# Life's minor luxuries



## Haffman

A few weeks ago, in a thread dedicated to the subject of plain old soap, Mr Shaver used the phrase "[it] is simply one of life's minor luxuries" (when referring to his fondness for Musco soap).

I find this phrase quite pleasing and it has got me thinking about those other minor luxuries that we may enjoy and wish to share. In keeping with the definition of luxury, these would be "_desirable for comfort and enjoyment, but not indispensable_". They would be minor in the sense that, unlike many of the luxuries that we discuss here like bespoke suits and handgrade shoes, they may be had relatively easily an inexpensively, if one seeks to find them.

I have posted this on the interchange since the subject crosses clothing, grooming and so forth.

What are the minor luxuries which make your life more enjoyable?

Some of mine are :

_Good quality shaving products_;- I use creams and soaps from Taylor of Old Bond Street and Truefitt & Hill

_Proper caffeinated beverages_;I eschew instant coffee and like to get proper ground beans (Monmouth Coffee Company) and good quality tea leaves (Fortnum & Mason)

_Decent shoe polish_;since shoe leather is (or at least was) skin, it needs the best protection - so I like to use Saphir products

_Fresh socks_ - I really find one of life's great minor luxuries to be a new pair of socks. It's an excellent start to the day! I'm certainly not rich enough to have a new pair a day or anything like that, but I try and remember to invest in new socks at regular intervals (Pantherella and Falke)

Well, there's some of mine...but there's always room in life for more minor luxuries so I'd really like to hear some of yours...?


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## dks202

Haffman said:


> _Fresh socks_ - I really find one of life's great minor luxuries to be a new pair of socks. It's an excellent start to the day! I'm certainly not rich enough to have a new pair a day or anything like that, but I try and remember to invest in new socks at regular intervals (Pantherella and Falke)


There's one. I remember a move many years ago where a guy told someone he was so rich he could afford to wear a new pair of socks every day..... I always aspired to that... doubt if I'll make it.


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## WouldaShoulda

Pedicure!!

But something MUST BE DONE about the sock inequity in America. 

If those filthy fat cat 1%ers weren't sucking all the decent socks out of the economy, there would be enough socks for everyone.

No socks,

NO PEACE!!


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## Shaver

D R Harris shampoo, not only the inestimable pleasure of provenance but also a fad free and highly efficient product. Firm paste, no mess, gentle lather and bestows squeaky clean hair. 









Kent F3T comb. Hand made, saw cut. The most lauded manufacturer in the world. Who else could you trust your parting to?

American Crew pomade. Concededly this item does not proclaim a Royal crest, but it should. Subtle masculine barber shop smell, water based and clear. This will hold hair but allowing it to remain soft and natural to the touch, unlike most other products.


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## Howard

nice clean socks
good strong cup of coffee
nice haircut


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## Gurdon

Ironed handkerchiefs.


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## eagle2250

The occasional Barbershop shave (steamed towels, heated shaving soap, straight razor...the works!); really good quality footwear (more than a luxury and almost a necessity.); a tightly woven, thick wool cardigan on a cold winter morning or evening; the small menagerie of God's creations that use our front proch, yard and woodlot as a playground, providing endless hours of entertainment for my wife and I.


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## Snow Hill Pond

You're going to laugh, but I'm totally serious: Lunch at White Castles (4 sliders, crinkle cut fries, and a diet coke). When the nearest WC is 35 miles away, it certainly is a luxury.


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## Snow Hill Pond

Merino wool socks, clean or otherwise.


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## Canadian

Prairie Fire hot wings.

Decent hiking boots 

A car for even the shortest of trips


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## Snow Hill Pond

*My Top 10 Food-Related Minor Luxuries (other than White Castles)*

Great topic. Lot's of potential for diving in deep...

1. Selecting a bottle of (aged, but not terribly expensive) bordeaux from the cellar to have with Christmas dinner.
2. Blue crab omelets on the morning after a day of crabbing with the kids.
3. An ice cold Yuengling on the back deck on a summer afternoon after mowing the lawn...and then having another. 
4. A USDA prime porterhouse steak (medium-rare), asparagus drizzled with balsamic vinegar, and a half-bottle of Ramey cabernet sauvignon at the Morton's Steakhouse near Chicago O'Hare while travelling alone.
5. Leaving an unexpectedly huge tip at a restaurant when traveling and imagining the look of surprise on the server's face.
6. Buying, cooking, and eating just-picked New Jersey sweet corn in late summer. 
7. Breakfast with the family at the Watertable Restaurant (Renaissance Hotel, Baltimore) with a view of the inner harbor on a clear sunny day. 
8. A flame-broiled O'round and Guinness at Lynaugh's (Lexington, KY) with college buddies you haven't seen in over a decade. 
9. Having breakfast with the kids every Saturday morning at a diner where the waitress smiles at you and has coffee ready for you before you are seated.
10. Real southern-brewed, ice cold sweet tea.


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## WouldaShoulda

Snow Hill Pond said:


> 2. Blue crab omelets on the morning after a day of crabbing with the kids.
> 3. An ice cold Yuengling on the back deck on a summer afternoon after mowing the lawn...and then having another.
> 6. Buying, cooking, and eating just-picked New Jersey sweet corn in late summer.


Also try leftover crab cake on an English muffin and fried egg on top.

Put them on ice before you begin. Rolling Rock will also do.

Don't forget the tomatoes!!


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## Snow Hill Pond

WouldaShoulda said:


> Also try leftover crab cake on an English muffin and fried egg on top.
> 
> Put them on ice before you begin. Rolling Rock will also do.
> 
> Don't forget the tomatoes!!


Excellent suggestions.


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## phyrpowr

Full "wet shave": silvertip badger brush, superlather (soap _and_ cream) whipped to perfection, my antique Rolls Razor, and, being retired, plenty of time in the AM to savor it.


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## loarbmhs

I read somewhere that Jerry Lewis wears a new pair of socks everyday, and then throws them out. A luxury--and a waste--if you ask me.


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## Howard

Snow Hill Pond said:


> You're going to laugh, but I'm totally serious: Lunch at White Castles (4 sliders, crinkle cut fries, and a diet coke). When the nearest WC is 35 miles away, it certainly is a luxury.


I love White Castle, haven't had that in a while.


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## Howard

nice comfy slippers
good sleeping bed
watching a funny show


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## jackmccullough

Real maple syrup. Of course, up here it's considered more of a necessity than a luxury.


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## danielm

Comfy chair. 
Book. 
Quiet.


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## loarbmhs

Time.


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## MikeDT

Chocolate bars. 
Coffee.
Pizza.
Baked beans.
Clothes that fit me.


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## drlivingston

I concur with the hot shave. I also enjoy a good hour-long massage (legitimate, non-asian). Fried green tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe near my house. There is little better than a new, fine pair of over the calf socks to make you feel like a million bucks. They just seem to make your shoes fit that much better. Shaver and I share an affection for the American Crew Pomade. It is simply superior to the other products. One of my favorite minor luxuries is valet parking, even when I need the exercise. Renting a convertible for the weekend (because I am far too practical to purchase one.) And of course, 365 Everyday Value all-natural root beer from Whole Foods.


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## DarkDestiny

I'm surprised no one has mentioned being able to talk about one's interest with another on forums  

Perhaps that's a major luxury though..


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## VictorRomeo

Food: my absolute favourite breakfast in the world is as follows...

Two soft boiled eggs - from a local farm where the hens are truly free-range. Sourdough toasted soldiers with Kerrygold Irish butter. A pot of loose leaf breakfast tea - I'm most fond of Harrod's Heritage Blend No.49. Heaven. After, perhaps something sweet like some macaroons from Ladurée(their Bergamot macaroon is divine) or a slice of my wife's fruit loaf.

Note: I believe the French design classic that is the 'Salem' teapot by Guy Degrenne makes - by a long way - the finest pot of tea known to humanity....


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## Gurdon

Jacket sleeves shortened at the shoulders.

Gurdon


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## Haffman

Lots of great luxuries to be had here and nice to see some gastronomic ones too...

I've just remembered another one, having a nice hot soak in the bathtub rather than a frenetic shower -- cleanses the body _and _the mind

I read an interview with designer/film director Tom Ford who said he has 3-5 baths a day and when feeling particularly stressed can be known to have _one an hour !_ :icon_smile:


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## eagle2250

Just yesterday I picked up a fourth replacement for a windproof, pop-up , briefcase sized Totes umbrella that I originally purchased sometime in the early to mid 1990's. It came with a, perhaps ill advised, lifetime guarantee that the company has steadfastly honored over the ensuing 18 to 20 years. Not bad for a $15 umbrella? Legendary customer service, I believe, constitutes one of life's minor luxuries!


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## Howard

Quiet Time
reading the newspaper
using the computer


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## Shaver

eagle2250 said:


> Just yesterday I picked up a fourth replacement for a windproof, pop-up , briefcase sized Totes umbrella that I originally purchased sometime in the early to mid 1990's. It came with a, perhaps ill advised, lifetime guarantee that the company has steadfastly honored over the ensuing 18 to 20 years. Not bad for a $15 umbrella? Legendary customer service, I believe, constitutes one of life's minor luxuries!


That is an incredibly impressive level of service!


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## VictorRomeo

More food: This time, a simple piece of fresh fish makes one of my favourite meals.... 

Some Lemon Sole, gently fried, or if available some Dover Sole baked on the bone. Served with a beurre noisette and some crushed new potatos and scallion. Best washed down with a crisp unoaked white and eaten outside with sea air to fill your lungs. 

While I have a great appreciation and love of complex cuisine and flavour, I believe that good ingredients, cooked well and presented simply, is one of lifes great luxuries. The luxury is to take the time to source great produce and take the time to prepare them the right way. I eat very little - unless unavoidable - processed produce.


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## Shaver

If I may weigh in to the emergent 'food' theme: although my approach to comestibles is a more generalised and all encompassing point still I believe that this is crucial to the inspiration of Mr. Haffman's thread. I have spouted variously regarding the law of diminishing returns as it applies to manufactured products yet an inverse law is to be observed in raw materials, to wit; food. A neglible increase in cost allows a significant increase in quality. One of life's minor luxuries is to always purchase the finest quality ingredients from which to prepare one's meals.

VictorRomeo (see post above) is a man after my own heart - avoid processed food. You are what you eat, and all.

And, whilst I'm posting, a product specific addition - the Kent natural bristle toothbrush. Once you have experienced one of these you will never return to the caustic nylon pattern. I believe I shall upgrade to a bone handled model at next replacement, although this would be more decadence than luxury.


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## Howard

a nice comfy couch
nice clothes and looking sharp
breakfast buffets


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## Ματθαῖος

I love keeping my house right at 72°F or 22°C whether winter or summer.


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## phyrpowr

Chiropractor is trying out new masseur, intro price today. Forgot how great a good back kneading can feel.


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## WouldaShoulda

I love a nice hotel, with a spa, steam room and massage!!


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## Howard

enjoying a nice sunny cool Fall day.


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## eagle2250

Sitting on the glider on our front porch, enjoying the sunshine, more temperate weather and and reading a good novel! I'm late...see ya!


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## Howard

enjoy spending time with family members.


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## Miket61

jackmccullough said:


> Real maple syrup. Of course, up here it's considered more of a necessity than a luxury.


I actually think it's illegal to serve artificial maple syrup in restaurants in Vermont. The IHOP at the mall in Burlington is the only one in the country to serve real maple syrup.

As for my minor luxuries - a fine shaving brush. A long warm bath with a "bath bomb" from Lush that doesn't have weird herb things floating in it.

Scottish salmon. Irish butter. Good coffee. Loose tea made by someone who knows how.

Taking a taxi. Shipping a box of clothes to a hotel in advance to avoid dealing with the luggage at the airport. Room service coffee.


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## Howard

spending a quiet night outside.


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## Apatheticviews

Good food, Good toilet paper. Life's too short to skimp on either of those.

I second the new socks everyday thing. I've been saying that if I were ever rich I would wear new socks everyday. It's hard to have a bad day when you're wearing new socks.


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## Earl of Ormonde

From the perspective of being in the field quite often (again) in the last few years

1. toilet paper available (that said, most of us now carry flat packed TP in our vests or jackets) 
2. coffee available
3. Some shade to sit in


From the perspective of being at home

1. the time to enjoy and luxuriate in a hot bath
2. ditto a wet shave
3. the time to sit on the terrace with a pipe and a large Bushmills.


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## CdnTrad

A great cup of coffee, 15+yo scotch, a fire on a cold night, and a medium-rare porterhouse.

Oh, and a third on the new socks everyday.


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## Howard

spending time with nice family.


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## eagle2250

Three pair of Wigwam wool boot socks at Costco for a mere pittance of $12.95...comfortable, warm feet and at a remarkably modest price! Now that's luxury(?).


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## ajo

Cafe Hernandez being buying a particular blend of coffee beans there for years, could not live without it.

My Scanpan grill plate with the arrival of spring its getting a workout grilling fresh spring vegetables.


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## Leparker

A fine single malt and a good cigar!


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## Howard

getting into some comfortable slippers


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## MikeDT

Mongolian, "American Taste" instant coffee packets, that come from Ulan Bator.


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## Leparker

Shaver said:


> American Crew pomade. Concededly this item does not proclaim a Royal crest, but it should. Subtle masculine barber shop smell, water based and clear. This will hold hair but allowing it to remain soft and natural to the touch, unlike most other products.


 Shaver thanks for this recommendation! I have dry, thinning hair and have tried to find something for years to use on my hair. I purchased a puck of the American Crew Pomade and am very satisfied the way it controls my hair but does not look slicked down. Also bought the moisturizing shampoo also. Thanks again!!


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## Shaver

Leparker said:


> Shaver thanks for this recommendation! I have dry, thinning hair and have tried to find something for years to use on my hair. I purchased a puck of the American Crew Pomade and am very satisfied the way it controls my hair but does not look slicked down. Also bought the moisturizing shampoo also. Thanks again!!


My pleasure Leparker.

I note your location and I am jealous. You are such a short distance from Shenandoah natioanl park. The most beautiful landscape I have ever seen was out over the valley in Autumn, the vastness of the blazing golden panorama stilled my breath.


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## Howard

sitting at home by the computer.


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## WouldaShoulda

MikeDT said:


> Mongolian, "American Taste" instant coffee packets, that come from Ulan Bator.


That's funny.

Royal subjects are the only persons I know that drink instant coffee!!


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## Leparker

Shaver said:


> My pleasure Leparker. I note your location and I am jealous. You are such a short distance from Shenandoah natioanl park. The most beautiful landscape I have ever seen was out over the valley in Autumn, the vastness of the blazing golden panorama stilled my breath.


 Yes, it is beautiful here, leaf colors are at their peek now. Used to spend a lot of time in the park hiking and exploring.


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## MikeDT

WouldaShoulda said:


> That's funny.
> 
> Royal subjects are the only persons I know that drink instant coffee!!


In China, coffee(even instant coffee) is a bit of a luxury for most people, because it's rather expensive here. The majority of people here just don't normally drink coffee.

Imported coffee can be really expensive. Even a jar of ordinary Nescafe instant from Singapore is twice the price of Chinese produced Nescafe. The only real difference is that the imported from Singapore jars don't have Chinese printing on them. The coffee is identical AFAICT, it's the same as Nescafe instant in the UK. We often get the Mongolian coffee here, because we're fairly near the Mongolian border. It's got "American Taste"(in English) and Old Glory on the sachets, but comes from Mongolia.

Most of the small stores don't even stock jars of coffee. It's nearly always individual sachets, called "Nescafe 1+2", because they contain instant coffee, creamer and sugar. You just put the contents in a cup and add hot water.

BTW on Amazon US, imported from China, "Nescafe 1+2" instant coffee sachets. 
https://www.amazon.com/Nescafe-Instant-Creamer-Packets-6-Ounce/dp/B004BVPFYA
Rather expensive as well. Who in the States would want to buy this?

It's exactly the same with chocolate. It's rather expensive and very few Chinese consume chocolate on a regular basis. It's often reserved for gifts and special occasions. A Snickers bar in China is probably 30% more expensive than in the UK.

The only foreign brands of chocolate bars I see here in Xilinhot, are Snickers and Dove. Both are Mars products, but are produced in China.

There's some cheap coffee and chocolate from Chinese brands, but they tasted horrible when I tried them. But then China didn't actually have any coffee and chocolate until about 20-25 years ago, it's a new thing here. The very first chocolate that many tasted was actually Ferrero Rocher, imported via Hong Kong.

There's a very interesting book called "Chocolate Fortunes".
https://chocolatefortunes.net/
_Chocolate Fortunes offers the first inside look at the battle for China's newfound chocolate addiction. 
The book devotes individual chapters to each of the five major players-Hershey, Nestlé, Cadbury, Mars, 
and Ferrero-and the trials they face as they attempt to dominate their market in an enigmatic and still-
developing economy. More broadly, Chocolate Fortunes examines the unique opportunities and 
challenges inherent in the Chinese business universe._

My favourite story is about Cadbury trying to make "Dairy Milk" bars in Beijing. Using the their famous British method, a glass and a half of fresh milk. Problem was the milk supply at the time wasn't too fresh, and the chocolate ended up tasting like cheese. Hershey had some success, but then gave up and pulled out of China completely.


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## Anthony Charton

Tea. Good, fresh tea leaves. Most of my tea is imported from China or Japan (my absolute favouite is the Great Lapsong Souchong), I collected some in Beijing a few years ago and haven't run out since.
Clean socks.
Crisp white, somewhat starched collars and cuffs.
Candles.
The occasional new shirt.
Taking 15 minutes to read a few threads here.
A cup of coffe on a bench, overlooking the sea, on a mild and sunny day.


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## MikeDT

Anthony Charton said:


> Tea. Good, fresh tea leaves. Most of my tea is *imported from China* or Japan (my absolute favouite is the Great Lapsong Souchong), I collected some in Beijing a few years ago and haven't run out since.


I can send you some of our "Nescafe 1+2" instant coffee if you want?.  Or some coffee called "Joke", that doesn't actually taste like what I know as coffee.


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## WouldaShoulda

MikeDT said:


> I can send you some of our "Nescafe 1+2" instant coffee if you want?.  Or some coffee called "Joke", that doesn't actually taste like what I know as coffee.


I wouldn't drink instant for all the tea in China!!


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## Anthony Charton

MikeDT said:


> I can send you some of our "Nescafe 1+2" instant coffee if you want?.  Or some coffee called "Joke", that doesn't actually taste like what I know as coffee.


I actually had the Nescafe a couple of times when I was staying with a Chinese family...


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## Howard

enjoying a cool breeze outside.


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## welldressedfellow

The splash of bay rum and massage that follows a haircut. My barber still has the old "vibrator" from the sixties.


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## Shaver

welldressedfellow said:


> The splash of bay rum and massage that follows a haircut. My barber still has the old "vibrator" from the sixties.


still has his what!!???


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## WouldaShoulda

welldressedfellow said:


> The splash of bay rum and massage that follows a haircut. My barber still has the old "vibrator" from the sixties.


I love those things!!


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## WouldaShoulda

Shaver said:


> still has his what!!???


Don't get excited....


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## Howard

being at home reading a newspaper.


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## welldressedfellow

Shaver said:


> still has his what!!???


I felt the same way when I first heard the term.



WouldaShoulda said:


> I love those things!!


As do I; I would take my barber over a professional masseuse any day.



WouldaShoulda said:


> Don't get excited....


Glad to see younger barbers using this. It gives me hope for the future.


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## wrwhiteknight

*JackMcculough: *I was pleased to read your post; I haven't seen you post before, and I know this because I am a native Vermonter, born at the hospital in Berlin and having lived on Liberty Street until I was 4 and then in Burlington until I was 23. I now live in Canada, where I am constantly getting in arguments with people about *real maple syrup*, which I firmly believe runs in my veins due to being a Vermonter (although 75% plus of the worlds maple syrup comes from Canada!).

*Shaver and others: *I was surprised to read about *American Crew Pomade,* as I have used this product for 15 years, but I came by it simply on an impulse buy at my barber as a teenager, I liked the way it functioned, and have never looked back. I had no idea that it was _actually _quality, I simply knew it worked for me in just the way I wanted!

My top minor luxuries are (in no particular order):

1. Reed's Ginger Brew
2. Macchiato, or any _good_ brew if not available (instead of just a gas station cup-o-joe; I'd rather eat mud)
3. Unlimited long-distance land line telephone
4. Having no cell phone
5. Fast internet
6. Walking my dog because I want to
7. Singing in my acapella group
8. Playing "nooner" soccer several days a week


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## MikeDT

Prezzy for teacher..







A bag of Cadbury(Kraft) Choclairs.


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## eagle2250

That first night, sleeping in your own bed after an all too long road trip and a disappointing and arguably uncomfortable series of hotel beds!


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## welldressedfellow

Realizing that you are flying over your hometown on approach to the airport after a long trip.


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## Howard

eagle2250 said:


> That first night, sleeping in your own bed after an all too long road trip and a disappointing and arguably uncomfortable series of hotel beds!


I know the feeling you come home and you want to go back to sleeping in your own bed.


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## Haffman

I have a very sweet tooth so have to mention Bendick's bittermints, Lindt chocolates and of course Charbonnel et Walker Pink Marc et Champagne truffles....

...no one can say I am not in touch with my feminine side :wink2:


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## Miket61

Howard said:


> I know the feeling you come home and you want to go back to sleeping in your own bed.


I just had a four and a half hour flight sitting in the window seat next to a gentleman who required a seat belt extender. He was a very charming man, but the confines of modern narrow-body aircraft meant that by the time I arrived home I would have found sleeping on my living room rug preferable to what I'd just been through.


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## Howard

absolute peace and quiet


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## Trevor

An ice cold coke (part slush)!


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## IvanD

A bar that still has an area where you are allowed to smoke.
Nothing better than a ciggy with your pint.

(sorry for any offense caused to the non smokers among us)


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## wrwhiteknight

Sitting on my porch at 3pm with a late-day-recharge-coffee and some sort of sugary baked treat.


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## Funkatronik

A glass of single malt whisky makes my day. Doesn't need to be expensive or exotic, just basic Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Bowmore and such will do.


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## Shaver

Funkatronik said:


> A glass of single malt whisky makes my day. Doesn't need to be expensive or exotic, just basic Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Bowmore and such will do.


Oh, don't! Since I quit drinking I *really* miss a single malt.

Isle of Jura 30 year old _Camas an Staca _(the standing stone)


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## eagle2250

Today we are experiencing very little wind and a whole lot of sunshine! I'm certain our brothers on the East coast appreciate that even more than we mid-westerners.


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## Kingstonian

Swiss fly rail baggage system. You turn up at the airport, check your baggage in and it is forwarded to your destination. On the return, you check in the bags at the railway station and collect them at the other end of your return flight. Rail timetable is prompt and the journey often takes you through marvellous scenery.


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## Balfour

Kingstonian said:


> Swiss fly rail baggage system. You turn up at the airport, check your baggage in and it is forwarded to your destination. On the return, you check in the bags at the railway station and collect them at the other end of your return flight. Rail timetable is prompt and the journey often takes you through marvellous scenery.


Good Lord! Why is it that this country cannot run a railway system?


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## Balfour

If drinking counts, then:


Another vote for single malt whisky (ideally, an ancient Lagavulin, Ardbeg or Macallan).
Pomerol wine.
A vodka or gin martini at Duke's Hotel.


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## Kingstonian

Balfour said:


> Good Lord! Why is it that this country cannot run a railway system?


A good question. I do not think privatisation and splitting the system helped though. Operators blame track maintenance for which they are not responsible others blame the operators. Profits are privatised and losses are borne out of the public coffers.

It is not as though the UK was lacking long term rail expertise either.


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## VictorRomeo

Kingstonian said:


> Swiss fly rail baggage system. You turn up at the airport, check your baggage in and it is forwarded to your destination. On the return, you check in the bags at the railway station and collect them at the other end of your return flight. Rail timetable is prompt and the journey often takes you through marvellous scenery.


The frustrating aspect of that service is that I have found it tied to a couple of airline carriers..... None of whom fly into Dublin! They have the same service available in Vienna too (the only place I've seen it offered....)


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## VictorRomeo

Balfour said:


> If drinking counts, then:


A very simple and cheap glass of chilled white port, some manchego shavings, pata-negra, crusty bread, sunshine and a pleasant sea breeze....


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## kravman2011

A smile from your wife/husband/partner.
A smile from your child.
A smile from a total stranger.
Laughter.

These all brighten my day, and make me think that life is good.


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## Haffman

The warmth of a real log fire after a long hard day...


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## Trevor

Haffman said:


> The warmth of a real log fire after a long hard day...


Thats a good one.


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## Gurdon

*SBB, RhB, MOB, BLS, FO etc.*

Travelling on any Swiss railway.

Gurdon


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## Gurdon

Kingstonian said:


> A good question. I do not think privatisation and splitting the system helped though. Operators blame track maintenance for which they are not responsible others blame the operators. Profits are privatised and losses are borne out of the public coffers.
> 
> It is not as though the UK was lacking long term rail expertise either.


Privatise a public utility while ignoring the lessons of the past. An example of the Thatcher legacy, perhaps?

Cheers,
Gurdon


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## eagle2250

Haffman said:


> The warmth of a real log fire after a long hard day...





Trevor said:


> Thats a good one.


Yes...perhaps, but the convenience and (possible) allure of pointing one's remote control for the gas log assembly in the fireplace and with a single click, creating a roaring fire in which we might sit in front of and enjoy the beauty, as well as the warmth, is undeniable...yes, no?


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## Balfour

eagle2250 said:


> Yes...perhaps, but the convenience and (possible) allure of pointing one's remote control for the gas log assembly in the fireplace and with a single click, creating a roaring fire in which we might sit in front of and enjoy the beauty, as well as the warmth, is undeniable...yes, no?


I'm with you. A real wood fire is undoubtedly preferable, but on the pleasure / effort axis a 'real flame' gas fire wins out for me.


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## Bjorn

A sunday afternoon, single malt, a log fire, something to put your feet up on, a cat for blanket and a good book...


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## Balfour

Bjorn said:


> A sunday afternoon, single malt, a log fire, something to put your feet up on, a cat for blanket and a good book...


This, substituting for the cat a labrador curled up at your feet, fast asleep after a long walk in a suitable windswept moor.


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## VictorRomeo

Balfour said:


> This, substituting for the cat a labrador curled up at your feet, fast asleep after a long walk in a suitable windswept moor.


For me earlier today, it was a walk at a nearby demesne. Substitute labrador for a pointer, a fresh pot of tea and a slice of lemon drizzle cake with a dollop of greek yogurt. All in front of a log/turf fire and the sunday papers.


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## TradThrifter

1. Comfortable shoes
2. Taking off said shoes at the end of the day and relaxing
3. A perfectly fitting pair of pants


----------



## Belfaborac

1. A Single Malt, generally an Ardbeg, a Balvenie or a Brora (while I still have bottles left, since the bottlings now available or emerging are too expensive to be contemplated).

2. Lo Sciur's goat's milk Gorgonzola, the best I've ever tasted, ordered (too) infrequently from Italy (Brignano Gera d’Adda).

3. Cusson's Imperial Leather hand soap. Not the least bit exclusive, but wonderful nonetheless.

4. Continental or French roast Celebes Kalossi or Sumatra Mandheling.

5. First quality Assam from the Borjan estate.


----------



## Haffman

Hediard tea bags. 

A prince among tea bags :smile:


----------



## Langham

A horse.


----------



## VictorRomeo

Langham said:


> A horse.


A minor luxury?!


----------



## Shaver

Langham said:


> A horse.


Hello Langham

as you brought the subject up - is that you on your profile page, looking very much the distinguished squire at the hunt?


----------



## Balfour

VictorRomeo said:


> A minor luxury?!


Yes, indeed. Perhaps yacht can also count (eh, Shaver?!).


----------



## Shaver

Balfour said:


> Yes, indeed. Perhaps yacht can also count (eh, Shaver?!).


Perhaps. I was thinking more that a helipad *on* a yacht may be a _minor_ luxury, though. :redface:


----------



## Langham

Shaver said:


> Hello Langham
> 
> as you brought the subject up - is that you on your profile page, looking very much the distinguished squire at the hunt?


Yes that's me. Not my horse and not my house, I hasten to add.


----------



## Shaver

Langham said:


> Yes that's me. Not my horse and not my house, I hasten to add.


Still, a most venerable image.

I was peripherally involved with the Hunt in my younger days as they often commenced from the tiny country village where I was living. I can only just barely ride a horse, though.


----------



## Langham

Shaver said:


> Still, a most venerable image.
> 
> I was peripherally involved with the Hunt in my younger days as they often commenced from the tiny country village where I was living. I can only just barely ride a horse, though.


I recommend riding to all who might read this - whenever life becomes too stressful, one hour in the saddle is an infallible remedy (just don't fall off).


----------



## loarbmhs

Agree. I take lessons and ride once a week--on a rented horse, not one I own. Which makes it less of a luxury and much more affordable. Will never be ready for the Grand Prix, but it's a great way to forget your minor troubles and lose yourself in the joy of riding.


----------



## joyfulbunny

life's minor luxury are the simplem things you buy for yourself. that will help you to be confident and happy.


----------



## ajo

29c the sun is over the yard arm and a good Martin Miller gin and tonic with lime while Kind of Blue heralds the coming of dusk. ( and a decrease in the temperature)


----------



## Den Webb

dks202 said:


> There's one. I remember a move many years ago where a guy told someone he was so rich he could afford to wear a new pair of socks every day..... I always aspired to that... doubt if I'll make it.


This sounds fantatic


----------



## Flairball

Like others, a good cup of coffee. Though I prefer DD (or Mr D when in Japan).

A nice single malt scotch.

A steam and a soak.

A drive through the White Mountains.

Good yakiniku.


----------



## rlfsoccerdad

Here are a few more:

gritty business by Kevin Murphy -- great hair prduct
Amano chocolate -- an artisan chocolate made from single plantation beans. Best chocolate ever
ice cold cherry coke zzeros new bow tie


----------



## mdinz

A day of soaking, steaming, eating, napping, and sweating at my local traditional Korean Spa..

Hand shucked oysters by yours truly and a glass of champagne...

Watching hockey in HD with cold beer...

A bike ride through Busse woods on a fine day...

Johnnie's Italian Beef...

A Hemingway cocktail made with fresh squeezed white grapefruit juice...

Smoked sable on a freshly made bagel with cream cheese...


----------



## Flairball

New windshield wiper blades.


----------



## herfitup

Missing the blizzard in MA this weekend. I am in Silicon Valley this week and scheduled back here next week. Getting on a plane Friday is just inviting a weekend or more in Chicago with only clothes suitable for CA. I think I'm going to stay and head up to wine country this weekend.


----------



## Monocle

1. When I had hair, gentlemen, a haircut was always a highlight of the month. Not the haircut itself, but the process, I find, to be one of the most comfortable sensual experiences. Mind you, I am not speaking about sensuality in any sexual context at all. But the scalp is very sensitive, and I've been guilty of near total unconsciousness in the barber chair a few times. Ahh well, These days it's a full clipper cut down to the stubble, but I still relish the trim around the nape & ears.

2. Good glassware - One good whiskey glass or snifter that is weighted and shaped just right and the perfect size for your hand. It takes on your smell and your essence. You bond with it, and it with you. I've had the same snifter for 15 years or so.


----------



## Snow Hill Pond

herfitup said:


> Missing the blizzard in MA this weekend. I am in Silicon Valley this week and scheduled back here next week. Getting on a plane Friday is just inviting a weekend or more in Chicago with only clothes suitable for CA. I think I'm going to stay and head up to wine country this weekend.


Nice. Any wineries in particular?


----------



## tocqueville

When my boys let me sleep just a little bit later on a Saturday morning.

Once upon a time when I lived in New Haven, one could go to a coffee shop known as Willoughby's (it no longer exists at that location) across the street from the Yale library and order one of the world's best cups of coffee along with an H&H bagel shipped in from NYC. Unless you're from NYC, London, or Montreal, you don't know from bagels. Anyway, for $2.01, IIRC, I could get a cup of house blend and a poppy seed bagel, toasted, with cream cheese. It's hard to explain how well those flavors blended together and complemented each other, and how much pleasure came from so little money.


----------



## WouldaShoulda

Flairball said:


> New windshield wiper blades.


Luxery indeed.

I rememder buying inserts for -$5!!


----------



## Shaver

tocqueville said:


> When my boys let me sleep just a little bit later on a Saturday morning.
> 
> Once upon a time when I lived in New Haven, one could go to a coffee shop known as Willoughby's (it no longer exists at that location) across the street from the Yale library and order one of the world's best cups of coffee along with an H&H bagel shipped in from NYC. Unless you're from NYC, London, or Montreal, you don't know from bagels. Anyway, for $2.01, IIRC, I could get a cup of house blend and a poppy seed bagel, toasted, with cream cheese. It's hard to explain how well those flavors blended together and complemented each other, and how much pleasure came from so little money.


There is a scruffy old (est. 1976) beigel house in London's Whitechapel, at the end of Brick Lane, which is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The beigels they make there are on a par with any NY Jewish deli - and they are cheap! Any time I am in London I make the trip and purchase a couple of dozen. I'm hungry now just thinking about them. :icon_smile:

https://www.viewlondon.co.uk/restaurants/brick-lane-beigel-bake-userreview-664.html


----------



## pleasehelp

If we're speaking of non-monetary items then here are a few:

- allowing my child to fall asleep in my arms;
- taking the time to shoot the s*%t with old friends;
- staying up late to hangout with my wife;
- driving my convertible with nowhere to go.

Some monetary items:

- paying someone to wash my cars;
- crystal glasses in my office for whiskey; and
- high quality pictures of my family in nice frames for my office.


----------



## tocqueville

pleasehelp said:


> - allowing my child to fall asleep in my arms;


That's a good one.


----------



## herfitup

Snow Hill Pond said:


> Nice. Any wineries in particular?


DeLoach is one I like to stop at every trip. And Alexander Valley Vineyards. The owner there has become a friend. Maybe Hook and Ladder up the street from DeLoach. I'm meeting up with friends that belong to wine clubs so I guess I'll get to try a few new wineries. And maybe the Russian River Brewery. It is a Pliny the Younger weekend. It depends on how long I feel like standing in line to get in.


----------



## Shaver

One of life's minor luxuries is a good relationship with a talented barber. 

My own barber is quite an interesting cove, for example his shop floor is tiled in homage to Mondrian and he drives a huge motorbike. At any rate he is a very capable professional. During the two years he has been attending to my hair we have had many discussions about the texture, the body, and the direction of growth. We have experimented with length, layering, placement of the part, the optimal nape finish and general sweep of the hair. His ability to listen, to recognise the effect I am looking to achieve, to appreciate how important a 'just-so' appearance is to me, and to make valuable suggestions, has allowed the haircut to evolve from quite acceptable to the best possible.

A minor luxury at a mere £10 a go, but an absolute bargain at the price for three weeks worth of perfect hair.


----------



## Regillus

My pet minor luxury: David Somerset shaving oil.


----------



## fishertw

Barbeque from any of about a dozen good Barbeque Joints in North Carolina! ( Bee's, Lexington #1, Stameys, Short Sugars, Bridges, Alston Bridges (both in ShelbyNC but not related) Parkers, Smithfields (chain) etc. etc.


----------



## fishertw

loarbmhs said:


> I read somewhere that Jerry Lewis wears a new pair of socks everyday, and then throws them out. A luxury--and a waste--if you ask me.


Wasn't it one of the "Rat Pack" who did the same thing with suits. Wore them once then sent them to goodwill or salvation army or something like that?


----------



## Tilton

Uber towncar service. I haven't taken a taxi anywhere in months. However, based on my last bill, it is becoming more of a major luxury.


----------



## Stirling Newberry

Life's little luxuries, from free to only a bit more than the lesser fare:

Knowing which wines are out of fashion, and therefore a good bargain.
Free concerts at a local music conservatory, inexpensive theatre at student productions.
Having a favorite walk in a park that the madding crowd knows nothing about.
Being a regular at a small restaurant with good food.
A white board in one's home.
Weekly treatment of the leather seats in one's car. 
A hand held portable vacuum cleaner in the garage.
A garment steamer, both stand up and travel versions, and a good iron.
A small wool runner on the floor next to the bed.
Two sets of french presses, one for tea, one for coffee, and a Hario vacuum coffee maker.
Signed comic original art - often available for less than the price of framing it.
A set up for home carbonation. This is remarkable simple to make.
A pair of brandy snifters.
A well seasoned iron pan, a well seasoned wok, a steamer with two levels.
several sets of lacquered chopsticks, and some imported porcelain bowls, again, remarkably in expensive.
Not being able to recall the last time one wore polyester.
Not being able to recall the last time one's significant other wore polyester.
Having hydrogen peroxide near the sink to handle emergency stains.
A sushi roller.
An automatic rice cooker, along with having found the perfect proportions for sushi rice, porridge, corn meal. I will plug for Zojirushi.
A triple weighted chess set, electronic clock, and a good friend to play late into the night.
Wipes for computer monitor.
Three sets of home slippers in rotation.
A silent butler.
A wide carriage printer to handle larger color pictures.
A good sharpening stone for one's kitchen knives.
A good mattock for yard work.
A good paint sprayer.
An orbital sander.
Chinese hair paint brushes.
A pair of shoes worn just so.
Some set of baseball caps in various stages of disrepair.
A large crystal vase for roses.
A rose bush that is immune to the local blights.
A small herb garden, or window box.


----------



## Stirling Newberry

A good quality shoe polishing set.
Two electric razors, one wet, one dry.
Aveda hair shampoo for men.
Knowing which grooming products ones SO likes the smell of.
Knowing the favorite flower, color, semi-precious stone, author and music of ones SO.
Knowing the single indulgence ones SO denies, and therefore is always happy that you have procured. 
Knowing where to purchase good coffee. Starbucks is the wrong answer.
Knowing where to purchase tea.
Knowing which local brands of organic milk and eggs are good.
Knowing which tie knots where with which or your ties.
A set of wind chimes that is low in tone.
A pair of cow hide work gloves.
Having trained ones SO not to "tidy up a bit" on ones desk.
A wicker hamper with a cloth lining for outer clothes, another for inner.
Enough suit and pants hangers. Wood.
A bed room valet.
A cedar chest at the foot of the bed.
A set of winter drapes and a set of summer drapes.


----------



## blue suede shoes

Originally Posted by *loarbmhs* https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?p=1323120#post1323120
_I read somewhere that Jerry Lewis wears a new pair of socks everyday, and then throws them out. A luxury--and a waste--if you ask me._



fishertw said:


> Wasn't it one of the "Rat Pack" who did the same thing with suits. Wore them once then sent them to goodwill or salvation army or something like that?


Jerry Lewis used to buy two new cars each year (he would get rid of a car after 6 months) until the early 1980s, when he had a bad heart attack, which he said made him look at life differently and stop the wasteful practice.


----------



## Tilton

Yikes, Stirling. I consider polyester a great fabric in athletic wear. 

That said: a locker and a shower at the office. I do NOT like running for the sake of running, but jogging to and from the office has been growing on me the last week or two. Also, living a reasonable jogging distance from the office.


----------



## Langham

Made to measure leather gloves - unlined.


----------



## Stirling Newberry

Tilton said:


> Yikes, Stirling. I consider polyester a great fabric in athletic wear.
> 
> That said: a locker and a shower at the office. I do NOT like running for the sake of running, but jogging to and from the office has been growing on me the last week or two. Also, living a reasonable jogging distance from the office.


I'm old school.


----------



## rsgordon

The first breath when stepping outside every morning.

Sharpening a straight razor.

Reading in the Library of Congress.

Fishing or shooting dinner.


----------



## Snow Hill Pond

fishertw said:


> Barbeque from any of about a dozen good Barbeque Joints in North Carolina! ( Bee's, Lexington #1, Stameys, Short Sugars, Bridges, Alston Bridges (both in ShelbyNC but not related) Parkers, Smithfields (chain) etc. etc.


Don't forget the coleslaw!!! I'm partial to the vinegar-based western Carolina version...


----------



## Haffman

In 2013 I am trying to use teabags as infrequently as possible. It really is a minor luxury to prepare tea with proper tea leaves and watch them swell to plumpness as the flavour gently envelops the pot

.... and as an added bonus you can, with the right training, learn to predict the future by reading the tea leaves as well, or so I hear

For afternoon tea, I recommend Fortnum & Mason's wonderfully named Darjeeling Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe


----------



## Shaver

Haffman said:


> In 2013 I am trying to use teabags as infrequently as possible. It really is a minor luxury to prepare tea with proper tea leaves and watch them swell to plumpness as the flavour gently envelops the pot
> 
> .... and as an added bonus you can, with the right training, learn to predict the future by reading the tea leaves as well, or so I hear
> 
> *For afternoon tea, I recommend Fortnum & Mason's wonderfully named Darjeeling Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe*


That's a ladies' tea though, right? :devil:


----------



## Haffman

Shaver said:


> That's a ladies' tea though, right? :devil:


How very uncouth of you, ladies tea indeed! Go back to your PG tips! :devil:


----------



## Shaver

Haffman said:


> How very uncouth of you, ladies tea indeed! Go back to your PG tips! :devil:


I'm on the Twinings English Breakfast (loose) actually. :cool2:


----------



## GenteelCountryman

Snow Hill Pond said:


> Don't forget the coleslaw!!! I'm partial to the vinegar-based western Carolina version...


Heres another vote for the vinegar-based coleslaw!!


----------



## Shaver

Not certain if this qualifies as a minor luxury or if it is more of a pure decadence.

D. R. Harris' bone handle and real bristle toothbrush, hand crafted in England. (Shorthead No. 5, straight handle, hard bristles).

As good as a toothbrush can get.


----------



## eagle2250

^^+1.
Well I am inclined to concur that the three Kent clothing and personal care brushes I press into daily use, certainly qualify for inclusion in the index of minor luxuries that improve my life on a regular basis! :thumbs-up:


----------



## Shaver

Sheer bliss. My horn comb - hand made, saw cut and sand finished for maximal smoothness and helping to ensure that the hair strands are not damaged whilst combing.









As you are probably aware under a microscope hair is revealed as being composed of tiny scales (see below) which a blow moulded comb will snag.

Horn being a natural material and composed of a keratin substance very similar to hair so will in fact smooth the scales and most importantly clean the hair and also evenly distribute the natural lanolin to condition the hair.


----------



## benjclark

Besides looking cool and being expensive, I've never thought a horn comb was actually a luxury. Now I want one.


----------



## benjclark

After reading through the thread, for me, after years of doing all the household laundry, I feel very decadent now using a drop-off laundry service. Especially because they indulge my little requests, pay close attention to details, and take pride in their work [justifiably].


----------



## ichiran

Room service breakfast for two.


----------



## Tilton

Snow Hill Pond said:


> Don't forget the coleslaw!!! I'm partial to the vinegar-based western Carolina version...


Yes, but the eastern-style barbecue is much better than the ketchupy western-style, and to mix eastern-style 'cue with western-style slaw would be a vinegar overload.

Also of note: true eastern style 'cue is made from a whole hog while the western variety uses only the shoulder. Skyline Inn in Ayden is my favorite.


----------



## Shaver

Mmm, vine ripened tomatoes - never refrigerated - sweet and delicious. A minor luxury financially but sensually a near divine luxury .


----------



## FalconLorenzo

Howard said:


> nice comfy slippers
> good sleeping bed
> watching a funny show


Howard, which comedy is your favorite?


----------



## gaseousclay

Shaver said:


> Mmm, vine ripened tomatoes - never refrigerated - sweet and delicious. A minor luxury financially but sensually a near divine luxury .
> 
> View attachment 10605


My wife turned me onto sliced tomatoes mixed in with cottage cheese and ground black pepper. Surprisingly delicious

Sent from my tinfoil hat


----------



## justonemore

Shaver said:


> Mmm, vine ripened tomatoes - never refrigerated - sweet and delicious. A minor luxury financially but sensually a near divine luxury .
> 
> View attachment 10605


Amazing the difference in taste between the food for the masses & that coming from small family owned natural farms. Tomatoes are one of the best examples of this as most of the large mass production farms have genetically modified them to the point of being almost tasteless with skins so thick & rubbery that they're nearl inedible


----------



## Howard

FalconLorenzo said:


> Howard, which comedy is your favorite?


I have a few: Seinfeld, Big Bang Theory and Two And A Half Men


----------



## Adventure Wolf

In no particular order:

- An occasional drink of high end alcohol
- Smoking the occasional cigar
- Good Books and Classic Literature
- Good Movies
- Strolls through the art musuem
- A good boxing match


----------



## WouldaShoulda

justonemore said:


> Amazing the difference in taste between the food for the masses & that coming from small family owned natural farms. Tomatoes are one of the best examples of this as most of the large mass production farms have genetically modified them to the point of being almost tasteless with skins so thick & rubbery that they're nearl inedible


Around here, the key is buying New Jersey tomatoes IN SEASON which only lasts about six weeks


----------



## Howard

shopping for nice clothes.


----------



## eagle2250

gaseousclay said:


> My wife turned me onto sliced tomatoes mixed in with cottage cheese and ground black pepper. Surprisingly delicious
> 
> Sent from my tinfoil hat


Tasty indeed and healthy! It has been many the day(s) that I have enjoyed the dish you describe, calling it lunch, in my quest to regain the waistline measurement(s) of my younger years.


----------



## Chouan

Really fresh English asparagus. There was an old chap who lived just around the corner from me who sold it outside his house for 75p a bunch. I've never tasted asparagus as good before or since.
Also, my own tomatoes, freshly picked, take some beating.


----------



## justonemore

Chouan said:


> Really fresh English asparagus. There was an old chap who lived just around the corner from me who sold it outside his house for 75p a bunch. I've never tasted asparagus as good before or since.
> Also, my own tomatoes, freshly picked, take some beating.


While my wife is not a fan of asparagus, I still get to enjoy it with my children (when the season arrives). I find it rather funny that the kids like it while the wife runs away. lol.


----------



## jfrater

It has been a long time since I posted here but this thread is right up my alley!

1. Botot "eau de bouche" (18th century recipe for mouth wash)
2. Engraved business cards
3. A full time housekeeper
4. 100% natural fibres throughout the house (bedding, clothing, etc) - no polyester!
5. Silk filled pillows
6. Hand made soaps for shower and bathrooms
7. Freshly ground coffee and daily delivered French pastry for breakfast every morning
8. Exquisite badger brush for daily wet shave
9. Unpasteurised milk delivered to the door by a local farm weekly with two dozen eggs from their free roaming pet chickens
10. Artisan small batch butter made from pure jersey milk with sea salt crystals
11. Sing-alongs with friends after dinner parties - with me supplying the piano and all supplying the voices.
12. Living in New Zealand

The list is endless! But the most important of all is a loving family.


----------



## Annette

Haffman said:


> A few weeks ago, in a thread dedicated to the subject of plain old soap, Mr Shaver used the phrase "[it] is simply one of life's minor luxuries" (when referring to his fondness for Musco soap).
> 
> I find this phrase quite pleasing and it has got me thinking about those other minor luxuries that we may enjoy and wish to share. In keeping with the definition of luxury, these would be "_desirable for comfort and enjoyment, but not indispensable_". They would be minor in the sense that, unlike many of the luxuries that we discuss here like bespoke suits and handgrade shoes, they may be had relatively easily an inexpensively, if one seeks to find them.
> 
> I have posted this on the interchange since the subject crosses clothing, grooming and so forth.
> 
> What are the minor luxuries which make your life more enjoyable?
> 
> Some of mine are :
> 
> _Good quality shaving products_;- I use creams and soaps from Taylor of Old Bond Street and Truefitt & Hill
> 
> _Proper caffeinated beverages_;I eschew instant coffee and like to get proper ground beans (Monmouth Coffee Company) and good quality tea leaves (Fortnum & Mason)
> 
> _Decent shoe polish_;since shoe leather is (or at least was) skin, it needs the best protection - so I like to use Saphir products
> 
> _Fresh socks_ - I really find one of life's great minor luxuries to be a new pair of socks. It's an excellent start to the day! I'm certainly not rich enough to have a new pair a day or anything like that, but I try and remember to invest in new socks at regular intervals (Pantherella and Falke)
> 
> Well, there's some of mine...but there's always room in life for more minor luxuries so I'd really like to hear some of yours...?


Creed fragrance body wash and lotion. Small luxuries can never be overestimated.


----------



## Howard

nice clean good looking clothes


----------



## Joseph Peter

Great topic for a thread which forced me into contemplation of minor luxuries.

1) the scent of my roses when they bloom (will this winter ever end?);
2) getting to work on time;
3) getting home on time;
4) seeing my 16 yr old daughter smile when I get home;
5) a morning when my 51 yr old body, which has high mileage from a former life as an athlete, doesnt crack upon waking;
6) finding a wonderful board like this one where I get to participate in conversation with intelligent gentlemen from all over the globe.


----------



## Adventure Wolf

Joseph Peter said:


> Great topic for a thread which forced me into contemplation of minor luxuries.
> 5) a morning when my 51 yr old body, which has high mileage from a former life as an athlete, doesnt crack upon waking;


I'm a 25 year old former athlete. Its luxurious when mine doesn't crack upon waking too.


----------



## FalconLorenzo

Howard said:


> I have a few: Seinfeld, Big Bang Theory and Two And A Half Men


I love Seinfeld! Although, I must say, I find the other two mentioned to be totally uninspired. Seinfeld was the game changer in sitcoms but those other two are merely cookie-cutter copies, IMO. Of contemporary TV comedies still airing, I am partial to ABC's "Modern Family" and NBC's "Community" and "Parks and Rec." I also enjoy Fox's "New Girl," and while it has certainly dipped in quality lately I get a kick out of Schmitt! Edit to Add: Portlandia is also great! Check it out on Netflix if you have a chance!


----------



## Howard

computer
television


----------



## Shaver

I do love eggs (free range, of course) for breakfast. And my solid silver egg cup and spoon never fail to cheer me up of a morning.


----------



## Chouan

Getting home from work when its still light, and having enough time to walk my dog with my wife, whilst admiring the blossom on the trees.


----------



## Langham

I recently spent four days in a remote valley in Morocco, far away from any roads, settlements, TVs, telephones, radios and passing aircraft, and I realised what a luxury it is to be away from all noise.


----------



## Odradek

jfrater said:


> Location: Lower Hutt, New Zealand​
> 12. Living in New Zealand


Through luck and the help of a dedicated distant relation in Australia, I've recently been able to find out a lot more about an family member who had the words "went to Australia" beside his name in the old family tree. Learned that from about 1873 to 1876, he was living in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. Just saw it pop up there as your location so had to comment.










22nd January 1876


----------



## Fiddlermatt

A new set of violin strings. There's nothing quite as pleasant sounding as a well-played, recently-strung violin.


----------



## Hitch

Taking grandson on his first walk in the woods


----------



## SG_67

I've long taken pleasure in the following:


----------



## justonemore

Dancing with my daughters to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper 30+ years after dancing to it "seriously".


----------



## justonemore

Having to eat the top halves of all the strawberries because my daughters are discerning enough to eat only the bottom halves. lol.


----------



## GatorFL

Sharp knives and good cookware.


----------



## Odradek

dks202 said:


> There's one. I remember a move many years ago where a guy told someone he was so rich he could afford to wear a new pair of socks every day..... I always aspired to that... doubt if I'll make it.


High concept Hollywood hotshot Don Simpson used to pull on a brand new pair of Levi's every day.
Didn't do much for his appearance though really.


----------



## pleasehelp

Odradek said:


> High concept Hollywood hotshot Don Simpson used to pull on a brand new pair of Levi's every day.
> Didn't do much for his appearance though really.


That sounds more like a burden than a luxury to me. I far prefer old worn-in Levis.


----------



## Bohan

I like when I get to take advantage of some of the slightly unusual things that I carry like a miniature pen, Post-it notes, flashlight, floss picks, etc. Also, I invested a good amount of time finding the best possible rubber gloves for dishwashing. Rubber gloves let you use hotter water and prevent drying out your skin. Fit and durability were major problems with what I could get locally. I think they're canning gloves. There's nothing like the satisfaction I get from flossing a piece of spinach out of my teeth after eating out, then coming home to finish the dishes in my canning gloves.


----------



## Tilton

Bohan said:


> I invested a good amount of time finding the best possible rubber gloves for dishwashing. Rubber gloves let you use hotter water and prevent drying out your skin. Fit and durability were major problems with what I could get locally. I think they're canning gloves. There's nothing like the satisfaction I get from flossing a piece of spinach out of my teeth after eating out, then coming home to finish the dishes in my canning gloves.


You lead an exciting life.


----------



## Chouan

Bohan said:


> I like when I get to take advantage of some of the slightly unusual things that I carry like a miniature pen, Post-it notes, flashlight, floss picks, etc. Also, I invested a good amount of time finding the best possible rubber gloves for dishwashing. Rubber gloves let you use hotter water and prevent drying out your skin. Fit and durability were major problems with what I could get locally. I think they're canning gloves. There's nothing like the satisfaction I get from flossing a piece of spinach out of my teeth after eating out, then coming home to finish the dishes in my canning gloves.


You wash dishes? You must be single.


----------



## Shaver

Chouan said:


> You wash dishes? You must be single.


Naughty naughty.


----------



## Tilton

Since Chouan opened that door:

Minor luxury:

Luxury:










Work:


----------



## jfrater

Odradek said:


> Through luck and the help of a dedicated distant relation in Australia, I've recently been able to find out a lot more about an family member who had the words "went to Australia" beside his name in the old family tree. Learned that from about 1873 to 1876, he was living in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. Just saw it pop up there as your location so had to comment.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 22nd January 1876


Wow how cool is that!


----------



## Shoe City Thinker

Grass-fed beef. Heck red meat is a minor luxury since the heart attack.


----------



## eagle2250

^^
For a more healthy red meat,than beef (grass fed or not), try ostrich. Harder to come by, but much lower fat content!


----------



## Shaver

Full cream Jersey milk. Mmmmmm.









The dairy is managed by this chap:


----------



## Shaver

How I adore my Zippo, a genuine American classic. The satisfying sound it makes, the wind-proof flame, the comforting weight in your palm..... :thumbs-up:


----------



## 32rollandrock

Shaver said:


> View attachment 14375
> 
> 
> How I adore my Zippo, a genuine American classic. The satisfying sound it makes, the wind-proof flame, the comforting weight in your palm..... :thumbs-up:


The flavor of lighter fluid when you inhale...


----------



## Adventure Wolf

My minor life luxuries are:

- Good Bourbon
- Good Cigars
- Diet Soda


----------



## WouldaShoulda

Adventure Wolf said:


> My minor life luxuries are:
> 
> - Good Bourbon
> - Good Cigars
> - Diet Soda


All of which cause cancer.

Coincidence??


----------



## Adventure Wolf

WouldaShoulda said:


> All of which cause cancer.
> 
> Coincidence??


Everything causes cancer WouldaShoulda.


----------



## Shaver

32rollandrock said:


> The flavor of lighter fluid when you inhale...


You make a partially valid point. Clearly I would never light a pipe or a fine cigar with anything but Swan Vesta's. However, roll-ups are fine for the Zippo. Further if you use Zippo brand fluid, do not over fill the lighter, and allow the flame to burn for a few seconds before lighting then any tang is dispelled.

:teacha:


----------



## immanuelrx

Adventure Wolf said:


> My minor life luxuries are:
> 
> - Good Bourbon
> - Good Cigars
> - Diet Soda


No, the minor life luxuries is ditching diet soda for the real thing.


----------



## 32rollandrock

immanuelrx said:


> No, the minor life luxuries is ditching diet soda for the real thing.


Ugh. Can't stand the taste of full-strength anymore. Tastes like I'm drinking syrup.


----------



## Adventure Wolf

immanuelrx said:


> No, the minor life luxuries is ditching diet soda for the real thing.


Agreed. It's too sweet, and the high fructose corn syrup hurts my stomach. A minor luxery I forgot is the Coca-Cola throwback with sugar rather then corn syrup that comes out around Passover. I'm not Jewish, but I love that stuff.


----------



## Cheesemonger

A frosty martini on a Saturday evening, followed by a nice meal with some wine, of course!


----------



## Shaver

The sumptuous flagstones, laid in the 1860's, which pave the sidewalk outside my apartment, glowing in the dappled pools accumulated as early morning Autumnal sunshine streams through the trees.


----------



## Dhaller

Shaver said:


> The sumptuous flagstones, laid in the 1860's, which pave the sidewalk outside my apartment, glowing in the dappled pools accumulated as early morning Autumnal sunshine streams through the trees.


This picture brings to mind some minor sensory luxuries:

The crunch of acorns on sidewalks during an autumn walk in town.

The crunch of dry leaves underfoot during an autumn walk in the country.

The crunch of gravel as you drive on it.

DH


----------



## Gurdon

Quite pleasing -- the morning before a lunar eclipse. What was the temperature? 
Gurdon


----------



## Shaver

^ Thank you Gurdon. 

It is unseasonably temperate in England currently. I do not believe that I am able to recall previously experiencing as poor a Summer followed by such a clement Autumn, as we are experiencing now .


----------



## Gurdon

Shaver said:


> ^ Thank you Gurdon.
> 
> It is unseasonably temperate in England currently. I do not believe that I am able to recall previously experiencing as poor a Summer followed by such a clement Autumn, as we are experiencing now .


Sounds like what we refer to as Indian Summer, a warm and sunlit respit of a few days from the cooling trend of fall. I think part of the appeal may have to to with the particular qualities of the sunlight at this time of the astronomical year, that is the geometry of the pathways of light.

Speaking of which, last night's lunar eclipse was quite nice up here.

In the Pacific Slope and Northern Rockies this last summer was comparably disagreeable, but due to excessive heat and lack of rain.

Regards,
Gurdon


----------



## Shaver

Home-made Yorkshire puddings. Yummy yum yum.


----------



## Balfour

^ Nice.


----------



## Duvel

Yeah. Wow!


----------



## tocqueville

Shaver said:


> Home-made Yorkshire puddings. Yummy yum yum.


What are those? What would I find inside if I split one open with a fork?


----------



## Chouan

tocqueville said:


> What are those? What would I find inside if I split one open with a fork?


Air, if made properly. They are a "pudding" made of a batter made of eggs, flour, milk and water. Fat from the roasting meat is put into the metal tray, the batter mixtures, having been beaten into a fine gloop, is poured in and they are then roasted. They are delicious with any roasted meat.
Recipe here: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1581636/james-martins-yorkshire-puds a history, of sorts, is here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_pudding
They absorb the flavour of the meat, their crispness adds a nice texture, and they taste good.


----------



## Balfour

tocqueville said:


> What are those? ...


Delicious.

Or slightly more informatively: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_pudding


----------



## tocqueville

"Pudding" has a much broader meaning over there than here. Jack Aubrey of Patrick O'Brien fame is always tucking into suet pudding or spotted dick, etc. They bear no relation to anything we call pudding and I don't think I've ever encountered one of your puddings in the wild.


----------



## Shaver

tocqueville said:


> "Pudding" has a much broader meaning over there than here. Jack Aubrey of Patrick O'Brien fame is always tucking into suet pudding or spotted dick, etc. They bear no relation to anything we call pudding and I don't think I've ever encountered one of your puddings in the wild.


The next time I make a jam roly-poly I shall post a pic of it here. Ultimate stick to your ribs comfort pudding grub.


----------



## Chouan

Shaver said:


> The next time I make a jam roly-poly I shall post a pic of it here. Ultimate stick to your ribs comfort pudding grub.


Indeed! Baked jam roly-poly, made with suet pastry is sublime. The crisp crust combined with the innards is delicious. My late mother used to make them using home-made strawberry jam as the filling. Served with properly made custard (Creme Anglais) there was nothing better to end a dinner (apart from the cheese to follow, blue Wensleydale for choice). Unfortunately, I've not had it since she became too disabled to cook through MS.


----------



## Gurdon

I was surprised the first time I had it, to find Yorkshire pudding to be a variation of bread, in fact, quite delicious bread. An English friend has explained "pudding" or "puds" (rhymes woods) also means dessert in general. 

On a visit to the UK it struck me as peculiar that whatever the pudding (dessert) might be, the accompanying piece of silverware, either in our friends' homes or at the restaurants and B&B's where we ate, was always a tablespoon. 

We generally can't get suet here. It has always sounded tasty, but terribly unhealthful -- a bit like bacon grease, which makes delicious biscuits when used as the shortening. (Biscuits in American parlance are a soda bread, something like scones, but without sugar. Our word for biscuits, little sweet baked things made with flour, sugar and shortening of some sort, is cookies.)

Cheers,
Gurdon


----------



## Langham

Gurdon said:


> I was surprised the first time I had it, to find Yorkshire pudding to be a variation of bread, in fact, quite delicious bread. An English friend has explained "pudding" or "puds" (rhymes woods) also means dessert in general.
> 
> On a visit to the UK it struck me as peculiar that whatever the pudding (dessert) might be, the accompanying piece of silverware, either in our friends' homes or at the restaurants and B&B's where we ate, was always a tablespoon.
> 
> We generally can't get suet here. It has always sounded tasty, but terribly unhealthful -- a bit like bacon grease, which makes delicious biscuits when used as the shortening. (Biscuits in American parlance are a soda bread, something like scones, but without sugar. Our word for biscuits, little sweet baked things made with flour, sugar and shortening of some sort, is cookies.)
> 
> Cheers,
> Gurdon


Yorkshire pudding should be more like a slightly heavy eclair in consistency, than bread. It is full of air, and less chewy than bread.

A dessert spoon, with a fork, is the usual way of eating desserts here - even trifles.


----------



## Duvel

Wigwam ragg wool socks. Warm!


----------



## Duvel

Another minor luxury: The sport coat. 

I know it might seem silly to some, but I love owning a few sport coats that fit comfortably, that go with almost anything and anywhere, and harken to another era when standards of dress meant something.


----------



## Haffman

San Pellegrino water served chilled out of a _glass _bottle.....

a triumph of marketing over reason !!


----------



## Shaver

^the OP returns to his masterpiece! :icon_cheers: over 200 posts and not a single dispute. A unique thread.

And yes- S. Pellegrino is velvety delicious water.


----------



## Balfour

Shaver said:


> ... :icon_cheers: over 200 posts and not a single dispute. A unique thread.
> 
> ...


:rock:


----------



## Haffman

Shaver said:


> ^the OP returns to his masterpiece! :icon_cheers: over 200 posts and not a single dispute. A unique thread.
> 
> And yes- S. Pellegrino is velvety delicious water.


Ha, thank you sir. :beer: Come to think of it, this thread might be the summit of my life's achievements...


----------



## Flairball

Shaver said:


> Home-made Yorkshire puddings. Yummy yum yum.


You're killing me. Look great. Not home made, but I recently, and impulsively, bought a box of mix, and I am not quite sure what to pair this with. Any suggestions would certainly be appreciated. My first inclination is to make a roast, and the smother everything is gravy, but this may not be the best usage.


----------



## Flairball

Looking through this entire thread I can say that my initial thoughts have not changed; a good soak, and new wipe blades. 

Though I will add, nice wood on a balanced shotgun are quite pleasing, too.

As is a good bowl of oatmeal in the morning.


----------



## Shaver

Home-made Cornish pasty. Mmm.


----------



## Langham

*Sunday afternoon at the Ashmolean*

Those of you who know of my interest in riding will understand my fascination with the reptilian-looking rider's gauntlet. It was only when I came to study the caption that the object next to it caught my attention. Some might well consider a scold's bridle a somewhat grotesque over-reaction to the menace of female gossips; I am not suggesting that such an object would ever conceivably constitute one of life's minor luxuries. A few hours at Oxford's deservedly famous museum certainly is, however.


----------



## tocqueville

Beyerdynamic headphones and Schiit headphone amp. Nothing really fancy but they make working late at night almost pleasurable.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Shaver

tocqueville said:


> Beyerdynamic headphones and Schiit headphone amp. Nothing really fancy but they make working late at night almost pleasurable.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I can barely imagine how lush the sound those 'phones might provide.

I recently acquired a set of Beyerdynamic in-ear 'phones for use with my my ipod, and whilst these are not anywhere near the league of your own 'phones still, they represent a marked increase in quality compared to models I have previously utilised.


----------



## Balfour

A minor luxury in the theme: noise-cancelling headphones (I have both in-ear and over-ear).


----------



## tocqueville

Shaver said:


> I can barely imagine how lush the sound those 'phones might provide.
> 
> I recently acquired a set of Beyerdynamic in-ear 'phones for use with my my ipod, and whilst these are not anywhere near the league of your own 'phones still, they represent a marked increase in quality compared to models I have previously utilised.


Lush is the word. Lush and clear and detailed.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Shaver

tocqueville said:


> Lush is the word. Lush and clear and detailed.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Might I recommend that you seek out Fatman's latest post in the 'buy it for life' thread? I suspect that it may well intrigue you.

Right-o! Speaking of minor luxuries: I have a cigar that is unlikely to smoke itself. Until later.


----------



## tocqueville

Shaver said:


> Might I recommend that you seek out Fatman's latest post in the 'buy it for life' thread? I suspect that it may well intrigue you.
> 
> Right-o! Speaking of minor luxuries: I have a cigar that is unlikely to smoke itself. Until later.


You're not wrong. I'm very intrigued. I had concluded that I didn't need to invest in a DAC because of the quality of the MacBook Pro DAC, but... Honestly, it's hard for me to imagine the difference such a thing could make. I think audiophiles are imagining things at least half the time, and in any event there is the problem of diminishing returns. One has to spend a lot of money to achieve a barely perceptible and possibly imaginary improvement in sound. Still, I sure would love to try that Mojo.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Regent1879

Good sour dough bread, using a traditional barber for a haircut, and visiting a bier garten to "just slow down and enjoy life" with a friend on a nice day.


----------



## Dhaller

Having just upgraded my Macbook Pro to 16GB ram and swapping out the old SATA drive for an SSD, I have to add "faster computing" to the list! 

DH


----------



## tocqueville

Dhaller said:


> Having just upgraded my Macbook Pro to 16GB ram and swapping out the old SATA drive for an SSD, I have to add "faster computing" to the list!
> 
> DH


And a good internet connection!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Shaver

A solitary walk in the Yorkshire countryside - sheer bliss.


----------



## eagle2250

^^
Absolutely stunning! The natural beauty, the sense of peace, and the solitude is palpable...I think my blood pressure just dropped 10 points! Thank you for sharing this "secret garden." :thumbs-up:


----------



## Langham

^ Time spent in the garden (someone else's, ideally) is usually therapeutic, I find. Here, in the garden of England, is the garden created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson at Sissinghurst Castle, a former prisoner of war camp for French soldiers:


----------



## Langham

^ Castles themselves can also be surprisingly restful places - although it is a long time since any English castles were menaced by siege engines and warfare. Here is another garden I like to while away time, at Scotney Castle:


----------



## Shaver

^ Absolutely gorgeous!

And faintly reminiscent of an l.p. cover which you may be familiar with?


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> A solitary walk in the Yorkshire countryside - sheer bliss.
> 
> View attachment 16441


looks like a nice place for solitude.


----------



## Langham

Shaver said:


> ^ Absolutely gorgeous!
> 
> And faintly reminiscent of an l.p. cover which you may be familiar with?


That's interesting - I certainly was, at one time.


----------



## Gurdon

Can anyone provide the lines, and citation, comparing Lancelot Brown's landscaping efforts to the track of a snail on a garden path? (From the fond memory of an exam question related to the history of English landscape gardening. The British Isles; a definitive cultural artifact.) 
Gurdon


----------



## Langham

Gurdon said:


> Can anyone provide the lines, and citation, comparing Lancelot Brown's landscaping efforts to the track of a snail on a garden path? (From the fond memory of an exam question related to the history of English landscape gardening. The British Isles; a definitive cultural artifact.)
> Gurdon


This interests me, and I've tried googling it, but with no result. However, judging by the number of gardens here that apparently were designed by him, there can have been little that was snail-like in his enterprise.


----------



## Shaver

Howard said:


> looks like a nice place for solitude.


It was indeed Howard and I crave my own company much of the time. I saw a shrew there, a timid creature and not one often encountered except in stillness and in quiet.


----------



## Shaver

Langham said:


> ^ Time spent in the garden (someone else's, ideally) is usually therapeutic, I find. Here, in the garden of England, is the garden created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson at Sissinghurst Castle, a former prisoner of war camp for French soldiers:
> 
> View attachment 16443


Vita is an interesting character. As you will doubtless be aware 'Orlando' (described as the longest love letter in the English language) was an homage to her.

I occasionally regret having passed over what appeared to be a first edition of her 'English Country Houses' which I chanced upon in a little junk shop a few years back.


----------



## Shaver

Gurdon said:


> Can anyone provide the lines, and citation, comparing Lancelot Brown's landscaping efforts to the track of a snail on a garden path? (From the fond memory of an exam question related to the history of English landscape gardening. The British Isles; a definitive cultural artifact.)
> Gurdon


Price 'this fellow crawls like a snail all over the grounds and leaves his cursed slime ...'


----------



## Langham

Shaver said:


> Vita is an interesting character. As you will doubtless be aware ...


I know someone, a few years older than myself, who as a boy was taken to visit her at Sissinghurst by his mother. From his description of events there, she sounded a rather 'difficult' woman - I could put it more strongly.

Nevertheless, to have created the gardens there from nothing took some vision (besides a lot of money).


----------



## Shaver

Wandering to work this morning&#8230;&#8230;.

A gunmetal blue sky thinning as the profane crepuscular gloom is irradiated by auroral fusion.

A crescent of submerged lunar dreams, thumbnail mark gouged in ardour upon the shoulder of the sky, murmuring its earthshine invitation to our English Martyrs.

A silhouetted steeple, stone antenna beaming pulsed prayers from the congregation towards the absence on the other side of the firmament.


----------



## Chouan

The skies have indeed been spectacular of late, they've enlivened by otherwise depressing journey to work over the past few weeks. Thanks for sharing it with us.


----------



## Shaver

I love the smell of Earl Grey in the morning:









My desk @ 7.45 am.


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> I love the smell of Earl Grey in the morning:
> 
> View attachment 16687
> 
> 
> My desk @ 7.45 am.


I prefer coffee.


----------



## Chouan

Freshly made, hand ground (by me)






colombian coffee.

.... it smells like victory.


----------



## Shaver

^ Mmmmmm :cofee:


----------



## Chouan

..... was nice!

I do myself one every morning, the hand grinder gives me some exercise and my eldest son, a coffee aficionado, or, as his brother says, a pretentious git, tells me that it makes for a better flavour than an electric grinder. A good start to the working day in any event.


----------



## Dhaller

Chouan said:


> Freshly made, hand ground (by me)
> View attachment 16690
> colombian coffee.
> 
> .... it smells like victory.


What hand grinder do you use?

I've tried a few, most lately a Zassenhaus hand grinder, but I've never found one which can beat a good motorized burr grinder (and I'd love to go full mechanical - nothing undermines the quiet morning coffee making experience like the whir of a burr grinder).

DH


----------



## Chouan

Dhaller said:


> What hand grinder do you use?
> 
> I've tried a few, most lately a Zassenhaus hand grinder, but I've never found one which can beat a good motorized burr grinder (and I'd love to go full mechanical - nothing undermines the quiet morning coffee making experience like the whir of a burr grinder).
> 
> DH


Mine is a cheap Chinese made version in stainless steel with a ceramic core. It does a good job, grinding the coffee to the right level of fineness to use in a cafetiere. It isn't adjustable though, and isn't terribly robust. I'll post a picture of it.


----------



## Chouan

Shaver said:


> Wandering to work this morning&#8230;&#8230;.
> 
> A gunmetal blue sky thinning as the profane crepuscular gloom is irradiated by auroral fusion.
> 
> A crescent of submerged lunar dreams, thumbnail mark gouged in ardour upon the shoulder of the sky, murmuring its earthshine invitation to our English Martyrs.
> 
> A silhouetted steeple, stone antenna beaming pulsed prayers from the congregation towards the absence on the other side of the firmament.
> 
> View attachment 16648


The sky on my journey to work this morning:







Again, no matter what I do it posts here upside down!!!!!


----------



## Howard

Chouan said:


> Freshly made, hand ground (by me)
> View attachment 16690
> colombian coffee.
> 
> .... it smells like victory.


How do you prefer your coffee? sugar and milk or none at all?


----------



## Howard

Chouan said:


> The sky on my journey to work this morning:
> View attachment 16694
> 
> Again, no matter what I do it posts here upside down!!!!!


That is wonderful.


----------



## Chouan

Howard said:


> How do you prefer your coffee? sugar and milk or none at all?


Milk, and no sugar.


----------



## Chouan

The grinder






The cafetiere


----------



## eagle2250

This latest series of posts has got me thinking it's time to fire up the pot, grind some fresh beans and put the french press to good use later today!


----------



## Gurdon

Some time back I got a large mill, suitable for grain and coffee beans, from Lehman Hardware. It had a large heavy wheel with a crank handle and clamped to a counter or table top. The table I used shook when grinding coffee, and this required putting one's foot on top of the table while turning the crank. Coffee making was an amusing and noisy undertaking. Practicality won out and I went back to an electric grinder.

After several years of blade grinders, I recently bought a very nice, and not grossly expensive burr grinder.

I use a squasher (French press). Although "they" recommend a coarse grind, I found that too watery and settled on a fairly fine grind. I used the taste and strength of the brewed coffee served at Peet's as a target. My results are strong and thick, but the flavor is clear. 

I have to go to Peet's today to replenish the bean supply.

Gurdon


----------



## Howard

Chouan said:


> Milk, and no sugar.


I prefer mine cream and sugar.


----------



## Dhaller

Howard said:


> I prefer mine cream and sugar.


If I make my own coffee (meaning I've selected the bean, ground the bean, and hand poured to steep), I drink it black; not to puff terribly, but if there's one place in daily life being a bit of a chemistry expert (two degrees in it!) shines, it's in coffee-making.

From there, it's a spectrum terminating in office/waiting room/diner coffee, which takes a heavy dose of cream, sugar, and grimace.

DH


----------



## Gurdon

Dhaller said:


> If I make my own coffee (meaning I've selected the bean, ground the bean, and hand poured to steep), I drink it black; not to puff terribly, but if there's one place in daily life being a bit of a chemistry expert (two degrees in it!) shines, it's in coffee-making.
> 
> DH


Yes, if one goes from bean to brew, black is best. Although I have degrees in fine art and urban planning, I was on my high school's chemistry team.

Gurdon


----------



## Howard

Dhaller said:


> If I make my own coffee (meaning I've selected the bean, ground the bean, and hand poured to steep), I drink it black; not to puff terribly, but if there's one place in daily life being a bit of a chemistry expert (two degrees in it!) shines, it's in coffee-making.
> 
> From there, it's a spectrum terminating in office/waiting room/diner coffee, which takes a heavy dose of cream, sugar, and grimace.
> 
> DH


Where do you purchase the coffee beans?


----------



## Dhaller

I usually buy beans from Batdorf & Bronson, because they have a roastery here in Atlanta; a local roaster is great because you can buy the day of roasting, and the more recently a bean was roasted, the better its coffee will be.

DH


----------



## Shaver

I adore back alleys and make it my business to familiarise myself with the tranquillity of these neglected and so gloriously unspoilt remnants of an earlier era, snaking my path through the ventricles connecting the urban heart whilst encountering as few other human beings as possible.

This delightful oasis runs parallel to the thronging bustle of mindless shoppers in Leeds city centre.


----------



## zandor

I use an electric burr grinder. The noise doesn't bother me. I do find the grinder to be a rather minor influence on the overall quality of the coffee though. The beans are far more important. Good beans ground just before brewing are essential. If you have good whole beans you can make good coffee with a chef's knife, a cast iron skillet, and some sort of filter (to catch the bits of coffee beans). If the coffee is good and the beans are fresh and whole a crappy grinder will do. A $30 drip machine from Wal-Mart is just fine. One of those $200 or so automatic pour over machines is better. A plunger pot (French press) is the best unless you are making espresso. I am not really an espresso drinker, so I will leave comments on what is needed for a good espresso to others.


----------



## Ensiferous

^ Shaver, I share your inquisitive nature. It is indeed interesting to explore quiet corners and peripheral areas, but when one finds a refuge in the middle of a busy place, it can be like a sanctum for the senses which can be otherwise assailed just feet away.

Your local and travel pics are always good to see.


----------



## CSG

I have Connaught's in the UK send me Mitchell's Wool Fat bath soap which is actually less expensive shipped from the UK to me here in the USA than it is buying locally. Wonderful soap for the shower (as is their shaving soap for shaving).


----------



## Mike Petrik

Shaver said:


> I adore back alleys...


Of course you do. ;-)


----------



## eagle2250

Being blessed to live in an area which is in effect a nature preserve wrapped around residential housing and a golf course, complete with multiple nature trails that I walk regularly, I can appreciate Shaver's affinity for back alleys and the solitude and opportunities for reflection that they might afford. However, as one who has become aware of the occasional three to four foot gator, pigmy rattlesnake, coral snake and on one occasion a feral hog (it is true, your future breakfast bacon can fight back!), I caution that it is good to remain alert to the potential threats while on our walks along such isolated pathways! LOL.


----------



## Shaver

Mike Petrik said:


> Of course you do. ;-)


Ahh, it would appear that my friend Mike and I are liken, one unto the other, in this matter.

Indeed, in those far off propitious days of my throbbing and tumescent adolescence, I had cause to arrange for more than a few trysts in the mythic confines of the back alley - doling out romance to the ladies and violence to the gentlemen.

The vibrant vigour of my youth now receeded but yet the fondly recalled memories, less barbaric and more cinematic when encountered through the gauze of nostalgia, may still warm my cockles.

As one of my favourite songs has it '...stain her cobbled stones with wine and piss and Death's desire....'.
.
.


----------



## 16412

eagle2250 said:


> Being blessed to live in an area which is in effect a nature preserve wrapped around residential housing and a golf course, complete with multiple nature trails that I walk regularly, I can appreciate Shaver's affinity for back alleys and the solitude and opportunities for reflection that they might afford. However, as one who has become aware of the occasional three to four foot gator, pigmy rattlesnake, coral snake and on one occasion a feral hog (it is true, your future breakfast bacon can fight back!), I caution that it is good to remain alert to the potential threats while on our walks along such isolated pathways! LOL.


Sounds like you could use one of those walking sticks that has a sword in it.

Don't have any of those creatures where I walk and hike. Met a black bear once. Never saw the bobcat, but saw its fresh tracks many times where I would stop and git a drink of water. Saw a cougar in the woods behind the the house one time when about 8 years old. Think that was a dangerous situation. I sensed danger before I saw it. See elk once in a while. How dangerous are the bulls during the rutting season? Might have been close enough to hop on several mountain goats, at least, touch them. Life would be boring without the wild creatures. Maybe I'll move to Alaska someday where dall sheep and moose are nearby. Not sure if I want to be around grizzlies. But, the fishing is great up there.


----------



## 16412

Shaver said:


> Ahh, it would appear that my friend Mike and I are liken, one unto the other, in this matter.
> 
> Indeed, in those far off propitious days of my throbbing and tumescent adolescence, I had cause to arrange for more than a few trysts in the mythic confines of the back alley - doling out romance to the ladies and violence to the gentlemen.
> 
> The vibrant vigour of my youth now receeded but yet the fondly recalled memories, less barbaric and more cinematic when encountered through the gauze of nostalgia, may still warm my cockles.
> 
> As one of my favourite songs has it '...stain her cobbled stones with wine and piss and Death's desire....'.
> .
> .


Reminds me of Shakespeare.


----------



## Shaver

WA said:


> ....Might have been close enough to hop on several mountain goats, at least, touch them.....


:icon_pale:


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

The smell of burnt gunpowder.


----------



## Dhaller

Mr. B. Scott Robinson said:


> The smell of burnt gunpowder.


Especially if you've just survived a duel.

DH


----------



## 16412

Shaver said:


> :icon_pale:


Sometimes when "climbing" a mountain you can walk around a corner and there is a goat right there. Then there are the ridges where you might be walking around rocky mounds or little tops instead of over them. But I there is a goat 5 feet away. Suppose they think that I'm another goat until they see me and scamper away. In the Olympic Mountains in Washington State one male goat gored a male hiker. Might have been rutting season, but I think it was over protective. Male animals can think male human beings as competition. So, in the barn yard, never turn your back to any bulls. I've heard of bucks attacking men. Bull elk are huge. Small boys I don't think have much to worry about. But boys who have entered puberty should be aware of these dangers. Some male animals know when a woman is in estrus. Some couples find this useful information. One time walking through a boulder field I decided to climb one of the boulders. Got part way up when I heard some hissing. Decided I didn't want to meet momma cougar or bobcat and left the area kinda quickly. Guess you can tell I don't always stay on or near trails.


----------



## Shaver

Roquefort cheese - mouldy congealed ewe's mammary fluid. Sharp, moist and creamy, mmmmmmm.


----------



## Gurdon

*Old school cooking utensils*

I particularly enjoy making omelettes using my wife's fifty year-old heavy, polished on the inside, aluminum omelette skillet. I find it far more pleasurable to use than non-stick cookware.

Gurdon


----------



## Shaver

My friend, I have made myself a cheese omelette for breakfast almost every single day for the last 20 years. It is a ceramic pan, I believe, that I employ latterly. Left to rest on a low heat allows for a thin crispy skin which I adore. 

Hyperbole, as ever, the ability to produce a delicious omelette is one of the marks of a man. 

What is your preferred method?


----------



## Gurdon

*Cooking an omelette*

I arrange pan and ingredients, break two or three eggs into a bowl, add diced green chilis or diced sautéed onion and stir with a fork. I then grate some cheese. Sometimes I sauté a few sliced mushrooms or warm something else, such as cut up ham. I melt just enough butter to coat the pan; too much butter ends up frying the omelette. After stirring the eggs again I pour them into the pan, which I rock and tilt, swirling it gently to distribute the eggs. I then sprinkle the grated cheese onto the eggs.

Just before adding the eggs, I turn up the heat so that the eggs sizzle gently when they touch the pan; too hot and the eggs get a tough skin, not hot enough and they cook slowly and become fluffy and over-cooked, and get hard on the exterior without forming a skin.

As the cheese melts and the eggs cook sufficiently to allow the pre-omelette to slide around in the pan I add any additional ingredients, slide a spatula under half of the omelette and turn it over - not quite a flip, but quickly enough to so that most of the still liquid interior part of the eggs and melted cheese doesn't run out into the pan. As I fold over that half of the omelette, tilting the pan and using the spatula, I move the now half moon shaped omelette to one side of the pan to keep most of its still liquid interior contents on the inside. When it has cooked a bit and is somewhat firmer than when folded over, I turn the omelette over, let it cook slightly, and slide it onto a plate.

I occasionally add chopped or sliced scallions just before closing the omelette. One can add stuff to an omelette; pieces of sausage, diced bacon, etc. On those occasions when I add bacon, I stir it into the eggs, instead of the green chili. I sometimes then use the bacon fat instead of butter.

When serving several people I cook each omelette separately, rather than making a larger one and cutting it up. It is harder to make a big omelette than it is to make an individual one, particularly because you must cook the eggs more firmly than I like them. When camping, however, with a large griddle over a fire, and a big spatula, one can wrangle everything into something presentable and tasty. Except for making pancakes or french toast, it's not worth the effort to use a griddle on the kitchen range.

I've left out some of the details, but this is a pretty good description of my procedure. As you specified a cheese omelette, I suspect you may not add as many ingredients as I do. The term "refrigerator omelette" is used over here to describe the contents of a giant omelette made to feed a housefull. This would, I presume, be made in one of those double pans employed in making Spanish omelettes.

I prefer my omelettes runny rather than fluffy. I do, however, try to prepare them to the liking of the individuals who are to eat them.

Cheers,
Gurdon


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> Roquefort cheese - mouldy congealed ewe's mammary fluid. Sharp, moist and creamy, mmmmmmm.
> 
> View attachment 16884


Is that available in the U.S., Shaver?


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> My friend, I have made myself a cheese omelette for breakfast almost every single day for the last 20 years. It is a ceramic pan, I believe, that I employ latterly. Left to rest on a low heat allows for a thin crispy skin which I adore.
> 
> Hyperbole, as ever, the ability to produce a delicious omelette is one of the marks of a man.
> 
> What is your preferred method?


What do you put on your omelette?


----------



## Gurdon

*Ketchup*

Ketchup, AKA, T-Sauce (tomato sauce).
Gurdon


----------



## Shaver

Howard said:


> Is that available in the U.S., Shaver?


As I understand it Roquefort cheese is effectively banned in America, Howard - along with several other European cheeses.

My, admittedly limited, experience of American supermarkets and delis would suggest that you chaps do not share our tastes for fine dairy produce.

.
.
.
.
.


----------



## Shaver

Your omelette sounds quite lovely Gurdon.

Here's mine:

Pinch of Maldon sea salt in a glass jug, add 2 eggs (organic free range, of course) and whisk briskly for around 50 rotations. Splash of extra virgin olive oil in the pan and set to heat on the gas ring, turning on grill at same time. Once the oil is smoking pour in the omelette mix, keeping it moving in the pan at all times to create a light frothy consistency. Once the mixture has begun to set add small knobs of cheese to the top of the omelette (Red Leicester, Wensleydale, Cheddar and Lancashire are all good choices) turn the gas ring down to its minimum setting and flip the omelette. Place the premium wholemeal bread under the grill for six minutes, turning after 3 minutes, during which time a thin layer of crispness blooms upon the surface of the omlette. Spread butter or Marmite on the bread, slide the omelette on to the plate et voila!

These are plates from my Denby dinner set, by the way, a not so minor luxury. :redface:


----------



## Langham

Shaver said:


> Roquefort cheese - mouldy congealed ewe's mammary fluid. Sharp, moist and creamy, mmmmmmm.
> 
> View attachment 16884


Your description - the first part - and the photograph, hardly do this magnificent cheese justice Shaver, as you well know. :beer:


----------



## Shaver

^ It is a tricky item to adequately capture in a photo, at least it is with my limited equipment.

How about this stock image?

At any rate, glad to be informed that you are a fan also.


----------



## Langham

^ Yes I am. More a recovering addict, perhaps. Food can be notoriously difficult to photograph well. The roquefort in your first photo looked quite unhealthy.


----------



## Howard

Gurdon said:


> Ketchup, AKA, T-Sauce (tomato sauce).
> Gurdon


I put some onion powder, garlic and a touch of salt on mine.


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> Your omelette sounds quite lovely Gurdon.
> 
> Here's mine:
> 
> Pinch of Maldon sea salt in a glass jug, add 2 eggs (organic free range, of course) and whisk briskly for around 50 rotations. Splash of extra virgin olive oil in the pan and set to heat on the gas ring, turning on grill at same time. Once the oil is smoking pour in the omelette mix, keeping it moving in the pan at all times to create a light frothy consistency. Once the mixture has begun to set add small knobs of cheese to the top of the omelette (Red Leicester, Wensleydale, Cheddar and Lancashire are all good choices) turn the gas ring down to its minimum setting and flip the omelette. Place the premium wholemeal bread under the grill for six minutes, turning after 3 minutes, during which time a thin layer of crispness blooms upon the surface of the omlette. Spread butter or Marmite on the bread, slide the omelette on to the plate et voila!
> 
> These are plates from my Denby dinner set, by the way, a not so minor luxury. :redface:
> 
> View attachment 16888
> 
> 
> View attachment 16889


That looks so delicious.


----------



## Shaver

Howard said:


> That looks so delicious.


Thank you Howard. If I am ever out your way I would be delighted to make an omelette for you and your mum too. How is she - still taking good care of you I trust?


----------



## Gurdon

Shaver,

Your image of roquefort cheese is superior to the stock photo. And your description is a welcome change from foodist excesses. 

The omelette looks and sounds delicious. I was going to ask about your cheese preferences, thanks for sharing. 

I've been using a locally made "cheddar." The same creamery also produces a version of a California cheese called Monterey Jack. Theirs tastes very much like cheddar; something in the air, perhaps?

Gurdon


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> Thank you Howard. If I am ever out your way I would be delighted to make an omelette for you and your mum too. How is she - still taking good care of you I trust?


Yes, she's been taking care of me for 43 years and yes she'd be delighted for someone to make omelettes for the both of us. BTW, How do you prepare yours and what do you put on it?


----------



## 127.72 MHz

Shaver said:


> I love the smell of Earl Grey in the morning:
> 
> View attachment 16687
> 
> 
> My desk @ 7.45 am.


I also prefer coffee,.....But to be right honest coffee is just my habit. I can almost small your Earl Grey. I should do tea more often.


----------



## Howard

127.72 MHz said:


> I also prefer coffee,.....But to be right honest coffee is just my habit. I can almost small your Earl Grey. I should do tea more often.


How do you prefer your coffee?


----------



## tda003

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee from J. Martinez to savor and worth getting up early to do so.
Makers for everyday bourbon.
Famous Grouse on the Marine Corps birthday with a smuggled Romeo y Julieta Cuban cigar..
The Macallan 18 year Speyside scotch (even over the 25 year) on those mellow days.
Laphroaig 15 year Islay, but running short, so it will soon be the 18 year, on those blustery special days.
Midleton Irish when only Irish whiskey will do..
Taylor of Old Bond Street Mr.Taylor shave cream.
A re-chromed 1931 Gillette "the New" long comb safety razor with Personna red blades.
Silver badger brush.
Caswell Massey Almond Cold Cream soap. Down to my last few bars, so the new with aloe comes next. Sigh...
Morgan's Pomade. A hat pin head sized dab.
A pair of venerable Justin jodhpur boots now, sadly coming to the end of their days after over 50 years and irreplaceable since they're no longer made.
Time sipping any of the above libations in the company of Gabby, my Gordon setter while she dreams of grouse and, quietly, adores me.


----------



## tda003

I've tried Feather and found them to be excellent However, I find that I need to "cork" them as they are a touch too sharp for me. I get almost a week out of my Persona (the Israeli made, also known as Persona red) and they are available in bulk on eBay.

I may have over purchased the last time and am unlikely to need to re-order for years and years. Good thing that I like 'em so much.

I haven't tried San Cristobals, but, when available, possibly visiting my son in London this August.


----------



## Adventure Wolf

A vintage Helbros Watch. The market undervalues them severely.


----------



## Flanderian

The stuff Flanderian eats. Secret recipe: A little cane sugar, a little pectin and a *whole* bunch of delicious ripe fruit. That's it! The way your grandma made it. (Or you wish she had!)https://shop.mccutcheons.com/Preserves-Marmalades-C98.aspx?s=OrderBy%20ASC,%20Name%20ASC&ps=12&p=1


----------



## eagle2250

^^
Deliciously tempting and for a 20 oz. jar of preserves, very reasonably priced at a curmudgeonly #3.95 per jar. Not sure if it's my sense of gastronomical desire or perhaps my almost maniacal attraction to a perceived bargain, but I've got to get me a jar or four of those goodies! LOL.


----------



## Dcr5468

Flanderian said:


> The stuff Flanderian eats. Secret recipe: A little cane sugar, a little pectin and a *whole* bunch of delicious ripe fruit. That's it! The way your grandma made it. (Or you wish she had!)https://shop.mccutcheons.com/Preserves-Marmalades-C98.aspx?s=OrderBy%20ASC,%20Name%20ASC&ps=12&p=1


Speaking of cane, real sugar cane syrup. Preferably with home made biscuits and real butter.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Dcr5468

Also Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee if ridiculously good although 50/lb is more than I am willing to shell out.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Shaver

Dcr5468 said:


> Speaking of cane, real sugar cane syrup. Preferably with home made biscuits and real butter.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Yummy!

Here's my favourite brand.

Guess what the image is on the tin. It is a rotting lion swarming with bees. Appetising eh?

cf Judges 14:18


----------



## Dcr5468

Love it...my favorite is Steens from Louisiana - straight from the cane juice, no sugar extracted, fantastic molasses flavor. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Flanderian

eagle2250 said:


> ^^
> Deliciously tempting and for a 20 oz. jar of preserves, very reasonably priced at a curmudgeonly #3.95 per jar. Not sure if it's my sense of gastronomical desire or perhaps my almost maniacal attraction to a perceived bargain, but I've got to get me a jar or four of those goodies! LOL.


I usually buy a dozen at a time to help spread out the shipping charge. Lasts my wife and I about a year.

And, yes, I think it's an excellent bargain when the shipping charge can be amortized.

Lots of nice flavors. Peach, black and blue, blackberry and pear for something a little more delicate and unusual. I purchase their orange marmalade regularly. Beats any of the commercial brands by a mile. Though I wish it were a little more bitter. I like that in orange marmalade.

Plus, it's a family business. And one that makes an outstanding product at a reasonable price. IMHO, such businesses need to be encouraged.


----------



## eagle2250

^^
An excellent point on spreading (pun intended) out the shipping charges...a dozen jars it will be. Good lawd, what have you done to my diet? LOL.


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

I love Lyles Golden. Must be one of the most unforgettable logos in the food industry!

One of my personal minor luxuries, a visit to Georgetown Tobacco when I am in DC to restock my pipe tobacco supply. I haven't had a chance to visit since summer 2015 and looking forward to the visit in mid-April! My favorite, Old Cowrie.

https://www.gttobacco.com

Cheers,

BSR


----------



## Adventure Wolf

One of my minor luxuries is a bottle of Jefferson's Reserve.


----------



## tda003

I LOVE really good fancy albacore tuna. It's been increasingly hard to come by. All the available national and local brands are mushy and tasteless and come in 5 1/2 oz. cans.

Costco's Kirkland brand (6 1/2 oz. can) has been my "go to" brand for several years and worth the hour plus drive to purchase. Unfortunately, it has apparently fallen off of late judging from current reviews.

After a good bit of research, I tried Wegman's solid white fancy albacore.(6 oz. can). It's really good stuff (firm and flavorful) and not outrageously priced. I order it online now by the case.


----------



## Dcr5468

Mr. B. Scott Robinson said:


> I love Lyles Golden. Must be one of the most unforgettable logos in the food industry!
> 
> One of my personal minor luxuries, a visit to Georgetown Tobacco when I am in DC to restock my pipe tobacco supply. I haven't had a chance to visit since summer 2015 and looking forward to the visit in mid-April! My favorite, Old Cowrie.
> 
> https://www.gttobacco.com
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> BSR


They sell perique tobacco - grown in only one place in the world. Some is processed in barrels on land my family owns. Talk about a small world!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Flanderian

eagle2250 said:


> ^^
> An excellent point on spreading (pun intended) out the shipping charges...a dozen jars it will be. Good lawd, what have you done to my diet? LOL.


Moderation in all things.
(Especially moderation! :happy


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

I am a zealot for moderation, if nothing else!

perique tobacco? I will certainly give it a taste. 

Cheers, 

BSR


----------



## tda003

^Not a sweet smeller, but great taste.


----------



## Shaver

English football.

A glorious Sunday, lunchtime kick-off, over 20,000 in attendance, and the possibility of securing promotion to the Championship. A party atmosphere is guaranteed.


----------



## Shaver

I am pleased to report that a comfortable 3-0 victory was the outcome, promotion achieved, and pitch invasion ensued.


----------



## Jgarner197

Shaver said:


> I am pleased to report that a comfortable 3-0 victory was the outcome, promotion achieved, and pitch invasion ensued.


Did you make sure to "Remain seated at all times"? 
Congratulations on the victory.


----------



## Shaver

Thank you. Bolton are not my team, rather I was introducing my partner's boy to the joys of attending a match - having guaranteed his mother that I would not impart any of my bad habits in this regard. Which is not to say that the thrill of a pent up crowd does not infect me, most especially the triumph of an underdog.

I did remain seated (except of course when applauding goals) for my days of naughtiness at the football are now behind me. 

More's the pity.




.
.


----------



## 16412

To my surprise I really enjoy taking care of my father who is in his nineties.


----------



## vonSuess

Sometimes luxury can be as minor as plenty of hot water in the shower. We are visiting in Cincinnati and some of these old places have water flow that is a bit anemic at the showerhead. Our gracious hosts have certainly impressed with their attention to detail...


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

A hot day and a cold Singha in hand while watching capitalism in action at Nana Plaza, Bangkok. 

Cheers, 

BSR


----------



## eagle2250

This past Saturday we took a pretty direct lightening strike to a utility junction box near our home, knocking out cable, internet and telephone service and for a rather blissful three day period we found ourselves without those electronic intrusions insidiously draining away the real pleasures of life...direct conversation, playing board games and reading! Bye gawd, it was like being back in the 1950's for just three wonderful days! :thumbs-up:


----------



## jeffreyc

Your own bed after travelling
A good shine on your shoes after a few weeks of work
Taking your Ski boots off after a good day
A bowl of soup after a cold winter walk
The look of the faces of our children when snow covers the ground
Smell of leather
Putting something together from instructions and then it actually works !!
Finding a bargain in a sale that actually fits


----------



## jeffreyc

m.m. said:


> I too like my cubans, my regulars are San Cristobals, and macallan.
> 
> How do the personna blades compare to Feather? The feathers are the sharpest I've used but still have problems in some areas where I must have tougher hair.


Feather are definitely sharper. You could also try Kai blades. Have you tried a slant bar razor ?


----------



## Mike Petrik

jeffreyc said:


> Your own bed after travelling
> A good shine on your shoes after a few weeks of work
> Taking your Ski boots off after a good day
> A bowl of soup after a cold winter walk
> The look of the faces of our children when snow covers the ground
> Smell of leather
> Putting something together from instructions and then it actually works !!
> Finding a bargain in a sale that actually fits


Truly splendid list.


----------



## vonSuess

eagle2250 said:


> This past Saturday we took a pretty direct lightening strike to a utility junction box near our home, knocking out cable, internet and telephone service and for a rather blissful three day period we found ourselves without those electronic intrusions insidiously draining away the real pleasures of life...direct conversation, playing board games and reading! Bye gawd, it was like being back in the 1950's for just three wonderful days! :thumbs-up:


Well, it's good to see the silver lining. We had a very strong storm early Monday morning that took down a very large tree that in the process squashed the two vehicles we usually drive. I suppose the silver lining and minor luxury in all this was it took but one call to USAA to remove the tree, clean up the mess, tow away the flattened vehicles and put two rental vehicles in the drive. Well, they're in the garage now. I believe we've learned that lesson...

Hans


----------



## eagle2250

^^Jeez Louise,
even I would have been severely challenged to find the silver lining in the "cloud" you describe. Although USAA as the insurer is a blessing. I am a 47 year, three way (auto, home and life) insurance customer of theirs. Hans, I truly hope this all gets quickly resolved for you and will keep you in our thoughts and prayers! :thumbs-up:


----------



## vonSuess

eagle2250 said:


> ^^Jeez Louise,
> even I would have been severely challenged to find the silver lining in the "cloud" you describe. Although USAA as the insurer is a blessing. I am a 47 year, three way (auto, home and life) insurance customer of theirs. Hans, I truly hope this all gets quickly resolved for you and will keep you in our thoughts and prayers! :thumbs-up:


Thank you Eagle, I appreciate that very much.

Hans


----------



## Shaver

As previously noted - I adore back alleys and make it my business to familiarise myself with the tranquillity of these neglected, and so gloriously unspoilt, remnants of an earlier era. I chanced upon this normally sealed off ginnel behind John Smith's brewery yesterday. It is likely that entry to this space is restricted but I would never allow such a trivial thing as law to inhibit my urges.

Sheer bliss!


----------



## Langham

Shaver said:


> As previously noted - I adore back alleys ...


One associates them with dark deeds. There are various names for such passageways - twittens, drays, jetties... where I grew up there were quite a few, known there as vennels.


----------



## Oldsarge

It's one of the joys of visiting Europe where such nooks and crannies of city life exist. If there are any in the U.S. they aren't in any city I've lived in, or even walked around. Too much city planning, IMO!


----------



## Langham

There are few enough left here in the UK, I suspect they are almost all remnants of medieval street systems, which the planners have tried quite hard to obliterate.
Intact medieval street plans can be found in places such as York, Edinburgh (the Old Town), Durham and Canterbury, but for a more immersive medieval experience, a visit to France, Italy, or one or two places in Germany is in order. I have just returned from Toulouse, which is one such place. Plenty of alleys (a French word of course) and interesting street scenes.


----------



## drlivingston

Oldsarge said:


> It's one of the joys of visiting Europe where such nooks and crannies of city life exist. If there are any in the U.S. they aren't in any city I've lived in, or even walked around. Too much city planning, IMO!


You can still find some "nooks and crannies" in the French Quarter of New Orleans. However, my recommendation is for them to be explored during the day (while armed).


----------



## Oldsarge

And with backup! Much as I'd like to eat my way through N'awlins, I believe I'll forgo the pleasure. There is plenty of good food here in the PNW


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

I had the pleasure of working and living in the NOLA Vieux Carre a couple of years after Katrina. I stayed in the Le Richelieu Hotel on Chartres St for a couple of months. The Clan Pitt lived just behind me and Mr. Nicholas Cage was often encountered strolling down the street with his silver tipped cane. 

The Quarter was safe, generally, as long as one stayed away from the tourist area around Bourbon St. I spent many a late eve/early morning strolling the streets when all the cars and carriages were put to bed and the gas lanterns were the only thing flickering on the streets. 

Frenchman Street and Vaughan"s Lounge on Thursdays to hear Kermit Ruffins were my typical haunts. Lots of nooks and crannies in NOLA to get lost in including the slots in an absinthe spoon

Cheers, 

BSR


----------



## 16412

Mr. B. Scott Robinson said:


> I spent many a late eve/early morning strolling the streets when all the cars and carriages were put to bed and the gas lanterns were the only thing flickering on the streets.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> BSR


Do you have a time machine and do time travel?


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

Nope. Monday and Tuesday nights were pretty dead in 90% of the quarter, especially Decatur Street on the edge of the VC where I hung out. But my time machine was there last in 2008. 

Cheers, 

BSR


----------



## 16412

Gas Lanterns is what caught my eye. Can't imagine they are being used when electricity is available.


----------



## drlivingston

WA said:


> Gas Lanterns is what caught my eye. Can't imagine they are being used when electricity is available.


I have a gas lantern on each side of my front entry. They are pretty normal in the south.


----------



## FLMike

drlivingston said:


> I have a gas lantern on each side of my front entry. They are pretty normal in the south.


This. They have a very pleasing effect....very popular outdoor lighting option.


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

Gas lanterns are common in the Vieux Carre.

Cheers,

BSR


----------



## 16412

Well, I don't travel as you guys do. Really thought they were in the history books except third world countries.


----------



## drlivingston

WA said:


> Well, I don't travel as you guys do. Really thought they were in the history books except third world countries.


While gas lights do provide a beautiful warm glow that make the house and landscaping more appealing, they also have practical benefits.
1) Gas lights are not subject to power outages. This is important when you live in tornado / hurricane zones. 
2) Gas lights do not attract insects like electric lights. You won't find annoying mosquitoes congregating around a gas light.


----------



## Langham

WA said:


> Well, I don't travel as you guys do. Really thought they were in the history books except third world countries.


They are still used in certain parts of London and other British cities, being more in keeping with Victorian architecture (including Shaver's favoured back-alleys), the dominant form.

https://www.npr.org/sections/parall...carrying-the-torch-for-londons-last-gas-lamps


----------



## eagle2250

drlivingston said:


> While gas lights do provide a beautiful warm glow that make the house and landscaping more appealing, they also have practical benefits.
> 1) Gas lights are not subject to power outages. This is important when you live in tornado / hurricane zones.
> 2) Gas lights do not attract insects like electric lights. You won't find annoying mosquitoes congregating around a gas light.


Being able to enjoy the ambience created by the gas light, absent the torment of a cloud of mosquitoes routinely attracted by the electric versions of such lighting, is in and of itself one of life's minor luxuries! LOL.


----------



## Shaver

Speaking of gas light - admire the street lamps in the image below. This photograph of a charming Victorian slum was taken in the 1970's - just prior to total demolition. The area was situated sufficiently close to the Boy's College that certain of we young rapscallions, those possessed of reckless derring-do, would explore it, having eluded the masters and made good our escape from classes.


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

Looks like the set of "Call the Midwife". 

Cheers, 

BSR


----------



## vonSuess

Several rooms in my house still have ancient gas light fixtures. They impart a certain charm but I'm reasonably sure they haven't been used in over 100 years. There were large natural gas fields around here back then and I understand the gas wasn't odorized. Absolutely no safety devices on these lights so they must have been outrageously dangerous. Kind of like having burning candles on Christmas trees, which seemed to be pretty common around here in those days, too.

Makes me wonder what we're doing these days that will seem unreasonably dangerous 100 years from now...

Hans


----------



## Oldsarge

Getting up in the morning?:crazy:


----------



## 16412

It seems like electricity is far cheaper, unless for tourists purposes- gas lanterns, otherwise, why pay higher taxes?


----------



## Clintotron

I intend on plumbing and installing some around my house. Front porch, garage and back porch.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## 16412

Heard of hurricane lanterns and railroad lanterns back in my parents days. Mom studied under the hurricane lantern, but that seems unhealthy with all of that smoke (no electricity out on the farm in those days).


----------



## Clintotron

WA said:


> Heard of hurricane lanterns and railroad lanterns back in my parents days. Mom studied under the hurricane lantern, but that seems unhealthy with all of that smoke (no electricity out on the farm in those days).


Soot buildup was a major issue with oil lamps. Natural gas powered lamps only run the risk of carbon monoxide and, well, fires. Haha

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## 16412

Around here with the dams on the Columbia River, Snake River, Skagit River and Baker River electricity has been rather cheap and gas lanterns vanished rather quickly. Some light bulbs in barns were never turned off and seemed to never burn out.


----------



## vonSuess

Clintotron said:


> I intend on plumbing and installing some around my house. Front porch, garage and back porch.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


With the aspect of not drawing insects, gas seems a good choice for porches, patios and such. I'd never figured it out before but the lighting at our front gate is all gas and we don't drive through a cloud of insects coming and going after dark, unlike some of our neighbours. I guess the difference must be that their front lighting is electric and ours is gas?

Hans


----------



## Clintotron

The neighbors likely have electric lighting of a low heat output variety. Insects like warmth, but they don’t like heat. They’re not big fans of open flames, especially.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## Shaver

Meetings can be rather dull. However, at my place of work, the journey to them can be most refreshing (do excuse the faint blur - I was running a little late when I decided to take this snap):


----------



## Shaver

Eggs Benedict.

Albeit confessedly employing a minor cheat for whilst I am fully capable of producing a fine hollandaise sauce oftentimes of a Saturday morning I will instead reach for the Maille.

Should there be a member here who has not yet enjoyed this sumptuous delight - run, don't walk, to your nearest eatery and place your order immediately. I guarantee that you will thank me for it.


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> Eggs Benedict.
> 
> Albeit confessedly employing a minor cheat for whilst I am fully capable of producing a fine hollandaise sauce oftentimes of a Saturday morning I will instead reach for the Maille.
> 
> Should there be a member here who has not yet enjoyed this sumptuous delight - run, don't walk, to your nearest eatery and place your order immediately. I guarantee that you will thank me for it.


That looks so delicious.


----------



## Shaver

Howard said:


> That looks so delicious.


Thank you Howard.


----------



## Shaver

Marmalade on buttered toast. Mmmmm.

Duerr's have been preserving fruit in Manchester since 1881, with this particular brand first being produced over 50 years ago.


----------



## Shaver

The range of San Pellegrino soft drinks are unsurpassably delicious, more costly than colas and the whatnot but utterly worth it.


----------



## Shaver

Initially, permit me to apologise for this low quality image - my phone is a feeble model.

Regular readers of this forum will be aware that I am soft in the head for animals - animals absolutely delight me.

I am fortunate enough to live in a green corner of Manchester city with a small patch of enclosed woodland out front and a super park (with a lake) out back - all of this luxury despite living within walking distance of the University, a 5 mile round trip which I traverse Monday to Friday. Anyway, the wildlife which exists hereabouts grants me pleasure, swans, terrapins, squirrels, woodpeckers and even (presumably escaped) parrots to name but a few of the species. However nothing permits me a wider grin than old Foxy who has his den just outside.


----------



## eagle2250

One of the much loved simple luxuries of the home we left in Indiana and the home we purchased here in central Florida is the repeated opportunities to sit quietly and observe the wildlife in it's natural habitat. In Indiana our performers were whitetail deer, fox, coyotes, rabbits squirrels and a list of birds that visited our back woodlot regularly, including those destructive woodpeckers (though the high tech psychological warfare did hold the woodpeckers at bay...to a reasonable degree...I guess. 

Here in our Florida home and the surrounding protected areas we regularly see whitetail deed, bobcats, Sandhill Cranes, Egrets, wild turkeys; all of which are a pure delight. And then the less pleasant sightings include Alligators in our neighborhood ponds, feral pigs, pygmy rattlesnakes, water moccasins, copperheads, and coral snakes. 

In both cases, sharing our surroundings with such an amazing cast of characters has indeed been more than just a small luxury! It has truly enriched our lives.


----------



## Shaver

Oh eagle you are making me jealous. Wild pigs? You lucky devil!


----------



## eagle2250

LOL. Indeed we are lucky, The wife and I were fascinated watching watching the pig rut in the dirt and "luckily" he/she/it took absolutely no notice of us! I'm told those critters can some very bad "throw shade!" :crazy:


----------



## Gurdon

eagle2250,

The fauna in your new location sound scary. In California we have lots of Feral pigs, but, while they are a nuisance, they avoid people. Out here the only really dangerous wild things are rattlesnakes. 

Friends and relations who hunt enjoy going after feral pigs. They are quite smart and not easy to kill. 

Gurdon


----------



## eagle2250

We have several nature trails incorporated into our community and it was on one of those trails that we spotted the pig. Seeing several spots in which the turf has been torn up by their rutting, we have seen but a single pig...they do seem a bit standoffish! On the other hand, it's the Pygmy Rattlers that put the fear into me...they are small, well camouflaged and when they sound off with their tail to warn we two legged creatures off, they sound more like an insect buzzing than a fanged, no legged critter that can bite and possibly kill you! LOL. :crazy:


----------



## FLMike

^Eagle, I’ve killed several pigs exactly seven miles from your development. They are plentiful in that area....and a major nuisance.


----------



## eagle2250

^^I have yet to do so, but both of my sons-in-law have killed pigs not far from here. Taking a feral pig is an item I hope to scratch off my bucket list before the year is out!


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

My little luxury at the mo....Balouch pillows made from traditional bags in AF/PAK. I am assembling quite a collection.

https://www.shikaradesign.com/products/balouch-cushions/4916/1

Cheers,

BSR


----------



## Shaver

Rice pud!

One could train a monkey to make rice pudding - it is so simple but so heavenly that there really is no plausible excuse which could prevent a chap from giving it a go.

Uncle Shaver's recipie:

110 g Basmati rice

410 g evaporated milk

1 pint full fat milk

40 g caster sugar

1 nutmeg

25 g butter

Pre heat oven to 150 degrees Celsius, mix evap and full fat milk in a jug, add rice and sugar to an ovenproof dish, pour in mixed milks and stir well, plop small chunks of butter on to the surface then grate nutmeg over top. Add dish to oven for 30 mins, stir and add for another 30 mins, stir again and cook for a further 1 hour.

Hey presto!


----------



## eagle2250

^^Yummmm!!


----------



## 16412

Wouldn't it be easier to put it all into a plastic bag and shake it well and dump it into a bowl and microwave it for two and a half minutes and let it set for five minutes before eating ?





Just joking!


----------



## Shaver

WA said:


> Wouldn't it be easier to put it all into a plastic bag and shake it well and dump it into a bowl and microwave it for two and a half minutes and let it set for five minutes before eating ?
> 
> Just joking!


Joking aside - baking allows for proper coagulation and formation of skin on the surface - the skin's the thing!

At any rate, I don't own a microwave oven. Never have, never will.


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

My indulgence/little luxury this week. I bought a hand carved bar on casters. It took two Pakistani woodcarvers a month to complete it.

Cheers,

BSR


----------



## 127.72 MHz

Bravo! 

This beautiful little bar is indeed one of life's luxuries. I am not much of a drinking man but I do enjoy a gin martini a couple of times per year. 

Did you have this made?


----------



## Shaver

Mr. B. Scott Robinson said:


> View attachment 21673
> View attachment 21674
> View attachment 21675
> View attachment 21676
> My indulgence/little luxury this week. I bought a hand carved bar on casters. It took two Pakistani woodcarvers a month to complete it.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> BSR


A tabernacle for booze!

*insert punning reference to Holy _Spirit_ here*

More seriously- what a lovely object.


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> Rice pud!
> 
> One could train a monkey to make rice pudding - it is so simple but so heavenly that there really is no plausible excuse which could prevent a chap from giving it a go.
> 
> Uncle Shaver's recipie:
> 
> 110 g Basmati rice
> 
> 410 g evaporated milk
> 
> 1 pint full fat milk
> 
> 40 g caster sugar
> 
> 1 nutmeg
> 
> 25 g butter
> 
> Pre heat oven to 150 degrees Celsius, mix evap and full fat milk in a jug, add rice and sugar to an ovenproof dish, pour in mixed milks and stir well, plop small chunks of butter on to the surface then grate nutmeg over top. Add dish to oven for 30 mins, stir and add for another 30 mins, stir again and cook for a further 1 hour.
> 
> Hey presto!


That looks delish!


----------



## Oldsarge

Mr. B. Scott Robinson said:


> View attachment 21673
> View attachment 21674
> View attachment 21675
> View attachment 21676
> My indulgence/little luxury this week. I bought a hand carved bar on casters. It took two Pakistani woodcarvers a month to complete it.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> BSR


Oh, yes! Well commissioned, that man. A truly lovely piece.


----------



## eagle2250

^^Indeed,
at once a lovely and arguably useful piece of wood art, destined to become a treasured heirloom! Very nice.


----------



## Shaver

Howard said:


> That looks delish!


Thank you Howard.

Give the recipe a go and taste it for yourself.


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> Thank you Howard.
> 
> Give the recipe a go and taste it for yourself.


Would it be easy to make?


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

127.72 MHz said:


> Bravo!
> 
> This beautiful little bar is indeed one of life's luxuries. I am not much of a drinking man but I do enjoy a gin martini a couple of times per year.
> 
> Did you have this made?


My friend Niquab brought it to our work to see if anyone would like to order one made for them. I asked him if he would sell me the display piece. It has a certain Pakistan meets Black Forest meets Africa vibe that is me through and through. A lucky score for certain.

Niquab owns a business named Wood Heritage in Islamabad. He is an Afghan refuge and his story is very interesting. Quite an industrious chap!

Here is a video showing his workshop which also tells his story.






Cheers,

BSR


----------



## Shaver

This shot taken 30 seconds ago just outside the front of my bachelor pad. The feathers of a swan are mesmerisingly beautiful. A man who can gaze upon a swan unmoved is not a man at all.

This haughty beast would not look in my direction despite my enticing impression of swan chatter.

8


----------



## Howard

That's a gorgeous swan.


----------



## Shaver

Howard said:


> That's a gorgeous swan.


It is gorgeous.

Swans have a beauty that no other bird (not even my much beloved species the Bower Bird) possesses.


----------



## Oldsarge

European swans are lovely . . . in Europe. On this side of the pond they are a pestiferous menace and considered invasive in many jurisdictions. So I'm in favor of sending them back . . . along with starlings, house sparrows, mice, brown rats, etc.

Of course, some First Nation friends of mine would say the same thing about Europeans!


----------



## Shaver

Oldsarge said:


> European swans are lovely . . . in Europe. On this side of the pond they are a pestiferous menace and considered invasive in many jurisdictions. So I'm in favor of sending them back . . . along with starlings, house sparrows, mice, brown rats, etc.
> 
> Of course, some First Nation friends of mine would say the same thing about Europeans!


https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4462369.William_S_Burroughs
'America is not a young land: it is old and dirty and evil. Before the settlers, before the Indians... the evil was there... waiting'.

- Old Bull Lee.


----------



## Oldsarge

Him right!


----------



## Dhaller

I happened to think of one today - buying cut flowers for a ballet performance - flower arrangements.

One thing I do when I'll be staying at a hotel a few days is have the hotel florist prepare a flower arrangement for the room; it really is quite nice arriving at a hotel after some long flight or other arduous means of travel to a nice arrangement on a table.

It's a practice I started back in the mid-90s. I happened to spring for a very luxurious hotel when I was about to leave Bangkok (I'd been living in a much simpler one for a few months) - the Oriental Hotel - and noticed they had a very nice florist as I was checking in. So before heading up I popped in and ordered a nice arrangement of lotus flowers or orchids or something (the kind of thing you'd expect there), and it arrived within the hour. I really added to the experience.

Just one of those homey touches (at home I always keep a fresh arrangement on an occasional table in the foyer and an arrangement at a centerpiece on the dining table.)

DH


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

Dhaller said:


> I happened to think of one today - buying cut flowers for a ballet performance - flower arrangements.
> 
> One thing I do when I'll be staying at a hotel a few days is have the hotel florist prepare a flower arrangement for the room; it really is quite nice arriving at a hotel after some long flight or other arduous means of travel to a nice arrangement on a table.
> 
> It's a practice I started back in the mid-90s. I happened to spring for a very luxurious hotel when I was about to leave Bangkok (I'd been living in a much simpler one for a few months) - the Oriental Hotel - and noticed they had a very nice florist as I was checking in. So before heading up I popped in and ordered a nice arrangement of lotus flowers or orchids or something (the kind of thing you'd expect there), and it arrived within the hour. I really added to the experience.
> 
> Just one of those homey touches (at home I always keep a fresh arrangement on an occasional table in the foyer and an arrangement at a centerpiece on the dining table.)
> 
> DH


The Mandarin Oriental on the river is one of my favourites. The Bamboo Bar is a must see. Been there many times although we live in Pathumwan close to Sukhumvit, which is a 20 minute BTS ride away.

Cheers,

BSR


----------



## Oldsarge

I was only in Bankok once but a visit during Happy Hour to the Oriental was a high point of the visit.


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> It is gorgeous.
> 
> Swans have a beauty that no other bird (not even my much beloved species the Bower Bird) possesses.


not even the pigeon?


----------



## eagle2250

^^Urban Squab...
Good eating, eh? LOL.


----------



## Oldsarge

the world's most common and most successful avian species, outnumbering even the domestic chicken, I believe. And, yes, they_ are_ good eating.


----------



## derum

Nothing outnumbers the Chicken, why, they even come in buckets!

I believe its a toss-up between the pigeon and the Red-billed Quelea for the most populous non-domesticated. And tasty.


----------



## 127.72 MHz

Howard said:


> not even the pigeon?


Flying rats. Although still images do provide a certain beauty.


----------



## Shaver

Howard said:


> not even the pigeon?


City pigeons are quite vile - Endlösung!

However, in an idle period I once trained a member of the rather more pleasant variety, the wood pigeon, to eat from my hand. Eventually it became utterly tame and began to follow me around. When he had gathered sufficient twigs for his mate to complete their nest (a platform of loosely entwined debris) she brooded day after day until fat fluffy chicks bounced down into the borders of the lawn, all goggle eyes and clumsy. Heh.


----------



## Oldsarge

127.72 MHz said:


> Flying rats. Although still images do provide a certain beauty.


Some of us in the PNW feel the same way about Canada geese, (which are also tasty).


----------



## Howard

eagle2250 said:


> ^^Urban Squab...
> Good eating, eh? LOL.


I don't mind feeding them in the parking lot of where I work sometimes.


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> City pigeons are quite vile - Endlösung!
> 
> However, in an idle period I once trained a member of the rather more pleasant variety, the wood pigeon, to eat from my hand. Eventually it became utterly tame and began to follow me around. When he had gathered sufficient twigs for his mate to complete their nest (a platform of loosely entwined debris) she brooded day after day until fat fluffy chicks bounced down into the borders of the lawn, all goggle eyes and clumsy. Heh.


and don't forget the seagulls too, the sky rats of NYC.


----------



## Mr. B. Scott Robinson

Oldsarge said:


> the world's most common and most successful avian species, outnumbering even the domestic chicken, I believe. And, yes, they_ are_ good eating.


Hemingway, during his first marriage Parisian period, would capture them in the park and bring them home for dinner. It became monotonous fare, much like his first marriage.

Cheers,

BSR


----------



## Oldsarge

LOL That might say more about the Hemingway kitchen than the pigeon itself. They're basically dark meat like a chicken thigh and I can do a lot with chicken thighs.


----------



## Shaver

Mr. B. Scott Robinson said:


> Hemingway, during his first marriage Parisian period, would capture them in the park and bring them home for dinner._* It became monotonous fare, much like his first marriage.*_
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> BSR


Not to mention his 'writing'?


----------



## Shaver

Howard said:


> and don't forget the seagulls too, the sky rats of NYC.


I have heard seagulls described as screams with feathers. There is a poetry there which I admire.

All of this aside, despite the lack of melody the seagull provides, for my part they remind me of the beach.

A mighty, glorious, dazzling sea stretching to infinity.

A distant ship smoke on the horizon.

A beach is a place where a man can feel he's the only soul in the world that's real.


----------



## Oldsarge

I had an email friend in Norway once who declared that young seagull was delicious. I find that difficult to believe but since they are protected here I guess I'll never know.


----------



## 127.72 MHz

Shaver said:


> I have heard seagulls described as screams with feathers. There is a poetry there which I admire.
> 
> All of this aside, despite the lack of melody the seagull provides, for my part they remind me of the beach.
> 
> A mighty, glorious, dazzling sea stretching to infinity.
> 
> A distant ship smoke on the horizon.
> 
> A beach is a place where a man can feel he's the only soul in the world that's real.


How true.


----------



## Shaver

127.72 MHz said:


> How true.





127.72 MHz said:


> How true.


Thank you but the credit must be largely ascribed to Moore, Bronte, Waters and Gilmour, and Townsend.


----------



## Howard

sitting in a cold room with the air conditioner on blasting, Would that be considered a luxury?


----------



## Oldsarge

In Phoenix or Needles? Oh, yeah!


----------



## 16412

Howard said:


> sitting in a cold room with the air conditioner on blasting, Would that be considered a luxury?


Sometimes I think I ought to go South for the summer. That is, Chile, where it is winter season for them. Summer heat can get to hot. Sometimes I dunk my head in icy water five times to get my body back to normal.


----------



## eagle2250

Howard said:


> sitting in a cold room with the air conditioner on blasting, Would that be considered a luxury?


On a typically hot and humid afternoon here in central Florida, what you describe, Howard, would indeed be considered a much appreciated luxury! LOL.


----------



## Howard

eagle2250 said:


> On a typically hot and humid afternoon here in central Florida, what you describe, Howard, would indeed be considered a much appreciated luxury! LOL.


It's just something about that luxury which makes it refreshing to sleep at night.


----------



## Shaver

Jam Roly Poly!


----------



## Oldsarge

With custard? Interesting.


----------



## Howard

Shaver said:


> Jam Roly Poly!


What is that, Shaver? It looks delicious.


----------



## derum

It’s a flat rolled suet pudding, with jam, which is rolled up and either steamed or baked. It is delicious.
Always served with lashings of custard,
Another, more famous, suet pudding is Spotted Dick. Again served with custard. Again, delicious.


----------



## Oldsarge

Suet pudding? Is that kind of like pie crust?


----------



## Shaver

derum said:


> It's a flat rolled suet pudding, with jam, which is rolled up and either steamed or baked. It is delicious.
> Always served with lashings of custard,
> Another, more famous, suet pudding is Spotted Dick. Again served with custard. Again, delicious.


Listen to derum, Howie - he's completely correct.


----------



## Shaver

Oldsarge said:


> Suet pudding? Is that kind of like pie crust?


Shredded suet mixed with self raising flour, milk, and a decent amount of caster sugar then kneeded. After steaming in an oven it is doughy and crispy on the outside. Add custard to achieve the very definition of comfort food.


----------



## derum

Oldsarge said:


> Suet pudding? Is that kind of like pie crust?


No, that would be suet crust, used on steak pies, for example. Really delicious too, but hold off on the custard.
A great resource to start.
https://www.bbc.com/food/suet

The most common suet is a brand called Atora. Luckily here in the USA we can get it from Amazon.
(For the health concious, or vegetarian, you can also get a vegetable suet.


----------



## Winhes2

Steam rooms

Silver clouds made my way: amaretto, cream de cacao, kahlua, milk, whipped cream and a cherry on top, two or three of them at once, both cherries and silver clouds

The sounds of a banjo played gently, the swish of an underhand free throw, and of "the guys" after a, very rare, successful pad stack

Recently, this contraption put together from assorted pieces https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kRa-qIfvVl2d_8KaMp7-YwC3mFcPYRAj

The laughter of my kids and my wife's smile


----------



## Shaver

Snap taken at 7 am today on my walk to work.

"Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?"
- Job 38:12 NKJV


----------



## eagle2250

^^Indeed, it takes a master to create the natural splendor worthy of being memorialized at sunrise, as an inspiration to us all. Thanks for sharing this part of your day with us!


----------



## Cassadine

Howard said:


> sitting in a cold room with the air conditioner on blasting, Would that be considered a luxury?


With neither question, nor qualm.


----------



## Cassadine

Fine cognac on a winter night.


----------



## Cassadine

Or listening to an expert cellist plying his or her craft.


----------



## Clintotron

Having a double dose of melatonin set you up for perfect sleep when you’re unexpectedly sent home to return to work nights.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## Howard

Cassadine said:


> Fine cognac on a winter night.


As for me I like the heat blasting.


----------



## derum

A glass of Remy Martin Louis XIII, a roaring fire, a beautiful woman, and this:


----------



## Oldsarge

I'd substitute Laird's 12 year old Apple Brandy and add a sleepy dog to the mix. Contentment!


----------



## Shaver

Home cooking. My home cooking to be precise.

Puff pastry topped with a red pesto, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and pepperoni, baked for around 20 minutes then garnished with torn basil. A side of mixed beans (kidney, black eye, borlotti, pea navy, baby green lima) and sweetcorn with a dollop of Hellman's mayonnaise.

Ta dah!


----------



## Cassadine

derum said:


> A glass of Remy Martin Louis XIII, a roaring fire, a beautiful woman, and this:


You're on the right track!


----------



## Cassadine

Indoor plumbing, running water, and electricity.


----------



## Oldsarge

Water heaters!


----------



## Shaver

Oldsarge said:


> Water heaters!


Indeed.

If I am prevented from achieving a deathbed confession and find myself dispatched downstairs then it will be a simple task for Satan to provide my Hell: a world just like this one but without a shower.


----------



## Clintotron

I offer another entry: this forum. A wealth of knowledge and care, zero cost.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## Shaver

Clintotron said:


> I offer another entry: this forum. A wealth of knowledge and care, zero cost.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Hear Hear!


----------



## Howard

Cassadine said:


> Indoor plumbing, running water, and electricity.


and don't forget a television set.


----------



## Shaver

Here I present, for your delectation, two snaps which illustrate the very essence of minor luxury.

I took this first pic during the final stretch of my Sunday morning perambulation - with Chez Shaver being situated just beyond the tree line.

Said jouney was undertaken, to and from the artisanal bakery, in order to procure a still warm sour dough loaf, as shown in the second pic.


----------



## Haffman

Shaver said:


> Here I present, for your delectation, two snaps which illustrate the very essence of minor luxury.
> 
> I took this first pic during the final stretch of my Sunday morning perambulation - with Chez Shaver being situated just beyond the tree line.
> 
> Said jouney was undertaken, to and from the artisanal bakery, in order to procure a still warm sour dough loaf, as shown in the second pic.


+1 on artisanal bakeries as one of life's minor luxuries Shaver! Once that particular Rubicon has been crossed, ordinary bread will never taste the same again...


----------



## Gurdon

Shaver said:


> Home cooking. My home cooking to be precise.
> 
> Puff pastry topped with a red pesto, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and pepperoni, baked for around 20 minutes then garnished with torn basil. A side of mixed beans (kidney, black eye, borlotti, pea navy, baby green lima) and sweetcorn with a dollop of Hellman's mayonnaise.
> 
> Ta dah!


Hellman's mayonnaise? Although your recipe doesn't suit my personal preferences, I very much like your approach to ingredients and preparation, except for the Hellman's, marketed in the West as Best Foods Mayonnaise. There are readily available alternative brands of mayonnaise, some organic, which may, or may not, be better than Hellmansbhestfoods. Much as the idea of your meal is appealing on principle, the idea of Hellman's is somehow unappealing on on principle, irrespective of how it compares to other mayonnaises. 
Cheers, and Happy Julian New Year,
Gurdon


----------



## Oldsarge

To me, the difference in quality between Hellman's/Best Foods and what I can whip up in my own well-equipped kitchen is so minor as to negate the value of the time spent whisking the ingredients together. It might be better but . . .


----------



## Dhaller

Hellman's is vile.

Kewpie mayonnaise is the way to go.

It's made only with egg yolks (Hellman's and others include whites), it has less sugar (yet tastes sweeter, courtesy of rice vinegar - "mirin" - rather than the distilled vinegar of Hellman's and others), and it has a much smoother texture than Hellman's (which is comparatively oily and "clumpy"). Being Japanese, Kewpie also has the elusive "umami" which adds so much.

Just night and day.

Kewpie is 3x the cost, but unless you're slathering it everywhere with abandon, that shouldn't be particularly limiting (given typical usage).

DH


----------



## derum




----------



## smmrfld

Dhaller said:


> Hellman's is vile.


Truer words have never been written.


----------



## eagle2250

Egad. For the life of me, I could not tell you the brand of mayonnaise that resides in our fridge or gets slathered on our sandwiches. However, don't never, ever put your hands on my Grey Poupon mustard! LOL..


----------



## Shaver

Dhaller said:


> Hellman's is vile.
> 
> Kewpie mayonnaise is the way to go.
> 
> It's made only with egg yolks (Hellman's and others include whites), it has less sugar (yet tastes sweeter, courtesy of rice vinegar - "mirin" - rather than the distilled vinegar of Hellman's and others), and it has a much smoother texture than Hellman's (which is comparatively oily and "clumpy"). Being Japanese, Kewpie also has the elusive "umami" which adds so much.
> 
> Just night and day.
> 
> Kewpie is 3x the cost, but unless you're slathering it everywhere with abandon, that shouldn't be particularly limiting (given typical usage).
> 
> DH


It seems that Tesco stock this brand and so I shall certainly give it a try.

Now that I consider it I may well have something a 'blind spot' for sauces - cleaving to time honoured customs. I shall create a thread anon and where we might all explore the subject further.....


----------



## Shaver

smmrfld said:


> Truer words have never been written.


Come come, my dear fellow.

I have asked you a million times not to exaggerate.


----------



## Clintotron

eagle2250 said:


> Egad. For the life of me, I could not tell you the brand of mayonnaise that resides in our fridge or gets slathered on our sandwiches. However, don't never, ever put your hands on my Grey Poupon mustard! LOL..


I believe we use Blue Plate and some from the Carolinas named after a man.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## Vecchio Vespa

As regards mayonnaise, Kewpie is fine for certain things but for an everyday mayonnaise I like Duke’s or, better still, home made. As regards mustard I like Grey Poupon but prefer Maille if I want Dijon. I prefer other kinds of mustard for various uses (stone ground with cold cuts, spicy brown on a brat or a hot dog (although curry ketchup is also good on a grilled brat), yellow in tater salad or on a Texas style hamburger, etc. On the subject of Life’s Minor Luxuries my morning ablutions included plenty of hot water, a nice sharp Crystal DE blade in my Edwin Jagger razor, a good lather of Provence Sante green tea shaving soap, a shower with a bar of Pre de Provence soap, use of 4711 as an aftershave, and brushing my hair with my Kent military hairbrush, all little luxuries but all much appreciated and enjoyed even though the ritual is identical, except for occasional changes in soaps, every day. Great DE blades and shaving soap are a great confluence of luxury and penury, as is 4711.


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## Oldsarge

I am unlikely to try Kewpie. The only place around that sells it is (shudder!) WallMart!


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## Vecchio Vespa

Oldsarge said:


> I am unlikely to try Kewpie. The only place around that sells it is (shudder!) WallMart!


or Amazon


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## Dhaller

Oldsarge said:


> I am unlikely to try Kewpie. The only place around that sells it is (shudder!) WallMart!


You can buy it at Asian supermarkets (which are fun and interesting to shop in, unlike WalMart.)

DH


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## Tiger

Shaver said:


> Here I present, for your delectation, two snaps which illustrate the very essence of minor luxury.
> 
> I took this first pic during the final stretch of my Sunday morning perambulation - with Chez Shaver being situated just beyond the tree line.
> 
> Said jouney was undertaken, to and from the artisanal bakery, in order to procure a still warm sour dough loaf, as shown in the second pic.


There's something so tranquil and pastoral about this; I love it. When I retire, I want to make a trek such as this every day, followed by the requisite feast!


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## Vecchio Vespa

Shaver said:


> Snap taken at 7 am today on my walk to work.
> 
> "Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
> And caused the dawn to know its place,
> That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
> And the wicked be shaken out of it?"
> - Job 38:12 NKJV


I am having a good time going back through this thread. I could "like" most every post, but this one is a special gem. In my mind Job is a real contender for best book in the Bible.


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## Adventure Wolf

A glass of good bourbon.


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## Ensiferous

Shaver said:


> Indeed.
> ...it will be a simple task for Satan to provide my Hell: a world just like this one but without a shower.


I could add a few things that it would also be hell to be without, but you have certainly named a "luxury" that provides a great psychological and physical boost.


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## Shaver

Dhaller said:


> Hellman's is vile.
> 
> Kewpie mayonnaise is the way to go.
> 
> It's made only with egg yolks (Hellman's and others include whites), it has less sugar (yet tastes sweeter, courtesy of rice vinegar - "mirin" - rather than the distilled vinegar of Hellman's and others), and it has a much smoother texture than Hellman's (which is comparatively oily and "clumpy"). Being Japanese, Kewpie also has the elusive "umami" which adds so much.
> 
> Just night and day.
> 
> Kewpie is 3x the cost, but unless you're slathering it everywhere with abandon, that shouldn't be particularly limiting (given typical usage).
> 
> DH


Never let it be said that I am reluctant to take advice:


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## Vecchio Vespa

Shaver said:


> Never let it be said that I am reluctant to take advice:


Kewpie is certainly tasty, and the packaging is cute. For a less pricey alternative, try placing an egg yolk, the juice of a small lemon, a rounded teaspoonful of Dijon mustard, and a hearty pinch of salt in a blender or food processor (or in a bowl if you are good with a whisk or at whisking with a fork). Mix them and then beat in a cup of a neutral oil, like peanut. Start with only a drop or two at a time. As it begins to emulsify you can add the oil in a small stream. If you are using a blender or processor, adding the oil too slowly will lead to that clumping that characterizes Hellman's. Add the oil a bit more quickly and it will be more silky and thin. Homemade mayonnaise is a wonderful luxury.


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## derum

TKI67 said:


> Kewpie is certainly tasty, and the packaging is cute. For a less pricey alternative, try placing an egg yolk, the juice of a small lemon, a rounded teaspoonful of Dijon mustard, and a hearty pinch of salt in a blender or food processor (or in a bowl if you are good with a whisk or at whisking with a fork). Mix them and then beat in a cup of a neutral oil, like peanut. Start with only a drop or two at a time. As it begins to emulsify you can add the oil in a small stream. If you are using a blender or processor, adding the oil too slowly will lead to that clumping that characterizes Hellman's. Add the oil a bit more quickly and it will be more silky and thin. Homemade mayonnaise is a wonderful luxury.


And so much better than any store bought mayo. No MSG either!


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## Shaver

TKI67 said:


> Kewpie is certainly tasty, and the packaging is cute. For a less pricey alternative, try placing an egg yolk, the juice of a small lemon, a rounded teaspoonful of Dijon mustard, and a hearty pinch of salt in a blender or food processor (or in a bowl if you are good with a whisk or at whisking with a fork). Mix them and then beat in a cup of a neutral oil, like peanut. Start with only a drop or two at a time. As it begins to emulsify you can add the oil in a small stream. If you are using a blender or processor, adding the oil too slowly will lead to that clumping that characterizes Hellman's. Add the oil a bit more quickly and it will be more silky and thin. Homemade mayonnaise is a wonderful luxury.


You may be assured that I will try my hand at this, ever keen to acquire a new skill, albeit my timescales are often protracted - a lag of 12 months from notion to action on the coffee percolator thread elsewhere on this forum. I will try harder this time around.

I shall be hand beating. Though I say it myself, I am capable of a fine, smooth and glossy, béchamel using only a manual whisk and so I expect to be up to this task also.

I am rather keen on speciality eggs, Royal Legbar in the fridge currently, and so I am confident of quality yolks. Having once kept my own brood, the appalling banality of taste provided by battery eggs just will not do - plus I disdain the abhorrent moral dimension of the unsavoury practice.

However, nut oil? Any tips as to a recommended variety?


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## Oldsarge

Olive oil is the accepted norm, my friend.


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## xcubbies

TKI67 said:


> Kewpie is certainly tasty, and the packaging is cute. For a less pricey alternative, try placing an egg yolk, the juice of a small lemon, a rounded teaspoonful of Dijon mustard, and a hearty pinch of salt in a blender or food processor (or in a bowl if you are good with a whisk or at whisking with a fork). Mix them and then beat in a cup of a neutral oil, like peanut. Start with only a drop or two at a time. As it begins to emulsify you can add the oil in a small stream. If you are using a blender or processor, adding the oil too slowly will lead to that clumping that characterizes Hellman's. Add the oil a bit more quickly and it will be more silky and thin. Homemade mayonnaise is a wonderful luxury.


Don't try it when it's storming outside.


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## Vecchio Vespa

Shaver said:


> You may be assured that I will try my hand at this, ever keen to acquire a new skill, albeit my timescales are often protracted - a lag of 12 months from notion to action on the coffee percolator thread elsewhere on this forum. I will try harder this time around.
> 
> I shall be hand beating. Though I say it myself, I am capable of a fine, smooth and glossy, béchamel using only a manual whisk and so I expect to be up to this task also.
> 
> I am rather keen on speciality eggs, Royal Legbar in the fridge currently, and so I am confident of quality yolks. Having once kept my own brood, the appalling banality of taste provided by battery eggs just will not do - plus I disdain the abhorrent moral dimension of the unsavoury practice.
> 
> However, nut oil? Any tips as to a recommended variety?


I strongly agree on the preferred nature of a plump orange yolk from a yard fed hen! As for oils, it is really a matter of the flavor profile you want. I like the faintly sweet taste of peanut oil, and whenever I brown something it is browned in peanut oil and butter. So I always have it at hand. That said olive oil is much more assertive and quite delicious. Lowly corn oil is quite workable. I use hand tools more often that not in the kitchen. Making mayonnaise with a wire whisk is gratifying plus it is far easier to control. As regards nut oils all I ever use are peanut for most chores and walnut for Bibb lettuce salads.


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## Vecchio Vespa

xcubbies said:


> Don't try it when it's storming outside.


This sounds as if it has a story with it.


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## derum

TKI67 said:


> This sounds as if it has a story with it.


The puritans believe it.
https://www.puritanboard.com/thread...-mayo-if-a-thunderstorm-is-threatening.31528/


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## Shaver

Well, OK then, olive oil it is. Luckily I am normally well stocked with a range of Napolina products.

I will pick up a jar of Maille dijon later in the week and shall be all set to go.


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## eagle2250

Oldsarge said:


> Olive oil is the accepted norm, my friend.


Olive oil is certainly the healthier option...it's the way we in the Eagle's Roost roll!


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## Howard

derum said:


> And so much better than any store bought mayo. No MSG either!


Where is it available?


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## derum

In your very own kitchen Howard!


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## Gurdon

I have a Swiss friend who insists on homemade mayonnaise, and uses olive oil. This discussion is nudging me toward having a go at making my own. We rarely use mayonnaise, so making it occasionally wouldn't be a major inconvenience.

Regards,
Gurdon


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## Oldsarge

I, on the other hand, go through jars of the stuff. That's why I don't make my own. I'd never be doing anything else.


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## Vecchio Vespa

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-ma...lender-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-206496

If you have an immersion blender you can make it in seconds right in the jar in which you will store it.

As regards choice of oil, while I agree that olive oil is delicious, I find a peanut oil yields more traditional mayonnaise flavor. I definitely go olive for aioli. I also enjoy additions. Regular mayonnaise made with a chipotle in some of its adobo is wonderful on burgers and sandwiches. One of my favorites is a thickish medium rare burger on a buttered and griddled Kaiser roll with melted sharp cheddar, chipotle mayonnaise, and onion marmalade. Now THAT is a luxury! Add a crisp ale and you are in an altered state.


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## Oldsarge

My favorite is a mild Italian sausage, simmered then seared, on a whole wheat bolillo with aioli and spicy garlic sauerkraut. Or you can substitute a smallish NY strip, cooked blue. Serious eats!


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## derum

Fried black pudding on a home made bolillo, (made with duck fat instead of shortening), with a small dash of HP sauce.
Heaven.


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## Vecchio Vespa

Jambon-beurre. Thinly sliced ham, good butter, and a little Dijon on a chewy baguette. Now I am on the deck, staring up at the cedar elms as the leaves begin to emerge and the sky is oh so blue.


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## Shaver

TKI67 said:


> View attachment 29226
> Jambon-beurre. Thinly sliced ham, good butter, and a little Dijon on a chewy baguette. Now I am on the deck, staring up at the cedar elms as the leaves begin to emerge and the sky is oh so blue.


Lovely.

We humans are, most of us at least, programmed to appreciate beauty, to make and take the time to revel in the wonders of nature and art. This contemplation speaks as much to and of the experience as translated via aesthetics than any conceivably intrinsic value and yet, despite or because of it, this formless language provides the medium through which we grope our way towards a shared meaning.

A minor luxury, nature and art, easily obtained providing splendid reward.

A snap from a gallery earlier today, a piece by Dan Flavin:


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## Howard

So what would be considered a *major *luxury?


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## Vecchio Vespa

Howard said:


> So what would be considered a *major *luxury?


Krug Champagne on a Tuesday, for no special occasion.


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## Oldsarge

A three-week bird shooting safari up the Cape to Cairo Railway with Rovos Rail.


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## Vecchio Vespa

Time


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## Vecchio Vespa

A minor luxury I adore is the cushy softness of a brand new pair of socks, preferably Pantherellas and preferably merino. Standing in such socks in an extremely comfortable pair of shoes, like suede or 30 year old shell LHSs, on a cushy rug that has a decent carpet pad makes my poor, beat up feet very happy.


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## Oldsarge

At $15/small bottle this is a luxury but added to any sauce, stew or whathaveyou it enhances flavor extraordinarily. It is the true Roman garum.


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## Shaver

_"Prisons are built with stones of Law, 
Brothels with bricks of Religion._
_The pride of the peacock is the glory of God.
The lust of the goat is the bounty of God.
The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God.
The nakedness of woman is the work of God._
_
Excess of sorrow laughs. _

_Excess of joy weeps._
_
The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the destructive sword, are portions of eternity too great for the eye of man."_

_- The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, William Blake c. 1790
_
The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, directly across the road from my office, contains these delightfully indulgent bénetiers:










A further opulence located within, dedicated to Santamaría, our BVM, this magnificent grotto the scale of which may be discerned from the votive candles at the bottom of the image:










Faith become stone, dreams coalesced in stained glass, prayers transubstantiated to gilt and riches. This impressive church is constructed at the scale of a cathedral - when it comes to belief the Jesuits are loaded for bear.


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## Mike Petrik

Magnificent!


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## Peak and Pine

^

If you are RC. The forest that kisses the meadow that passes for my yard is its equal, or more.


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## Mike Petrik

What is made by God for man will always surpass what is made by man for God. But they are both magnificent.


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## eagle2250

^^
...and a hearty Amen to that thought! Reminds one that the promise of every day that God allows us may indeed be a bit more than just one of life's minor luxuries and largely keyed to what we choose to make of it. :icon_saint7kg:


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## Shaver

Your old Uncle Shaver is a rather unabashed Magical Thinker, much given to earnest Fabulism, and thus will quest for and amongst those mythic environs wherein, through position and event via chronicity and frequency, the warp and weft of our consensus reality grows threadbare and may, if properly approached, be encouraged to rend.

A short walk from my home, the Edge Lane lock of the Ashton canal, completed 1796.

Unfortunately this lock is immediately prior to a humpback bridge and so its full glory is difficult to capture electronically but, on behalf of my fellow members, I have tried.

Here I present two shots, from below and above the crossing:



















@Peak and Pine version: went somewhere, liked it.


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## Oldsarge

A narrowboat cruise along the various canals of the UK is well up on my bucket list.


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## Peak and Pine

Shaver said:


> @Peak and Pine version: went somewhere, liked it.


A soft oops, a mere suggestion that perhaps Shaver could be a wee verbose. And the thing about using Google Translate. And the reminder that Dickens was dead. Etc.

Now look where it's got me, a special shortened version just for me. (See above.) I appreciate it too, I have alopecia areata from scratching my head when big words appear. And to show this appreciation I have given his post a Like, due also to the fact that I like to see pics of really awful English places every so often.


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## 16412

A canal without water? Maybe the picture is too small on this phone to see water in the canal. 
No water it's really not a canal, anymore. 
T'is a shame that so many canals are not being taken care of. A great history they are.


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## Oldsarge

Many of them have been brought back as recreational waterways though with some really odd restrictions on angling.


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## Dhaller

Howard said:


> So what would be considered a *major *luxury?


For me, mostly, it's about experiences.

I've been thinking about taking my daughter to see the dunes in the Namibian desert, and if I'm doing *that*, we may as well add a safari in Etosha National Park. So, that would probably count as a "major luxury", inasmuch as it involves a good chunk of time, heavy planning and not-inconsiderable expense.

It's "on the list"!

DH


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## Oldsarge

As a veteran of five safaris, believe me they are either major luxuries or you are wealthy beyond obscenity. Each one of mine, even the most basic first one to Zimbabwe, required a minimum of two years of planning and don't get me started on the cost! However, Africa is glorious. Everyone should go there at least once in their lives. And Victoria Falls is NOT to be missed.


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## Dhaller

Well, I know who to ask for safari advice when the time comes!

DH


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## Shaver

Peak and Pine said:


> A soft oops, a mere suggestion that perhaps Shaver could be a wee verbose. And the thing about using Google Translate. And the reminder that Dickens was dead. Etc.
> 
> Now look where it's got me, a special shortened version just for me. (See above.) I appreciate it too, I have alopecia areata from scratching my head when big words appear. And to show this appreciation I have given his post a Like, due also to the fact that I like to see pics of really awful English places every so often.


I had originally composed a faintly erudite response, to your post, in which it was noted that verbosity is a relative concept, lacking any intrinsic value, and so a paragraph which might perhaps seem a trifle periphrastic to one fellow could simultaneously be considered as merely adequate by another.

However, mindful of your self proclaimed limitations, I generously commissioned the creation of an algorithm which, having data mined your submissions here on AAAC and thus extrapolated the boundaries of your vocabulary, can translate a sample of text into a form which is ideally suited to your particular level of comprehension. This program is affectionately referred to as the PeakandPineoriser.

At any rate, I fed my initial, faintly erudite, response through the algorithm and this was the result:

Up yours buddy!

Hmmm, I am not entirely certain that the thrust of my import has been accurately represented here.

I wonder; might the parameters of the PeakandPineoriser formulae require a minor tweak......?


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## Vecchio Vespa

I just read Pride and Prejudice again. Language has changed so much since it was penned. 
Brother Shaver’s mode of expression strikes me as precise, nuanced, and a bit of a nod to writing as it was in earlier times, but not so early as Jane Austen. I enjoy it. I also enjoy the missives from Maine, which tend to be more in the style of the mid-twentieth century.


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## Big T

Well....as an upstanding resident of rural Pennsyltucky, I would love to have an evening of sociality with every member of this group! Superb conviviality, far better than any other forum I belong to. Really enjoy the varied backgrounds!

Is Brother Shaver really a Brother?


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## Oldsarge

Given the price tag, I'm not sure this is a minor luxury but wouldn't it totally freak out the neighbors? I'm tempted . . .


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## eagle2250

Oldsarge said:


> Given the price tag, I'm not sure this is a minor luxury but wouldn't it totally freak out the neighbors? I'm tempted . . .
> 
> View attachment 34441


That is quite the example of metal art, but alas, regardless of what the neighbors might think, were it mine, I suspect I would be hesitant to fire the damn thing up unless it was full daylight! :crazy:


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## Oldsarge

You have a point . . .


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## Vecchio Vespa

Oldsarge said:


> You have a point . . .


Isn't it supposed to freak out the neighbors?!


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## Oldsarge

TKI67 said:


> Isn't it supposed to freak out the neighbors?!


I believe Eagle was referring to the dubious wisdom of embracing the dark with the Dark Lord.


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## Vecchio Vespa

Oldsarge said:


> I believe Eagle was referring to the dubious wisdom of embracing the dark with the Dark Lord.


Ash nazg durbatuluk!

It's fantasy!


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## Vecchio Vespa

I’m going to have to think up some good recipes to grill over that sucker...Ring Wraith Sliders, Smeagol’s Burnt Ends.


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## Vecchio Vespa

One of the benefits of using DE razor blades is they are cheap. I get 100 for $12 at West Coast Shaving. A blade lasts about a week. For the last couple of years I’ve been using Crystal blades. So one of the bad things about using DE blades is that a supply lasts so long that you only get that “change of blades thrill” once every couple of years. No instant gratification! I just got my 2020/2021 order and am trying Israeli Personna. Even though I still have enough Crystals to get me to Christmas, I slipped a Personna into the razor this morning. It was a little sharper and smoother. I hear they last well. We’ll see. Anyway, at least for today they are one of life’s minor luxuries.


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## Big T

At this moment, 3:30AM, I am not enjoying one of my most beloved minor luxuries and that is sleeping through the entire night. Lots of little things running through my head (work), that needed to ne noted, thirsty (forgot my bedside bottle of Perrier).


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## Vecchio Vespa

Further to my post last Saturday, I’ve been using the same blade a week now. It is shaving extremely close and at least as smooth, if not smoother! I’m a fan. Of course all brands, even the pricier ones, have some variation in sharpness and smoothness, but my first Israeli Personna is a total success.


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## Vecchio Vespa

Today I retired the above described Israeli Personna. It actually was shaving quite close and with reasonable comfort, but I figured that razor blade sellers need to make a living too. At $14 for 100 and two weeks per blade my math skills tell me this was a good purchase. BTW I’m now using my last three Feather blades. They cost more and don’t last more than a few days but wow are they sharp!


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