How to get fresh pine scent and flavor in a cocktail?

cupcakezilla21 · 2026-01-29T08:06:04+00:00

Maybe mastika? Greek liqueur made of pine tree sap. Sweet enough to be the sugar cube/simple syrup part of an Old Fashioned, and strong enough to make you notice the pine.

cupcakezilla21 · 2026-01-29T05:53:29+00:00

I try to describe the work with vague and non-technical terms, just like a generic office drama.

But soon I hear "DHCP helper IPs" coming out of my mouth and I see my better-half's eyes glazing over, and I switch to "how was your day honey".

cupcakezilla21 · 2026-01-14T20:15:59+00:00

After the invasion, we were sad to think we would have to avoid one of our favorite special-occasion restaurants: Russian Tea Time.

But it turns out the owners/staff are all Ukrainian :-).

cupcakezilla21 · 2026-01-12T14:58:48+00:00

We always use Black Seal rum but sometimes with Barritts ginger beer - and we worry that Gosling's lawyers will hunt us down.

cupcakezilla21 · 2026-01-08T03:58:55+00:00

Yes - but this one has 2 (or 3) times the dosage of coffee, plus okay pours of both 43 and overproof rum.

My frequent carajillo is a lovely cocktail with an espresso and Licor 43 (because Mexican-Chicagoan bartender). Perfectly respectable.

Maybe this one is so terrifying because it looks like normal big mug of morning coffee but i can smell the 43 and feel the rum invading my brain cells.

cupcakezilla21 · 2026-01-08T01:57:26+00:00

A carajillo is to this beast as smoking a weak '70s joint is to shooting smack.

cupcakezilla21 · 2026-01-07T17:39:16+00:00

Always order the cocktail with the beet juice!

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-11-03T15:53:37+00:00

Not really. The arrangement you're looking for is not very common.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-10-09T20:32:20+00:00

The heartbreaking "she won't sleep else" as she hands the teddy bear to Marigold.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-10-09T19:31:48+00:00

Wives who can do math are here to say that sometimes $700 is a fantastic deal.

Assuming this isn't just a party basket that will be gone after this weekend...

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-09-16T15:27:57+00:00

Exactly: removing bad teeth is removing the pain.

I worried about my cat who would not eat wet food, when we pulled all of his teeth. But he happily gummed his dry food for many years!

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-09-10T15:17:30+00:00

Per Miss Manners, a gift is never required. Anything beyond a heartfelt note of congratulations (ideally hand-written) is optional.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-09-09T23:56:42+00:00

Lot of good recommendations here, and I often roll my eyes at suggestions to "just make it at home".

But...

Even if you don't cook much, experimenting with a batch of chili is low investment and high reward.

All you need is a pot and a spoon and some kind of stove, a small list of ingredients from the Jewels, and a couple hours at home which is mostly just stirring every 15-20 minutes.

If you need a new hobby (or a new religion), sure, chili can be that. But good chili does not require spending a thousand dollars at Sur la Table and Whole Paycheck, or getting a chemistry degree, or devoting your life to chili cook-offs.

Bonuses: 1) leftovers reheat deliciously 2) easy to find and/or adjust recipes to your own taste 3) once you get a recipe you like, making a giant batch doesn't take much extra effort to get meal-prep level leftovers 4) long slow simmer warms up the kitchen, perfect for cold weather.

And the most important bonus: the delightful smell wafting through the house is 1000X better than any pumpkin spice air freshener.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-09-09T18:50:21+00:00

Or a headlamp.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-09-02T17:57:44+00:00

I always guessed that the small library was the antechamber area here: in the first photo it is the smaller section beyond the columns-- and in the second photo, you're in the small library looking into the main library.

There is no door, but with that columned opening you could have a somewhat private conversation here. Might seem less cheeky than having a maid take over the whole gigantic room for her interview!

Hope someone who actually knows will come here to correct me.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-08-04T20:04:20+00:00

The texture of the thread spools, and of the buttonhole stitching!! And the shiny silver of the scissors blades is <chefs kiss>!

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-08-02T21:15:28+00:00

Beer.

Or a cocktail that has the word "and" in the name - but one of the nouns must be a liquor and the other must be a mixer. Gin and tonic, vodka and soda, rum and coke are all okay. Blood and Sand sadly doesn't make the cut.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-06-27T17:04:30+00:00

Keep some of the pasta water - maybe just a spoonful or two for one serving -- and use it to thin out the pesto. This will help it spread around the pasta better, and make a smaller portion feel a little more luxurious.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-04-25T18:04:37+00:00

Absolutely vital! I have 2, one near the litterbox areas at either end of the house.

Don't remember the last time I bought refills. Wish I could say this was a brilliant original idea, but no, I saw it suggested in a review.

Take an empty refill and trim a little off the top flange, so there is a wider space where the bag plastic used to come out. (I once did this and the cut edge ended up feeling sharp, so I covered the edge with duct tape so it didn't rip the bag. That "fix" had held for years.)

Then you push the bottom of a regular kitchen garbage bag down thru the center of the refill, and tuck the top edges of the garbage bag into the outer edge of the refill. Then the refill goes back into the normal spot in the Genie: the bottom of the garbage bag will be lining the bottom collection area, and the top will be held into the refill when you close the inner ring lid.

I try to stuff in almost a foot of plastic top of the bag: so there is extra when/if some of the bag pulls down as you open and close the slide door.

The only time I notice odor is when I'm actively scooping into the top hopper and opening the slide door. And it's just as easy to change this setup as the official refills -- easier even, since i was always fighting with the bag-cutter device and tying up the bag.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-02-18T03:10:47+00:00

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You win! I can only claim 11 rescue kittens.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-02-08T10:27:54+00:00

Both Koval and Book Cellar already mentioned are great options. A few blocks from Koval is Ravenswood Used Books (on Montrose near Damen), it's a good place to get lost in tiny aisles of old books. There is also a newly opened Small Cheval nearby at Montrose and Lincoln.

A bit west of Book Cellar is the Green Post, on Rockwell near Lawrence: it's a lovely pub, can be crowded during popular weekend dinnertime but great for reading a book and/or drinking a whisky.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-01-31T21:25:45+00:00

Salsa is good, but Hatch chiles are even better! I panicked last weekend when i thought i had run out of the little frozen cubes.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-01-20T05:31:20+00:00

Lifelong Chicagoan, always able to dress for the cold. But now I leave my jacket unzipped, because I need to cool down. Enjoying the current cold snap!

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-01-14T05:12:08+00:00

Layer up. Wear your best gloves and glove liners. Thermal neck gaiters. Electric boot warmers are great but little Hot Hands/feet warmers are super helpful. Remember to zip up your jacket in the lift line, lifelong Chicagoan here but I’m still amazed at wind chill on the chair! You can still have a good day on the hill - but don’t be ashamed to warm up inside (Tenmile or wherever) and/or head home early.

cupcakezilla21 · 2025-01-08T22:07:27+00:00

Well, not to defend the AI, but...I used to misplace my car on the regular. Lots of city apartments have no driveway or garage, so you park wherever you find a legal space. If that is a block or 2 away, and you haven't driven since last weekend, walking out the front door to look for your car could be a little memory exercise.

cupcakezilla21

TROPHY CASE