A Life of Crime and Chocolate

Namatu · Feb 26, 2015

A happy belated birthday to muse!

I'm celebrating with chocolate. At just past 10 am. Don't judge. It is vital to life today.

muse · Feb 26, 2015

Namatu said:
A happy belated birthday to muse!

I'm celebrating with chocolate. At just past 10 am. Don't judge. It is vital to life today.

I'm not judging, I'm just hoping you're gonna share.

heyjude · Feb 26, 2015

Judge? Heck, we're joining you.

GailD · Feb 28, 2015

Namatu said:
A happy belated birthday to muse!

I'm celebrating with chocolate. At just past 10 am. Don't judge. It is vital to life today.

Vitamin Ch? I'm not judging. I'm applauding!

Namatu · Mar 1, 2015

Oh, good. Because Vitamin Ch is being consumed lately in a significant daily dosage.

lizmonster · Mar 2, 2015

So here's a question: I just learned that chocolate beer was an Actual Thing.

Worth it? Or will I be deeply disappointed (and possibly grossed out)?

onesecondglance · Mar 2, 2015

Do you like beer generally?

More specifically, do you like dark beer (as in, as dark as Guinness)?

Do you like your chocolate on the super-dark bitter side?

If yes to all three, you might enjoy some chocolate beers. If no to any of them, I'd give it a miss. Most chocolate beer is referring to the kinds of malt used, which are roasted until very dark and produce similar flavours to extremely high cocoa chocolate. Some brewers throw actual cocoa nibs in at this stage, which again will add that super-dark chocolate flavour in there, but will massively increase the bitterness. So if bitter ain't your bag, I wouldn't go there.

lizmonster · Mar 2, 2015

onesecondglance said:
Do you like beer generally?

More specifically, do you like dark beer (as in, as dark as Guinness)?

Do you like your chocolate on the super-dark bitter side?

If yes to all three, you might enjoy some chocolate beers. If no to any of them, I'd give it a miss. Most chocolate beer is referring to the kinds of malt used, which are roasted until very dark and produce similar flavours to extremely high cocoa chocolate. Some brewers throw actual cocoa nibs in at this stage, which again will add that super-dark chocolate flavour in there, but will massively increase the bitterness. So if bitter ain't your bag, I wouldn't go there.

It's been a while since I had a stout. They tend to be a little rich for me - it's hard to get through a whole one (and given what an absurd lightweight I am, that's not so bad). But I've enjoyed the flavor of them.

And although I love sweet chocolate, I've also had unsweetened hot chocolate and loved it. Hm. I wonder if I can buy a single bottle somewhere, just to see?

muse · Mar 2, 2015

onesecondglance said:
Do you like beer generally?

More specifically, do you like dark beer (as in, as dark as Guinness)?

Do you like your chocolate on the super-dark bitter side?

If yes to all three, you might enjoy some chocolate beers. If no to any of them, I'd give it a miss. Most chocolate beer is referring to the kinds of malt used, which are roasted until very dark and produce similar flavours to extremely high cocoa chocolate. Some brewers throw actual cocoa nibs in at this stage, which again will add that super-dark chocolate flavour in there, but will massively increase the bitterness. So if bitter ain't your bag, I wouldn't go there.

Think I'll give it a miss. Yuck!

lizmonster · Mar 2, 2015

muse said:
Think I'll give it a miss. Yuck!

I may have to try it. In the interests of, ahem, science.

I will report back.

sheadakota · Mar 2, 2015

There is a porter call Sweet Baby Jesus! ( seriously) its a chocolate peanut butter porter- I love it!

onesecondglance · Mar 2, 2015

Mmm, porters up the sweetness a bit - think brioche-sweetness, that yeasty kind of flavour.

liz - you should be able to buy single bottles at a bottle shop or similar craft beer stockist. Get a couple of different ones - all in the name of science, obviously...

GailD · Mar 2, 2015

How could anyone actually want to dilute chocolate with beer?

Eat it neat, I say.

Namatu said:
Oh, good. Because Vitamin Ch is being consumed lately in a significant daily dosage.

Vitamin Ch is not accumulated. Regular replenishment is essential.

My downfall can be neatly summed up in four words:

Chocolate marshmallow Easter eggs.

These ^ are the best! 48 of them to a box.

sheadakota · Mar 2, 2015

GailD said:
How could anyone actually want to dilute chocolate with beer?

Eat it neat, I say.

Vitamin Ch is not accumulated. Regular replenishment is essential.

My downfall can be neatly summed up in four words:

Chocolate marshmallow Easter eggs.

These ^ are the best! 48 of them to a box.

Okay- I will confess something that will have you all think I am alien- But i do not like chocolate. I like it in the beer just fine, but chocolate bars, chocolate cake, candy, syrup- nope nope and just nope. I mean I will eat it and not puke or anything

but if given the choice I avoid it- to rich, cloying and just blech.

Namatu · Mar 3, 2015

I'll eat all the chocolate meant for you, shea. You can have all the beer meant for me. (I did have a beer in Brussels and Munich. It was okay, but it was not port.)

lizmonster · Mar 4, 2015

Science

Okay, don't yell at me, but I bought my beer at the supermarket. There was only one choice for chocolate beer: Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout.

...Yeah, this is acceptable.

It's a nicely-flavored beer with a soupçon of odd (but not unpleasant) flavor at the back that I suspect is the cocoa powder.

It smells like college.

Namatu · Mar 5, 2015

Who do I have to bribe or sacrifice to make the snow stop?

GailD · Mar 7, 2015

Namatu said:
Who do I have to bribe or sacrifice to make the snow stop?

Um... I don't know. But I'll shovel your driveway for a box of marshmallow Easter eggs.

muse · Mar 7, 2015

GailD said:
Um... I don't know. But I'll shovel your driveway for a box of marshmallow Easter eggs.

Ooooh, I'll join you Gail, they sound yummy. :drool

tarak · Mar 13, 2015

Ugh - I have weeks and weeks to catch up on. My youngest daughter, a/k/a Bionic Baby, had to have surgery mid-February. Not totally out-of-the-blue, but not really expected, either. Spent a lot of time at Hershey Medical Center for pre-op, actual-op, and post-op stuff. Saw a lot of kids with no hair and IV poles, which is just all kinds of wrong. Thought a lot about French and Blake. My daughter did great, although she's looking at another surgery sooner rather than later. Which stinks, but I still count my blessings.

Work has been buckets of crazy, too. So not much time for writerly stuff (except boring things, like reading the draft Orphans Court rules - all 250 pages of them).

Happiest of birthdays to everyone I missed. Bionic Baby turned three on March 2nd (Dr. Suess's birthday). March is a good month.

Gail - I found the dead body stickies! Amazon sells just about everything, I think. I've had two co-workers ask where I got them. I use them for calls that annoy me.

Is anyone making a pie for Pi Day? I have one chilling in the fridge. It's a custard/meringue hybrid with rum and shaved chocolate.

JWNelson · Mar 13, 2015

Good thoughts your way. ...kids with no hair and IV poles, which is just all kinds of wrong really said it all for me. Thumbs up ++ for that observation. Hope Hershey is treating you right; sister-in-law nurse worked there for years.

tarak said:
Ugh - I have weeks and weeks to catch up on. My youngest daughter, a/k/a Bionic Baby, had to have surgery mid-February. Not totally out-of-the-blue, but not really expected, either. Spent a lot of time at Hershey Medical Center for pre-op, actual-op, and post-op stuff. Saw a lot of kids with no hair and IV poles, which is just all kinds of wrong. Thought a lot about French and Blake. My daughter did great, although she's looking at another surgery sooner rather than later. Which stinks, but I still count my blessings.

Work has been buckets of crazy, too. So not much time for writerly stuff (except boring things, like reading the draft Orphans Court rules - all 250 pages of them).

Happiest of birthdays to everyone I missed. Bionic Baby turned three on March 2nd (Dr. Suess's birthday). March is a good month.

Gail - I found the dead body stickies! Amazon sells just about everything, I think. I've had two co-workers ask where I got them. I use them for calls that annoy me.

Is anyone making a pie for Pi Day? I have one chilling in the fridge. It's a custard/meringue hybrid with rum and shaved chocolate.

tarak · Mar 14, 2015

lizmonster said:
Okay, don't yell at me, but I bought my beer at the supermarket. There was only one choice for chocolate beer: Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout.

...Yeah, this is acceptable.

It's a nicely-flavored beer with a soupçon of odd (but not unpleasant) flavor at the back that I suspect is the cocoa powder.

It smells like college.

As long as it doesn't smell like the hallway of my dorm on a Sunday morning. That was a long, long time ago and I can still remember how bad it was. Sort of like Bourbon Street on a Sunday morning before things have been hosed down.

Namatu said:
Who do I have to bribe or sacrifice to make the snow stop?

I'm cautiously optimistic spring is around the corner for us. The other night, it was about 50 degrees and my oldest daughter was riding her bike in shorts and a tee shirt.

JWNelson said:
Good thoughts your way. ...kids with no hair and IV poles, which is just all kinds of wrong really said it all for me. Thumbs up ++ for that observation. Hope Hershey is treating you right; sister-in-law nurse worked there for years.

We love Hershey. My daughter's cardiologist looks like Gru from Despicable Me. Thus far, I've managed to avoid saying it when we see him. My luck will run out one day.

muse · Mar 16, 2015

So glad your daughter got through her op okay, tarak. It's so hard watching them when they're ill. :Hug2:

Any idea when the next op will be?

lizmonster · Mar 16, 2015

tarak, my goodness. :Hug2:

Thinking of you and your little one. I hope her surgeries are easy and quick.

onesecondglance · Mar 17, 2015

hey tara. hoping for the best.

A Life of Crime and Chocolate

Lost in mental space.

standing on head, typing one-handed...

Making my own sunshine

Still chasing plot bunnies.

Lost in mental space.

Possibly A Mermaid Queen

pretending to be awake

Possibly A Mermaid Queen

standing on head, typing one-handed...

Possibly A Mermaid Queen

part of the human equation

pretending to be awake

Still chasing plot bunnies.

part of the human equation

Lost in mental space.

Possibly A Mermaid Queen

Lost in mental space.

Still chasing plot bunnies.

standing on head, typing one-handed...

for certain qualities of "sane"

JWNelson

for certain qualities of "sane"

standing on head, typing one-handed...

Possibly A Mermaid Queen

pretending to be awake