Iced Coffee

Here’s how we’ve been making iced coffee in our Chemex. You’ll need:

  • Coffee: 72 grams coffee
  • Ice: 180g ice in chemex carafe plus more
  • Water: 1150 grams @ 205°F

Method:

  • Rinse the filter and discard water
  • Add coffee to Chemex and zero the scale
  • 0:00 Pour to 225g
  • 1:00 Pour to 450g
  • 2:30 Pour to 675g

Let drain. Fill mug(s) ~2/3rd with ice.

Swirl chemex to make sure ice is melted and coffee is mixed.

Pour over ice.

Stir.

Enjoy.

Grammy’s Seasoned Pepper

This is Aly’s mom’s seasoned pepper recipe.

We don’t always have all the spices on hand but here is how we’ve made it:

  • 80g Peppercorn mix
  • 24g Smoked paprika
  • 10g Trader Joe’s Soffritto Seasoning Blend
  • 3g Allspice
  • 2g Ground/dry mustard powder

Coffee Time

Helpful links we wanted to bookmark so we can find them again.

https://honestcoffeeguide.com/coffee-grind-size-chart/

Honest Coffee’s guide allows you to compare grind size settings between different grinders.

https://prima-coffee.com/learn/article/brewing-guides/comparing-chemex-recipes/33027

Prima Coffee’s collection of Chemex “recipes” are great for someone starting out.

https://prima-coffee.com/learn/video/brewing-guides/how-brew-clever-coffee-dripper/31771

Clever Dripper instructions.

Amtrak tools

Photo by C. Davis.

These tools are useful when traveling by Amtrak.

Train Trackers

https://amtraker.com/

https://railrat.net/routes/TexasEagle/

Maps

Amtrak national route map (July 2025)

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/Maps/Amtrak-System-Map-081325.pdf

Amtrak “day/night” route map (2003). It’s old but much of the system remains on the same schedule.

https://www.trains.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/tm1103-amtrak-day-night.pdf

Well-Oiled Mai Tai

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Caribbean blended rum, aged
  • 1/4 oz Falernum
  • 1/2 oz Orgeat
  • 3/4 oz Lime juice
  • 2 dash Ango bitters
  • Garnish: Mint spring and upside down lime shell
  • Glass: Rocks glass

Method

  • Shake with ice
  • Strain into rocks glass, add extra ice as needed
  • Garnish with mint sprig, upside down lime shell, and straw

Notes/Source

Works well with homemade Falernum that has clove notes.

From: Reddit (r/cocktails)

Knife Sharpening Case

I noticed Wicked Edge introduced a hard case for their Wicked Edge Go knife sharpening system, but it was expensive for just a case. I checked online and the case size was pretty standard as far as hard cases go and Pelican Cases that size were … $150! A quick check of Harbor Freight and Northern Tool found an on-sale case from Northern Tool for 20% of the brand name case price. Score!

Continue reading “Knife Sharpening Case”