Learn By Doing

I hope everyone's been able to enjoy a lazy Sunday like yours truly.

After the tiring whirlwind of yesterday, today was a breath of fresh air.

It started off with brunch at Blu Jam Cafe on Melrose (one of my favs), and this brewski:

It was just one of those mornings.

I munched on:

2 poached eggs with mixed greens and wheat toast

to save room for this to-die-for splurge:

The best pancake ever, banana walnut.

I crave this pancake. For real.

After brunch, I came home to lounge around the house and, thanks to the pancake and meager breakfast, was starving just a little while later.

What to eat, what to eat?

I wanted something filling since that pancake had clearly not done the trick.

Brown rice came to mind. And maybe some beans?

Wanting to invent something tasty rather than looking up a recipe, I gathered ingredients from the [still disheveled] pantry

and made something simple I'd never tried before:

spicy black beans and brown rice with sauteed onion and garlic.

Goat cheese would have been perfect but since I was out, cheddar cheese had to suffice... Not too shabby.

It was wonderful- hit the spot and filled me up until the dinner gathering I was due to go to later in the evening.

SINCE I had somewhere to be and that beer from earlier was starting to induce potential nap time, I figured it was time for:

RETURN OF THE ICED COFFEE

I haven't been keeping it in the fridge as I used to, so I thought I'd try my second experiment of the day (my, how we are spoiled by Google).

I thought, "Who says water in a French Press has to be hot?"

So I did my own thing:

to see what would happen.

Now I know by doing: water must be hot for coffee to work properly.

I don't know why- maybe it's more susceptible to soaking up the ground coffee bean essence? If anyone has a clue, please let me know!

After allowing it to steep for nearly 20 minutes (5 times the duration coffee with hot water takes), I poured it into a glass

This photo does not capture how transparent the end product turned out to be.

With the standard almond milk, cinnamon and ice, it was bearable enough:

But now I know that coffee is brewed hot for a reason.

Today really has been a day of casual experimentation.

I urge you guys to give something you've been thinking of a go. Who cares if you don't have a recipe to go by or a "how to" written out by someone on the web or in a book? The best way to do anything is to try it yourself, so go ahead.

I'm off to catch up on Boardwalk Empire but before I go, a little info on my goal for the week:

No eating out whatsoever. A casual dinner down the street with my love? Nope. My weekly coffee at Starbucks? Not gonna to happen. Everything I consume is coming straight from my kitchen.

As always, I'll let you know how it goes ;)

Have a Happy Monday!!

Mads