time there were a house on either side, no longer. It's Urban decay mostly in this east side neiborhood. All the liquor stores are still open and running strangely enough.

That is so sad. All of it from urban decay to the liquor stores.

 

[jcdeboever]

House I grew up in, Dickerson / Jefferson, Detroit. Still someone living there. I shot from car, my parents didn't want me to get out of car, lol. Pentax P30T 50mm f/2, 400 TX. Still a rough hood, maybe more so today, looks the same to me.

View attachment 142545

Ist that typical for the area? Seems to be a modest and friendly form to accommodate a little family.

Not really, most of the houses are burned out, torn down. But the ones standing and occupied look like these. At one time there were a house on either side, no longer. It's Urban decay mostly in this east side neiborhood. All the liquor stores are still open and running strangely enough.

That is so sad. All of it from urban decay to the liquor stores.

Yes it is.

 

[snowbear115 46]

I'm guessing the house was built in the '40s or early '50s. There are a number of them in older neighborhoods in the DC area.

 

[smoke665]

Footnotes to those who might be inclined to make the Orange Creamsicle Moonshine recipe I posted above:

I had forgotten just how much cooling and aging will intensify the flavors. Sampled last night and think that on the next one I'll back off the vanilla extract to 2 Tablespoons, and back off the French Vanilla Creamer to 1/2 cup.

 

[Frank F.]

I created a nice portrait of our priest in the dying light at ISO6400 and f/2.0 with my little X100:

 

[jcdeboever]

I'm guessing the house was built in the '40s or early '50s. There are a number of them in older neighborhoods in the DC area.

House built in 1910. See the asbestos shingle siding on the home front? Before the 67 riots, there was a project where they were tearing down homes in order to rebuild safer, or better dwellings. Unfortunately, the riots halted that. It wasn't until the current Mayor, Dugan, had begun a campaign to continue with this process and around 12000 have been demolished and another 50000 is on slate. Unfortunately, there is some unethical suspected contractor stuff going on and putting a halt to the progress due to law suits. Haz mat has to come in on many of these and properly dispose of the asbestos materials. This home was obviously well built and includes a huge "Michigan basement" where my uncle had a repair shop. Additionally, the amount of dead trees canopy the city streets, left untrimmed, and add to the blight of Urban decay. City sidewalks, dangerously in decay, feature weeds 3ft tall growing from their dangerous, cracks, and ruins. Sad, very, very, sad. It's a mess.

 

[smoke665]

That is so sad. All of it from urban decay to the liquor stores

Even more so when you consider that most times the "decay" is not due to the age of the structure, but to the lack of attention by the inhabitants. My wife and I had this conversation the other day. We grew up in a time and in an area where cleanliness, and pride in your surroundings was not dependent on the amount of money you had. Your jeans might be worn, but you didn't leave the house unless they were clean and patched and you had clean underwear on, because Mom always said " you never knew when you might have to go to the emergency room". I had a few childhood accidents that sent me to the doctor, but never had to validate Mom's advice, but I could have. People took care of what little they might have.

 

[jcdeboever]

That is so sad. All of it from urban decay to the liquor stores

Even more so when you consider that most times the "decay" is not due to the age of the structure, but to the lack of attention by the inhabitants. My wife and I had this conversation the other day. We grew up in a time and in an area where cleanliness, and pride in your surroundings was not dependent on the amount of money you had. Your jeans might be worn, but you didn't leave the house unless they were clean and patched and you had clean underwear on, because Mom always said " you never knew when you might have to go to the emergency room". I had a few childhood accidents that sent me to the doctor, but never had to validate Mom's advice, but I could have. People took care of what little they might have.

True. Additionally, the city government was in total corruption for years, following the riots. You know the saying, **it rolls downhill, I think some of this applies to the city. We took care of our stuff because that's how we were raised. As kids, we had our chores, and if we didn't do them, things got bad swiftly.

 

[smoke665]

things got bad swiftly.

One of the most "agonizing decisions" ever made was when Mom or Grandma told me to go get a hickory switch. To big? To Little? To stiff? To limber? Seems funny now.

 

[Gary A.]

Buenos Dias Coffee Hosers. Yesterday was a California perfect day, in the 70's, slight Pacific breeze, Marine Layer in the morning with blue skies afternoon. Gary hade guests for a BBQ of Korean Short Ribs and steaks. Mike brought appitezers and Max (the Goldie) and Tom brought his mother's delicious homemade ribs. Max had a great time being feed little pieces of steak and ribs while depositing a few pounds of fur in the patio. There was so much meat the meal could have been called Carne con Carne. Some excellant vino from Temecula and Paso Robles, and some espresso with dessert. Gary is the patio and the Cook is ready for our daily constitutional. Cook will be 14 in a month and the poor ol' girl is getting old. She is practically deaf now. Gary has to interact with her visually and make sure there is always a line of sight between her and Gary on our walks. The Cook and Gary are off getting our day started. More guests this afternoon, salmon on the Komado and a Tri-Tip in the smoker, a tomato salad from the garden and some flatbread. Gary juiced up some orange-lemonade and straight lemonade for the afternoon.

 

[Gary A.]

That is so sad. All of it from urban decay to the liquor stores

Even more so when you consider that most times the "decay" is not due to the age of the structure, but to the lack of attention by the inhabitants. My wife and I had this conversation the other day. We grew up in a time and in an area where cleanliness, and pride in your surroundings was not dependent on the amount of money you had. Your jeans might be worn, but you didn't leave the house unless they were clean and patched and you had clean underwear on, because Mom always said " you never knew when you might have to go to the emergency room". I had a few childhood accidents that sent me to the doctor, but never had to validate Mom's advice, but I could have. People took care of what little they might have.

True. Additionally, the city government was in total corruption for years, following the riots. You know the saying, **it rolls downhill, I think some of this applies to the city. We took care of our stuff because that's how we were raised. As kids, we had our chores, and if we didn't do them, things got bad swiftly.

Yep, we grew up on the lower end of middle class. We all worked hard and I didn't understand what entitlement meant until I became an adult. My jeans had patches, but they were clean patches.