Because This Blog Is Named That Way

The "no-knead" bread last night, with a substitution of one cup whole wheat flour for all-purpose, was very tasty, especially with a reheat of the vegetable soup from Sunday with the addition of a cup of water and 4 oz. Barilla Piccolinni® tiny pastas.

But today I want to make my own tonic water, because the Washington Post tells me I can. The only challenge? The Sherbs prefers diet tonic water.

So, the next question is, will Splenda® work? It needs to become a syrup. McNeil Nutritionals, the makers of Splenda® and possibly the sibling company of a pharmaceutical firm I used to sue all the time (nothing you need to worry about), says that it works in caramel sauces, but it dissolves and browns quickly.

Am I up to the challenge? I think so.

Now I just need gin. Or the Post's suggestion, homemade spiced rum.

Oh, also, while I'm also blathering about bread, cooking a fried egg in between pieces of sage bread (couldn't cut a hole in it) in a pan filled with cooking spray and paprika, with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and sea salt, tastes awesome.

Actually Tried Mixed Drinks

Okay folks, it was Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, so I decided to try my Dr. Pepper experiments. Here are the results:

• Dr. Pepper and Captain Morgan's - Fair. Don't really agree, don't quite disagree.
• Dr. Pepper and Disaronno - Also fair. Whichever one there is more of, it tastes like.
• Dr. Pepper and Chambord - Eh. Sort of cough-mediciny. Add vodka, and it would be one of those drinks you give to an impressionable young woman who will not realize the alcohol content of the beverage.
• Dr. Pepper and Kahlua - Almost "good." Coffee and Dr. Pepper are close to complementary flavors.
• Dr. Pepper and Bailey's Irish Cream - Avoid. It sort of tastes like an ice cream float at first, but then the Bailey's starts to curdle. While curdled Bailey's doesn't taste any different, it's got a really grotesque mouth feel.

There are yet more alcoholic drinks to try, but that's what I had little airline bottles of, and even with drinking only part of the mixture and dumping the rest in the sink, I got a little more of a buzz than I really wanted. You'll see me trying again, but not this week.