September 13th, 2007
Posted by Alex Payson at 9:43 am
Last week I wrote about joining a CSA and the incredible bounty of fresh, local produce that it provides.
Today I will cover one option for cooking up those veggies (or meat/fish/anything else) that may be filling your fridge.
For those with any sort of backyard, large driveway, or any sort of open space outside, you can build your own grill on a very limited budget. (As a free alternative, most people probably already have all the materials needed to build a grill lying around.) The grill I describe below is the most basic design- you can increase the size or shape as needed as this grill is completely freestanding and can be disassembled and put back together in a matter of minutes.
Materials Needed
~40 standard size bricks (or fewer larger bricks/cinderblocks)
2 large slabs of concrete or sheets of metal at least 20″x25″
1 grilling grate
You can buy all the materials needed new from Home Depot or Lowe’s for ~$40.
The grilling grate itself costs about $10, the bricks will run ~$15, and the concrete slabs will be ~$15.
To assemble your grill.
1) Make sure you have a clear area at least 5′x5′ with no buildings/branches overhead that could be damaged by the heat.
2) lay down one concrete slab for the floor of the grill (These slabs can be quite heavy so you may want a friend to help).
3) The left and right walls can be built with 15 bricks on each side. For the right wall, place a layer of 6 bricks on the right hand edge of the slab- two wide and three long, standing on their long side. Repeat this with a second layer of bricks. The third layer is a single row of three bricks again standing on their long side, stretching from the front to the rear of the grill, flush with the right row of bricks. (The grill grate will rest on top of the second layer of bricks).
4) Duplicate this for the left wall.
5) The rear wall can be built with bricks placed 2 layers high, in a single row. You will not want to fill in the third layer as that allows the smoke to escape from the rear.
6) Place the slab very carefully on top of the walls- the slab is heavy, and once it is in place it will hold the grill together with its own wieght.
7) Now you place the grill grate in the cavity- resting the left and right sides on the second row of bricks.
At this point you have your homemade grill completed!
I power my backyard grill with charcoal, or even branches from my yard when I have enough.
Good luck and safe grilling!
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April 19th, 2007
Posted by Alex Payson at 9:55 am
Last night I had the fortune of attending a speech by Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Laureate and renowned spokesman for peace, sponsored by the Institute for International Sport. He spoke about war, and peace, and suicide terrorists. One of the problems with suicide murders/terrorists he said (and excuse my poor paraphrasing), was that if they are ready to kill themselves, then they are already past the point where they can be convinced to change their ways. It is too late to reach them. So we must teach our youth while they are still young, with the hope and conviction that they can make the next generation a little better.
Professor Wiesel went one step further, saying that when teaching, imparting knowledge is not sufficient. He proposed that if all you teach is knowledge, then what prevents that knowledge from being used to exploit another human? He brought up a very important point, but never quite explained what needed to be taught alongside knowledge to prevent its misuse.
After the lecture I was pondering what the missing ingredient was from Elie’s speech when I remembered a quote from the founder of my high school, written circa 1780.
“Goodness without knowledge is weak and feeble, yet knowledge without goodness is dangerous, and that both united form the noblest character, and lay the surest foundation of usefulness to mankind.” -John Phillips
Perhaps this is our problem today. We focus too much on knowledge, through instant communication and surrounding ourselves in an isolated world where everyone is connected and can get the answers to anything, but is looking not into the eyes of another human, but at the screen of their computer, phone, or pda. We proclaim ourselves a global community, yet spend less time interacting with other humans than ever before in history.
Let us not forget about knowledge with goodness.
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April 16th, 2007
Posted by Drew at 10:27 pm
The staff of Blue State Coffee extends our condolences to the families of the students and faculty who were killed or wounded today at Virginia Tech.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
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January 3rd, 2007
Posted by Alex Payson at 4:43 pm
While the jury may still be out on some of the trade-offs between intensive, high yield farming and organic/locally grown (see preceding post for more info), it is always good to remember to occasionally stop and take a break. And have a snack.
This is my idea of a perfect afternoon nibble: homemade mozzarella from
Rhody Fresh milk, eggplant caponata made by some
good folk down in Bristol, RI, served over a durum loaf from
7 Stars Bakery.
And of course a cup of Blue State Coffee…..
All made right here in little Rhode Island, USA. What a concept.
Posted in General news, Politics, Personal | No Comments »
January 3rd, 2007
Posted by Alex Payson at 2:57 pm
Last month The Economist magazine published a thought provoking piece on the three main pillars of “ethical food” (consisting of organic, fair trade, and locally produced foods.) While some of their assertions may be a bit off the mark, healthy debate is essential to any democratic society. You can read the article here, then let us know your opinion. The issue of how we grow and buy our food is only going to get more heated in the coming decades as world population continues to climb.
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December 12th, 2006
Posted by Alex Payson at 3:47 pm
Mid-life crisis? Not even close. For Dee Williams changing her life meant redefining what “home” meant. Check out this film by Mark Hoffman; living small is a big idea.
Watch the short film.
Posted in General news, Video, Personal | No Comments »
November 26th, 2006
Posted by Drew at 11:07 pm
We have leased a space at 300 Thayer Street, Providence, Rhode Island. We hope to open the store in the summer of 2007. We will be serving the same coffee we sell on the internet, together with espressos, lattes, and various other coffee drinks and refreshments. Just like the internet sales, 50% of after-tax profits will be distributed to the causes shown on our website. We welcome any thoughts or suggestions on the store, and we look forward to serving you in our first store and in many to follow.
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November 5th, 2006
Posted by Drew at 10:06 pm
The show is syndicated on 90 stations nationwide!
Click on the link below and download the second hour from the show on November 5. Drew and Marshall are interviewed about 1/3 of the way through the hour.
http://www.wor710.com/pages/51471.php
The podcast is also available for free on iTunes!
Posted in General news, Blue State Coffee news, Personal | No Comments »
