things that happened before my coffee

[phinnia]

Weird moment of the day:

I'm standing by the end of the coffee bar in Seattle's Best (yes, I know, corporate coffee, shut up, I was killing time while waiting for the bus and it's right beside the building my theater class meets in) and beside me are two girls, which to me seem quite ridiculously young but were probably about eighteen. (It's all in how you carry yourself, folks.) They ordered the Seattles' Best equivalent of a frappucino, which is (this is important) an iced coffee drink. And while it is (again) an iced coffee drink, it's not THAT cold - it's not like frost forms on the side of the cup or anything, yeah?

While I'm standing there waiting, they get their drinks as they were ahead of me in line. And they proceed to both put those cardboard coffee sleeves (which are for hot drinks) on them and carry them away.

WHAT. THE. HELL?!?

---

I am a shortbread purist - I only really like imported scottish or english shortbread, and generally plain please, none of this chocolate covered stuff. But the 'meyer lemon shortbread cookies' they had there today were actually pretty good. Subtle. If I can perfect a shortbread recipe, I might try flavoring it with lemon zest. (Someone, I forget who, voiced a theory that it's all about the butter. I believe this. I may have to pick up some of that european butter they have at New Seasons, which I'm quite sure is not the same thing but is probably close, and try that ...)

---

Someone is using fabric softener downstairs. It's horrible. I want to stuff their head in the bottle, but I can't, because it smells like the bottle is EMPTY and the crap is all over their damned LAUNDRY, spilling the vile stench of Manufactured April Fresh #228 all over the WILLAMMETTE VALLEY.
(Does that stuff actually work for anything, or does it exist purely to annoy me and give me headaches?)

---

This bar made of books is extremely cool.

Comments

[machineplay.livejournal.com]

Try a fresh, organic butter and a good quality cornstarch for the shortbread. :)

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

I usually use organic butter. Maybe it's the cornstarch? Or maybe the butter's not fresh enough ... could be, I always forget to check the date.

[machineplay.livejournal.com]

Hn. Could you be overmixing? What proportion of flour do you use?

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

Also possible. I'll have to dig out the recipe - I haven't made it in ages ...

[lauramcewan.livejournal.com]

Did you see this?

http://www.customchannels.net/Players/KINK_Lights_Out/pop.htm

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

No, I didn't! :-D How nifty!

[kaleidoscopeeye.livejournal.com]

I just wrote this out once. I hate LJ sometimes.

So, Ryan and I were in a restaurant the other night and I got a beer. It was served in a glass and my fingers were freezing. I have hands and feet that are forever cold. I told Ry I wished I had a coozie to keep my fingers from touching the cold glass.

I would do the same with a cold drink in the winter at a coffee shop. Keeps your fingers from getting really cold.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

I always use European butter for shortbread. It makes a difference.

When I make lemon shortbread, I usually use lemon oil in addition to the zest. Still subtle, and very nice.

Fabric softener is simply evil, and those dryer sheets? What sinister mind thought those things up? Ew.

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

The only thing I can stand to use in the dryer is those dryer bags you can buy at Trader Joes' that have lavender flowers in them? Those are great. I should get some more.
Where do you get your lemon oil? How much of that, and of the zest, do you add? I'm definitely wanting to try this now. :-D (And I have to wonder if it would work with limes, or oranges.)

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

I used to get it from Williams-Sonoma, but they stopped carrying it. Several online shops have it, though. This is a good way to get started - Lemon, Lime and Orange oils from Boyajian, which is the brand I use. Fantastic!

And orange and lime also work very well in shortbread. Orange shortbread is wonderful dipped in chocolate, which I know the purist in you objects to, but, really, it's quite wonderful :):).