Archives-Navy Memorial Metro Station. The escalator to get on the platform is out. This wouldn’t be so bad if there were low carbon emitting stairs. But there aren’t. No stairs, so with one escalator out, the rush hour crowd gets to walk down one skinny escalator. Woe to you if you’re going against traffic. Your best bet sometimes is the elevator.
DC Public Library– I rarely check out books from the DC Public Library. I buy most of my reads, used books mainly. I wasn’t always like this. I loved libraries. I studied to become a librarian. But the lack of finding the books I want just encourages me to head for the internet or my own agency library. For example, I wanted Sudhir Venkatesh’s Gang Leader for a Day. DC Library did not have it, and does not have it. My old library, the Arlington Public Library has it. So does Alexandria’s Public Library. And Montgomery County. Heck, even PG County has it. When I was living in Arlington, I’d give the library a chance and see if they had the book I wanted. Here I don’t even bother most of the time. Well, at least the Washingtonia collection is good. Can’t check out anything from there though. But for books, to check out, no.
Because of that (and some thoughts I have about government in general) I am in no rush to get the DC One Card. I’ve already got a Smartcard, and there is another one in the house somewhere. I rarely use the rec facilities, and I just told you about my relationship with the library. I’m not school aged so I won’t be need it for DCPS. And I’ve only walked into an unemployment office once in my life, in Florida, and it was a most unhelpful experience.
Day: July 25, 2008
East of NJ Ave Challenge: Bananna Liqueur
I had an idea to share some recipes as well as promote some Bloomingdale businesses and the Capital City Market, and that idea is the East of NJ Ave challenge. The challenge is to create a few yummy things from items east of New Jersey Avenue and west of…. oh face it I don’t bike past the Capital City/Florida Market. The borders are fuzzy. I don’t know how much of a challenge it would be when there is a great farmers market in Bloomingdale, Timor, a big honking chaotic warehouse district, and whatever I or my neighbors grow in their gardens. Yes, a big cheat is the stuff I grow in my yard. Not much of a challenge and it’s an excuse to talk about food.
So Banana Liqueur
Recipe from Homemade Liqueurs by Dona Z. Meilach & Mel Meilach (1979).
2 Ripe Bananas (Mexican Fruit -Capital City Market)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (Don Pepe’s – Capital City Market) or 2″ vanilla bean
1 cup of sugar syrup (see below)
3 cups of vodka (Bloomingdale Liquor)
Take the bananas, peel them, squish them and place in jar. Add the rest of the ingredients to jar. Tightly screw on jar top, and leave in the back of a cool/dark closet for 1 week. After a week strain and filter to capture liquid. You can drink it but let it mature if you can, for 2-3 months.
Simple Syrup
1 cup of water (WASA)
1 cup of sugar (G&S Grocery on 1500 blk of NJ Ave)
Combine the two in a saucepan. Heat and stir contents until mixture is somewhat clear. Cool and refrigerate. Add a smidge of vodka as preservative.