Failed at doing a proper art so made it into a kitty.

I was trying to think of a way to light up the “bar” area. As I couldn’t really install any light fixtures at the ceiling where the bar-top was (no in-ceiling wiring for the spot immediate above the bar-top), I thought I could install some lights that aim towards the floor and therefore would somehow illuminate the area a bit. I started by getting a brand new drill bit that allowed me to open up a couple holes at a couple different locations. Had to be very thoughtful as it was tricky to determine where to drill the holes - I need to be able to wire these lights to the existing under-cabinet lights, so that they could all be switched on/off at the same time. There was a place where I need to “fish” the wire behind a drywall, I did it by slowly fishing down a thread with a tiny metal paperclip attached to the end (acting as a weight) from a hole inside the cabinet, all the way to the bottom where the other hole was. I then was able to see the thread from the hole, and I taped the wires from the light fixtures to the thread, and slowly pull it up so that it went through the dry wall and reached the hole inside the cabinet. It was quite a risky approach as there was no way to know in advance whether it would work, but I guess I was in luck and it worked like a charm. The next day I bought some “epoxy glue” and clamps to mount the lights to the underside of the granite countertop. The glue was composed of a “rasin” and the “epoxy” (I picked one that can withstand up to 93C since the lights would get really hot), and you have to mix them up prior to application. It was basically a mixture of very sticky goo, but it was fun playing with it. After applying the glue I clamped everything in place, and let it sit for a day for it to completely dry up. Last step was to apply white caulking to one of the holes that was exposed to seal it up. I think it looks awesome

And I got my first espresso machine (Cusineart Espresso Maker EM-100) from Canadian Tire today! I had been wanting one so much but couldn’t really afford it. This one was on sale today so I couldn’t resist and took it home. Tried to make an espresso and this machine was able to create the “crema” with my crappy Starbucks beans, which was a good sign! The milk frother / steam wand was kind of hard to use though, I still wasn’t sure how exactly to steam the milk in order to make the best froth, I guess it’s going to take some practices…

1/3 part cream, 1/3 part or 2 shots of Starbucks dark roast espresso, 1/3 part foam, sugar, whipped cream

I’ve been trying to mimic the frappucino from Starbucks (already succeeded in the hot coffee department not going for cold ones). I made it twice but it turned out to be quite watery (not as thick). Not sure why. Today I got some 3.25% white milk and also chocolate milk, see if it’ll make a difference. Also got this hazelnut syrup, will try to add it in to pro it up.

Also been trying to seal up the garage door (against the wall) so that the cold drafts wouldn’t come in too much as I have a gym in the garage and I wanted to keep it as warm as possible. Bought this “foam tape” thing from Rona, installation was a breeze, but I ended up having to get four packs of them and it was a whopping $30 Hopefully the tapes will last for a couple winters.

Got the rest of the teas from Wendy today that she bought in Montreal, I had all the ingredients that were needed to make a cup of HK style milk tea. I’ve got the Assam Black Tea, Irish Breakfast Tea, English Breakfast Tea, Pu-erh Tea, and Lychee Black Tea. In addition I needed evaporated milk and condensed milk which I had bought last week. I think total cost for the teas were ~$70 CAD, it’s expensive but oh well, it’s my favorite drink so no choice. Anyway I followed this recipe and it WORKED! Tasted 95% similar to ones they have in the HK style cafes. I made two cups and was so stoked (still am). I’ll be experimenting changing the quantity of the different kinds of tea, trying a different water temperature…etc.

In order to alleviate my pain from all the stress, I made a tasty coffee today Actually I just wanted to test out my newly bought coffee grinder…lol. Got it from Superstore for $8.45, pretty awesome deal~~~ and it worked! lol… so here are some pics for your enjoyment.

It was a bag of nice smelling Starbucks coffee (X’mas version, or something) that I got from Wendy’s mom. I think she got it from a parent of some kids from her daycare center.