Musical Monday with Paloma Sridhar

We present a very appropriate song for the final Monday of 2021--"My Way".

 

We've had a soft spot for this song here at Shades of Gray since we were kids (which may mean were morbid kids...) and we rank this version from Mumbai-based singer Paloma Sridhar's version of it right up there with the great Frank Sinatra rendition.

Will there be Musical Mondays in 2022? Time will tell. (If you've enjoyed any of the music posts that have showed up here, feel free to let us know in the comments section.)

Seattle's Best House Blend

Once upon a time, I was a self-employed writer/editor/game designer, working out of my home. When I got tired of  the scenery outside my office window, I would grab my laptop computer, drive down to a nearby Seattle's Best shop, get a large cup of coffee, and sit there and write. And when I was at home, I would also drink Seattle's Best Coffee, because I bought bags of their medium roast in the store and made my own coffee blends. With this latest coffee review, I return to those days... sort of.

 

SEATTLE'S BEST COFFEE: HOUSE BLEND

The subject of today's review came to me via the grocery store when I caught sight of it. I used to go to Seattle's Best all the time, pay table rent (in the form of a Large Coffee or Large White Black-and-White Mocha), and sit their and write all afternoon and into the evening. The staff knew me and would chat, some of the other regulars knew me and would chat... it was an oasis of friendliness in the otherwise stand-offish Northwest. But then Starbucks purchased Seattle's Best and over the space of a year, things changed and the store was closed (to eventually reopen, remodeled and rebranded as a Starbucks location). This was the fate of all the Seattle's Best locations. Except in airports.

But the Seattle's Best brand name lives on in the grocery store. The other day, I noticed bags of Seattle Best's House Blend. This was, basically, the coffee I always got there, either with a bunch of creamer and sugar added, or as part of the aforementioned Black-and-White Mocha. I decided to take a trip down memory lane and bought a bag.

Given the negative experience I had not long ago when I tried the Starbuck's Pike Place Roast for the first time in several years, I did not have high hopes for this, but, as will all media items or coffee I review, I start from a place of expected to enjoy myself; I'm never going to waste my time on something I am certain will be disappointing.

As it turned out, I was not disappointed. The House Blend was every bit as smooth and tasty as I remembered it. As I expected, it's not a coffee that I am happy drinking straight, but a couple Stevia packets fixed it right up... and when I added some Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, it was great!

The House Blend works for me on the level that it works for the many blends from Bones Coffee that I've been reviewing. It's got a strong coffee flavor, but it doesn't have the bitter edge that darker roasts have, so it mixes perfectly with a range of creamers (like my favorites--sugar free Vanilla Creamer and sugar free Italian Sweet Cream creamer) and serves as a great foundation for my home-made chocolate coffee (which is a mix of dark unsweetened cocoa powder and coffee). It also works nicely iced with just unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk added... or as part of my own half-assed spin on a "Black Russian"... which is iced coffee, chocolate almond milk, and vodka.

The House Blend was every bit as good as I remember it, and I enjoyed blending my own flavors as much now as I did back then. I was particularly happy with the chocolate/cinnamon/coffee concoction I came up with and drinking a "Black Russian ala Steve" for the first time in years was a real walk down memory lane.

The House Blend also mixed nicely with some of the Bones Coffee blends that I found too intense for my liking. I brewed pots of coffee made from House Blend and half Peaches and Scream, and half House Blend and half Strawberry Cheesecake, and I ended up with some very tasty flavored brews that were nearly perfect when I added some sugar free Italian Sweet Cream creamer or Unsweetened Almond Milk. I liked the results whether I drank they hot or iced, with a slight preference toward drinking them iced.

I liked the flavor of the House Blend so much that I can't help but wonder if the horribly burnt-tasting cup of Starbuck's Pike Place Roast I got during Free Coffee Day was more the fault of the barista who made it than the coffee that was used? I also loved the great results I had mixing it with other coffees and beverages, and I wonder if I would find the same level of fun and enjoyment through the Pike Place Roast?

I always preferred Seattle's Best over Starbucks Back in the Day, so experiments with the Pike Place Roast might not be as successful, but I won't know until I try.

Watch the space for updates!

She's watching for Steve to arrive with bags of coffee for experimental brews!

Christmas is here!

 Christmas is here, and Santa and his helpers are criss-crossing the globe, leaving toys for all the good boys and girls out here! (If they don't show up at your place... well, then you know you're on the same list as we are!)

It's the Night Before Christmas...

 ... and Martha Sleeper is taking it easy, reading a holiday classic while lounging in front of the fire.

We here at Shades of Gray hope your Christmas Eve is as relaxed and enjoyable, whether you are spending it with family or alone. And we hope Santa Claus (or one of his diligent assistants) fills your stockings with just want you wanted!

Christmas Lunch with the Cat

Here's a merry little Christmas cartoon that all cat-owners can relate to. (And if you're a new cat-owner, you can view this as an instructional video.)

Under the Mistletoe with the Avengers

 It's almost Christmas, and we wish all of the visitors to Shades of Gray could join us and the Avengers for a hug and a kiss, because we love you all!

We here at Shades of Gray hope all our visitors are having a happy holiday season... and we thank everyone who's been stopping by during 2021 to share The Year of the Avengers with us.

Find some Christmas Cheer with the Little King

Pals (aka "Christmas Night") (1933)
Starring: Anonymous Voice Actor (speaking two lines as Santa Claus)
Director: Jim Tyer

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

The Little King invites a pair of bums back to his palace to share an otherwise lonely Christmas Eve with him. His generosity is rewarded with a magical Christmas Morning brought by Santa himself.

Reportedly, "Pals" is the best-remembered of all the Van Beuren Little King cartoons--perhaps even the only one that's remembered by anyone other than folks who frequent blogs like this one. This is because it used to be aired frequently on American television at Christmas time, under the title "Christmas Night". (Personally, I'd never seen it until I began my project of watching and reviewing the entries in this series.)

As a Christmas Special, it strikes all the right warm-hearted Holiday notes and it's full of cuteness. It's particularly sweet the way the Letter to Santa is read by the Real Thing instead of just a guy in a suit--one of the benefits of living in a cartoon universe, I suppose! I personally would have preferred more of a plotline running through the thing, but the almost random collection of events and scenes are amusing and cute enough that I can look past that.

Two interesting details that stood out to me is the fact that the Little King's queen is such a nasty piece of work that she doesn't even spend Christmas with him. Secondly, it continues to be remarkable to me the way the cartoon's character designs create a distinction and gulfs between the Little King, his servants and ministers, and the common folk of his realm; each group has a distinct look. While I might be prone to chalk that up to the general slipshod approach that was a hallmark of the Van Beuren approach to continuity and quality control, I think it's purposeful in this cartoon and the series in general. The level of details in the backgrounds and the statement by some film historians that Jim Tyer was highly invested in translating "The Little King" newspaper strip to the amination medium with as much respect to the original source material as possible says to me that not only effort but thought was put into every frame. 

But don't just take my word for it. Take a few minutes to check out this classic Christmas celebration; it's bound to bring some cheer! 

(Trivia: "Pals" was released into theaters on December 22, 1933, exactly 88 years prior to this post being made.)

Christmas is coming...

... and June Lang has stopped by to let us know how long we still have to wait!

Musical Monday with Bryan Adams

With Christmas just around the corner, here's Bryan Adams with a straight-forward video and a pretty Christmas song... even if things seem to take a somewhat disturbing turn at the end. (Or so it seems to us. It's also a little funny, but still... What do you think?)

Bones's White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Christmas is rapidly approaching, and I thought I'd drink some coffee that reflected the time of year. And while I was at it, I might as well make it another of the many Bones Coffee blends that are sitting in my cupboard!

Even Santa gets to take coffee breaks.

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK

When I used to go to Seattle's Best (and then Starbucks) two-three-four times a week, one of my usual orders was a White Chocolate Mocha made with Non-Fat Milk, so I approached this blend with a certain standard and a preconceived notion of what it would taste like. I was not disappointed.

As this blend brewed, there was no particularly aroma that I could detect, other than the faint, wonderful smell of coffee, from the first sip of the White Chocolate Peppermint Bark, the white chocolate flavor was present and exactly what I had expected. It wasn't as strong as the mochas I used to order, but it was distinct. And it was delightful. This is a great coffee to drink when the weather outside is frightful!

Like most of Bones' flavored coffees, the White Chocolate Peppermint Bark blend starts with medium-roast Arabica beans, so that's already a plus for those who like their coffee on the less-bitter side. The flavor of white chocolate present as you start drinking this is strong enough that those who normally take their coffee with a touch of milk or sugar could probably drink this straight, while those who tend to take their coffee with a ratio of 1/4th milk or creamer to 3/4ths coffee (or so), will be satisfied with just a little bit of either. In fact, although I was happy enough with the white chocolate flavor while drinking this blend straight, once I added some unsweetened almond milk to my cup, that flavor became stronger and the experience more enjoyable. This has happened with several other Bones blends, but, since I love the mix of coffee and white chocolate, I appreciated the magic of chemistry even more with the White Chocolate Peppermint Bark blend than those others.

As I typically do when drinking coffee for review purposes, I tried this blend hot, as it cooled to room temperature, and chilled and over ice. I also tried it both with unsweetened almond milk and with sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer. I think it was tastiest when hot and with unsweetened almond milk added. It was almost a little too sweet with the Italian Sweet Cream creamer--it wasn't terrible, just not as good. I think this might be a great coffee to drink with dessert, or even to put in a thermos and take with you if you're going to be running around in the cold. 

If you've gotten this far, you might be asking yourself "What about the peppermint? He hasn't mentioned the peppermint... why not?" Well, honestly, I didn't really pick up on much of the peppermint flavor while drinking this. I think there might have been a hint of peppermint creeping in after several sips before I added the almond milk, but I'm not sure it wasn't just my imagination; I was expecting peppermint, so I tasted peppermint?

Since it's not unheard of for Bones Coffee's flavors to grow more intense as you drink the coffee, and I expected the peppermint to show up more powerfully as I drained the mugs. However, it remained soft or completely undetectable. That said, it's not something that I am upset about. I don't know if coffee that was strongly peppermint flavored would be something I could bring myself to drink, but Bones has thrilled my taste buds and changed my mind with blends I feared would be horrible-tasting, like Wunderbones and Maple Bacon. Maybe someday I'll drink peppermint-flavored coffee, but today is not that day.

The Christmas Coffee Elf brings coffee to all the good boys and girls!