Girls Coffeeshop Talk

[Lion]

Ladies, I've enjoyed seeing the pictures of your pottery/ceramics and your conversation over such pieces. I have always enjoyed pottery since high school when I became best friends(and still keep in close contact)with my teacher. I learned how to throw pieces on a wheel, build kilns and how to mix and use glazes and slips. We did everything from using glazes for stoneware to salt glazes, crystalline glazes and Raku and porcelain. I would assist him with his Adult Ed. Classes at night at the high school...actually it was kind of funny as some of the ladies would come to class with Playtex gloves to work with the clay. We would mix our own clay using a pugmill, the school also had a slab roller and I would give him a hand with the gas fired kiln...loading and unloading the finished pieces. He lived out in the country sharing a farm house with another potter and there was a party every night. We sure had a lot of fun back in the early 70's and met some cool musicians out at the farm as well.....do any of you remember Leo Kottke???

Take it easy.....Leo

[Lisa]

looks good, Art. Are you going to put the hot sauce on the cantaloupe? Not really kidding - my dad used to cover his with black pepper.

I'm going to grill some burgers - and get some enjoyment out of this cool, calm pre-spring evening.

[Lisa]

Leo, could you share some pics of your pottery with us? I'd like to see it - sounds like you were a serious potter!

[Art 1]

Originally Posted by Lisa

looks good, Art. Are you going to put the hot sauce on the cantaloupe? Not really kidding - my dad used to cover his with black pepper.

I'm going to grill some burgers - and get some enjoyment out of this cool, calm pre-spring evening.

Sounds good, I'll have medium, cheese, mustard and pickles, please.

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by Art 1

Just heard on the news that Snookie lost 42lbs. It's good to know that the world is in good shape as I leave out for the day.

Looks like I have some influence on Snookie then...

Originally Posted by The Joker

Anyone have an eReader? I vowed I would never get one. Would much rather have a book in my hand or on the shelf. I work in computers, I hate computers. I truly believe machines will rise up and take over the world one day.

My brother has one, I'm afraid I've never felt the need nor the interest of buying such things. I only have a few books that I'm reading every now and then and do not wish to read them on a screen, although I spend a lot of time on various websites and on this forum reading a full novel or the work of a philosopher is something I'd rather do whilst handling and holding paperwork.

Originally Posted by Art 1

No way, never. I like the feel and smell of a book. I'll bet Carl has a few of them though. Just having fun with you Carl my friend.

All in good fun Art, you always make me laugh!

Although I'm as good with computer as a chimpanzee is with driving a Ferrari...and even there it depends, some chimpanzees are probably good drivers...

Originally Posted by Rodentman

Well, I am slamming the way technology is abused, and my presence on a horology forum is due to my appreciation of *mechanical* timepieces.

To wit, my wife and #1 son went out for lunch. At the next table were a man and woman, and 3 kids, presumably a husband, wife and their children. The entire time we were there they were playing with phones, probably texting each other.

That is my objection-abuse, misuse and overuse at the expense of human interaction.

I cannot stand somebody sending text messages or being on Facebook/Twitter while we're eating together or having a conversation. I can understand taking a look if you're waiting for a call or thinking it might be important but I really hate it when they're just having fun with somebody else on their phone without discussins anything important, especially when I'm in front of them in a situation that should, technically, involve a face to face discussion. Otherwise I have nothing against technology, we may talk against a whole lot of things that make us lazy and that are very, very useless but let's not forget that technology also help us a lot in many other ways, we must not always look at the bad side of things...

Let's not forget that all young people aren't technology addicted either, we grew up in it and are perhaps more used to it than others but it doesn't make us zombies who would never be able to survive without electronic devices.

Originally Posted by chicfarmer1

Mechanical timepieces are the achievement in technology that I was speaking of.

Speaking of which, mechanical timepieces may still work with good ol' wheels and gears working in harmony but let's not forget that those small parts full of life and with souls are made with big machines that our modern technology helped to build. Only a very, very few watchmakers still make parts by hand (and I'm not talking about finishing) but even there they have very expensive and fancy computers to help them making plans, sketches and graphics.

Originally Posted by Art 1

Originally Posted by Lisa

looks good, Art. Are you going to put the hot sauce on the cantaloupe? Not really kidding - my dad used to cover his with black pepper.

I'm going to grill some burgers - and get some enjoyment out of this cool, calm pre-spring evening.

Looking good Art!

Art, Lisa, I am going to try a new recipe tonight (again, with tofu). This evening we will try to prepare a small pan of homemade pasta sauce with whatever's left in the fridge and in my cupboards. I took some pictures of the ingredients already and will try to take more while preparing it, stay tuned!

[Art 1]

Can't wait to see it Carl.

[Lion]

Originally Posted by Lisa

Leo, could you share some pics of your pottery with us? I'd like to see it - sounds like you were a serious potter!

Lisa, I apologize to you but I really no longer have any of my pieces(I only have two ashtrays left)as I gave them away years ago.....and I did not keep up with it after graduating from high school. My ex-teacher, Phil Mundt, moved away to New Mexico after I graduated and now lives in Arkansas. But I do have many of his pieces that I have collected over the past 40 plus years and I also have a few of his hand blown glass pieces as well. For the past 20 plus years he has been doing Raku decorative vessels and uses a copper type slip or wash(probably the best way to describe it)which he sprays on the pieces before the second firing. This gives the pieces the colors of the rainbow and you can not predict the results you are going to get so each piece is unique. He also does pit fired pieces as well which gives you earth tone muted effects.....his live in girl friend/partner, Ramona Buss, is also an artist and she does decorative weaving using natural materials which she gathers and collects from the woods surrounding their home in the woods. She does her own dyeing and her work is amazing as well!!!

Take it easy.....Leo

[FeelingTheBlues]

So here's what I cooked tonight: Carl's improvised vegetarian spaghetti sauce!

Here are the ingredients you need for this recipe...

Canola oil



Mint



Provence herbs



Indian Madras Curry spices



Blumenpfeffer



...Of course, the spices can be changed...especially the ones with strange names...

For the record, those are from Switzerland and were a little gift I bought myself when I went there, if anybody goes there someday have a look for them in a grocery store, they're worth it!

Lemon juice (since TRF is against replicas, please make sure the juice comes from real lemons...)



Vegetables juice (or any tomato juice or sauce)



Tofu, diced tomatoes and mushrooms: take a large yet but too thick slice of tofu, cut it in small cubes and mix it in a bowl with fresh mushrooms and about two spoons and a half of diced tomatoes (that is, per meal, you may put more if you are making a big batch of it).



Pastas (those are spaghettinis but you can use any kind you want)



Lastly, don't forget your vintage 18kt rose gold Chronographe Suisse!



And here's how I did it...

I first took my good ol' pan...



...Started to heat it before adding a bit of oil...



...Before adding some lemon juice!



The idea is to examine the lemon juice in order to see if the pan is hot enough. I waited until it started to get "seperated" in smaller "bubbles".



Then you add the main ingredients of the sauce...



...And the spices!



The advantage of using fresh mushrooms is that their looks will give you a hint on how well the ingredients are cooked. Since none of those ingredients are bad or dangerous if cold, you only need to heat them until you are satisfied with their texture, not fully cook them. I decided to wait until my mushrooms were a tad grey so they were still more crunchy but heated enough.



Notice how the tomatoes and the mushrooms let a lot of water and juice go as they get hotter, I kept that in mind for another step of the preparation of my meal.

When the ingredients are good for you, you add the pastas to the mix (of course, if you make a big batch this will not be a viable option but I saw cooks doing that in a small pastas restaurant once and thought the idea was good if you only make a few dishes).



Mix everything until the pastas get a bit of juice on them...



...Open the can of juice (and insert a big duh here...:dummy)...



...And remember the detail you noticed earlier! Because of the juice that was already in the pan, I only put very little vegetables juice in the mix as I didn't want the meal to become gooey and too much like a soup.



Last minute ingredient: black pepper!



Mix everything one last time...



Bon appétit!

[The Joker]

And the magic ingredient - Love.

Looks good.

[mikkibarry]

The good news..hubby got his Explorer II and my Chopard Imperiale came back from the spa today. The not so good, missing rehearsal to rush doggie to the vet. My Cushings girl is sick.

[East Bay Rider]

Get well soon little doggie.
What's wrong?

[mikkibarry]

She is on super powerful drugs for Cushings disease. If they are what is making her ill we are in big trouble. They are keeping her tonight.

[East Bay Rider]

Well I hope she's ok. Big dog lover here.

[Lisa]

Carl, that meal looks really good - and is the kind of food that you feel good about eating, too. Well done - enjoyed the tutorial.

Heh - are your watches fitting a bit too loosely with all of your weight loss?

Mikki - I've heard of Cushing's disease in humans but didn't know dogs could get it. Hope she'll be okay.

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by mikkibarry

She is on super powerful drugs for Cushings disease. If they are what is making her ill we are in big trouble. They are keeping her tonight.

I'm really sorry to read such bad news about your dog Mikki, I hope those drugs aren't the cause of her sickness and wish you a lot of courage to get through this, I'm definitely sending positive vibes to you and your little doggie.

Originally Posted by Lisa

Carl, that meal looks really good - and is the kind of food that you feel good about eating, too. Well done - enjoyed the tutorial.

Heh - are your watches fitting a bit too loosely with all of your weight loss?

Thank you Lisa, it was quite good indeed and I found it nice that I was able to do this with just a few strange ingredients.

As for the watches, leather bands are great for that but even my timepieces on metal bracelets aren't too lose, I can always adjust them a little bit but it's not quite a problem. In fact, losing fat in my wrists only helped me to appreciate smaller watches even more, I always seemed to go for mid size cases (the exceptions being a few watches including my now gone SMP, a Maurice Lacroix chronograph and one or two other watches I wear from times to times) but it seems like those sizes fit me much better now that I have more skinny wrists.

[FeelingTheBlues]

By the way, I just watched the movie The Prestige with Michael Caine, Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johanson, I must admit I found it very good! If you ever feel bored one night I recommend you to watch it.

[mikkibarry]

Originally Posted by FeelingTheBlues

By the way, I just watched the movie The Prestige with Michael Caine, Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johanson, I must admit I found it very good! If you ever feel bored one night I recommend you to watch it.

Yes, but only once....

[mikkibarry]

Thanks to everyone with nice thought for my Luppy.

[Lion]

Mikki, I'm so sorry to hear your little girl is sick. I know it must be so hard for you when your pet gets sick and there is nothing you can do for her. Our cat got sick with cancer eight years ago and it was just a matter of time before she succumbed. All we could do was make her as comfortable as possible.....it was very hard to see her decline and I still miss her dearly.....

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by mikkibarry

Yes, but only once....

Must I assume you didn't like it that much?

Originally Posted by mikkibarry

Thanks to everyone with nice thought for my Luppy.

What a cutie, may she recover quickly!

[mikkibarry]

Originally Posted by Lion

Mikki, I'm so sorry to hear your little girl is sick. I know it must be so hard for you when your pet gets sick and there is nothing you can do for her. Our cat got sick with cancer eight years ago and it was just a matter of time before she succumbed. All we could do was make her as comfortable as possible.....it was very hard to see her decline and I still miss her dearly.....

Thanks, Leo. You're a good person. We're responsible for our little furry friends. We're only blessed with them for a short time, and it hurts so much when they leave us. But we open our hearts again anyway. My Luppy is in good hands tonight. Meantime, the other 7 are wondering where she is.

[dbelle7]

Originally Posted by FeelingTheBlues

By the way, I just watched the movie The Prestige with Michael Caine, Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johanson, I must admit I found it very good! If you ever feel bored one night I recommend you to watch it.

I'll have to check this one out...
Dinner looked great again tonight!
I'm on a quest for Blumenpfeffer

[dbelle7]

Originally Posted by Lisa

looks good, Art. Are you going to put the hot sauce on the cantaloupe? Not really kidding - my dad used to cover his with black pepper.

I'm going to grill some burgers - and get some enjoyment out of this cool, calm pre-spring evening.

I wonder if that's an Okie 'thang'...I know people who eat it that way....I'm still too scared to try it

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by dbelle7

I'll have to check this one out...
Dinner looked great again tonight!
I'm on a quest for Blumenpfeffer

I found it good but don't want to be held responsible if you don't enjoy it!

Thank you for the kind words, please let me know if you're serious about trying Blumenpfeffer.

[dbelle7]

Originally Posted by FeelingTheBlues

I found it good but don't want to be held responsible if you don't enjoy it!

Thank you for the kind words, please let me know if you're serious about trying Blumenpfeffer.

I am serious! I love trying new spices. There is an online spice shop called My Spice Sage...let's just say I have tried way too many of their fresh herbs and spices! They have small sizes to you can try something exotic to see if you like it before you purchase a full size. But I have never heard of blumenpfeffer

[The Joker]

Hope your Luppy gets well soon, Mikki.

Love the prestige, Carl. One of my favourites. Directed by Christopher Nolan of the Batman films.

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by The Joker

Hope your Luppy gets well soon, Mikki.

Love the prestige, Carl. One of my favourites. Directed by Christopher Nolan of the Batman films.

Indeed, and Nolan is quite the director if you ask me!

Still looking forward to watching Inception, have you seen it?

[The Joker]

Originally Posted by FeelingTheBlues

Indeed, and Nolan is quite the director if you ask me!

Still looking forward to watching Inception, have you seen it?

Yep Inception is excellent as well, although you have to pay close attention. Great cast.

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by The Joker

Yep Inception is excellent as well, although you have to pay close attention. Great cast.

That's what I've heard indeed, thank you Wes!

As for the cast, you are right! Dicaprio is one great actor if you ask me and I must say I particularely liked Tom Hardy's Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. I'll let you know my impressions when I'll watch it.

Off to school now, have a good day guys!

[The Joker]

Tom Hardy is excellent in Inception. Also great in Warrior and Lawless. Gonna be the new Mad Max. IMDB also says he's gonna play George Mallory in a film called Everest.