Week of July 23-29

[mrissa]

Two rejections.

Just popping in for a minute in the midst of birthday party-related errands (sing it with me: no one will come and there won't be enough food -- though I know there will be enough to drink, because I have just carried it all in from the car) to say: damn, is it ever hot here. I did not collapse on the liquor store counter moaning, "Hot!", because they tend not to sell you your booze when you collapse and moan, I would think. (I do not know this from personal experience. But I wouldn't.) But it was a near thing.

I realize that getting to 100 tomorrow and Monday is the merest bagatelle for some of you. But you know what? I didn't choose to live where you are. I chose to live in Minnesota, where my contact lenses started to freeze to my eyes a couple of times in college. I am so ready for a foot of snow. Seriously, just give me October next, including the blizzard at the end of it. I will dance and sing.

Well, I dance and sing anyway, because I'm like that. But I will dance and sing with a great deal more enthusiasm.

Arright. My glass of water is gone. Back out the door for the cool joys of Byerly's. Have a lemonade for me, folks.

Oh, and hey: does anybody know where you can get good, really densely chocolatey cold chocolate? Not chocolate milk, that's something different. And not anything gritty, and not where half the chocolate falls out of suspension anyway. Much appreciated.

Comments

[carbonel]

does anybody know where you can get good, really densely chocolatey cold chocolate? Not chocolate milk, that's something different.

Assuming the Dairy Queen's iced hot chocolate doesn't count (it's not bad, but it's really a chocolate Mr Misty with stuff in it), you'll probably have to make your own.

[rosefox]

Believe it or not, Starbucks does a damn good iced chocolate. I also differentiate between chocolate milk and iced chocolate, but I'm curious as to what your criteria are.

I recently learned that making one's own chocolate sauce is as simple as pouring hot cream over chocolate chips (or chunks, or whatever) and stirring until the chocolate melts. I imagine one could then chill the results and add them to milk. I haven't tried it yet, but it's only for lack of sufficiently awesome chocolate. Maybe I'll go shopping today if I'm good and get lots of work done.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Chocolate milk is a significantly milkier experience. I am all about the dark chocolate.

[rosefox]

Ahh. In that case, definitely go the cream + chocolate + milk route. I use 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream to 1 cup chocolate chips or hacked-off bits of a chunk of chocolate. Heat cream (whisking to keep a skin from forming) to just below boiling (little bubbles start forming around the edges), put chocolate in heat-proof bowl, pour cream over it, stir with a fork or whisk until texture is even. Ta-da! I would definitely cool it before adding milk; even if you're making hot chocolate, you want to heat the milk first and then add chocolate sauce.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Lovely, thank you!

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I haven't tried it. We'll have to see.

[ckd]

Perhaps this might be of interest? I still miss the Serendipity 3 that used to be at Quincy Market, sigh....

[rosefox]

The stuff in packets is in no way comparable to the real thing. Mris, if the idea of frozen hot chocolate appeals to you, come to New York and I'll take you to the original Serendipity 3. Skip the packets. banesidhe gave me some when I moved away from New York and they weren't even worth finishing. Very sad.

[ckd]

How irritating. (I'd never tried the packets, and have in fact been frozen-hot-chocolate-deprived since the Boston location closed.)

[von-krag.livejournal.com]

I am so ready for a foot of snow. Seriously, just give me October next, including the blizzard at the end of it. I will dance and sing.This ol polar critter is 100% in agreement.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

When we went to Norway in July, it was below 75 F the whole time we were there. I'm Just Sayin'.

[tanaise.livejournal.com]

Hah! Let the Hannah take you to Finale next time you're in boston. *I* will take you to get Iced Hot Chocolate (the sign says just 'Iced Chocolate' but when they write the order note, it's IHC) at L.A. Burdicks. It is the finest *ever*. If you get the whole milk version (which I have to because of my MSG/lowfat milk issues), it's so rich I can't drink it with a straw, but have to drink from the cup directly so I can crunch the ice cubes as needed to cut through the richness.

I may have to go to Harvard specially tomorrow just for that, actually, as it's been ages since I had it. (and a piece of vanilla pound cake from High Rise Bakery next door which is so vanilla, even the sugar in it is stored with vanilla beans in it.)

And much as I love going to meeting (which I do) I can't do it in summer since it's not airconditioned and if I just wanted to sit and sweat somewhere silently, I could do it by myself without having to take the T out there first. So I am waiting for the cool weather to come back. This summer up until midway through June was LOFFLY--cool and damp and perfect. My genes perk up in that weather, and make me go for walks and enjoy it. This weather, they make me sit still in front of the fan and not move.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

My brain and body both come back to full power around the first frost. I theoretically understand why so much fantasy symbolism goes with the summer=life/winter=death thing, but I just can't do it myself. Midnight Sun Brain is a good deal less stable and productive than Long Night brain, for me.

And we will go to have Iced Hot Chocolate. Yes. This thing we will do. (I should probably actually plan a trip to Boston sometime, if I'm planning the activities for one....)