Learning

Capuchins & Cute Cappuccinos

August 22, 2014August 22, 2014 CaitlynLeave a comment

I have started training to become a coffee master at my workplace, and so far a lot of the things I’ve read have been review from Uncommon Grounds. However, I have been learning lots of extra little interesting tidbits that I can add to my coffee knowledge, one of which is about the origin of the term “cappuccino.”

In Italian, cappuccino means “little cap,” and this term represents the “hood” of pretty foam that sits on top of the espresso. People surmise the beverage was also named for Capuchin monks who wore coffee-colored, hooded cloaks. (A separate monk-related speculation regarding coffee: the monks rumored to drink the first coffee claimed it was a gift from God because the caffeine helped them stay awake during their prayers!)

While trying to imagine the Capuchins as…well, cappuccino’s, I decided to look them up in the google search box. I was surprised to find the first thing that popped up was about the Capuchin Crypt in Rome, a place Chad and I visited when we went to Italy a couple years ago!

We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside, but you can find a few creepy ones online like this one from wikipedia.

With the memory of the Capuchin Crypt lingering in my mind, I decided I would much rather picture cute cappuccinos, and I found this:

I can’t really say for sure why I don’t own this Rilakkuma cappuccino stencil, but I can be sure that this situation needs to be remedied quickly.

I also want to experience this cuteness in a cup:

And lastly, I want to stare at this adorable picture while drinking–you guessed it!–a delicious cappuccino:

I found these kawaii cappuccino pictures on google images, but I would love to make them a part of my real life. In the meantime, I suppose I’ll just have to stick with delicious, standard cappuccino’s.

Have a good weekend!
xx Caitlyn

Summer Bucket List: Make a Fire Pit

August 21, 2014 Caitlyn2 Comments

We finally got around to making a fire pit in our back yard, and I’m super proud to say that it cost us exactly $0. That’s right, we didn’t have to pay a cent to make it!Some of you who know me have probably heard me talk about the work we’ve been doing on the front of our house, specifically describing the hours I spent pulling rocks out of the side garden. While it was a huge time investment to gather so many rocks, we were able to put them to use when we made our fire pit. We were able to use some stone borders from the front garden as well.

Chad dug the pit, and we worked together to cut out roots and arrange the stone border.

Once that was done, we added some dirt back into the pit around the sides of the border for support, and then sprayed everything down with water to help sink the border down and stabilize it.

For the last step, we took some of the rocks I had pulled from the front garden (yes, even after this project we still have leftover rocks!) and arranged them around the fire pit as a border.

We tried a little fire right after that, but then I had to go to work. Unfortunately we’ve had a lot of rain since then, but we’re really looking forward to having a bonfire and whipping up some delicious s’mores soon!

Have you ever been able to up-cycle something for a project in your yard?

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Around Town: Did’s Deli & Catering

August 12, 2014September 7, 2014 CaitlynLeave a comment

Hi friends! I know it’s been a while, but I’ve been busy crossing things off my summer bucket list, and that (in combination with work and everything else that comes up in life) has left me with little time to post! Hoping to get back into regular posting again now, starting with this entry today on a fabulous little deli in Grand Haven called Did’s Deli & Catering.

Did’s Deli & Catering is located just off US31, though it’s sort of tucked away off of the main part of the cross street (Jackson). The deli has a simple, charming atmosphere, along with a menu filled with sandwiches, salads and soups.Chad tends to get their reuben, which has honestly got to be one of the best reubens I’ve ever had. But despite repeatedly enjoying tastes of the reubens Chad gets, I always get something else: a fantastic sandwich on sour dough heaping with ham, hard salami, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and an Italian sauce. I guess the sandwich isn’t called a Bigga John for nothing.

Most of the sandwiches offered can come in wholes or halves, but the Bigga John can only be ordered as a whole. Since the Bigga John is so big, I tend to eat part for lunch, and save the other half for later. I was super excited to have a Dog n’ Suds with my sandwich when I went the other day. I had been biking around town and the root beer was a perfect beverage for refreshment to go along with my hearty sandwich.

Did’s Deli also sells loaves of its bread, and I’ve been tempted to indulge in a loaf of that wonderful sour dough bread I always get. *sighs longingly*Did’s Deli has been a family-owned restaurant for over thirty years. If you’re ever in Grand Haven, I definitely recommend stopping by to either eat in or grab a great sandwich for a picnic (or to bring to Odd Side Ales to have with a beer…!).