(no subject)

My emergency backup gallbladder potion* was a lot cheaper this time around. That stuff's great, but usually it's pretty expensive. So this is great!


*Don't laugh, but it took me over a year of, um, a new and exciting digestion adventure after getting rid of that chestburster to realize that hey, maybe the doctor has something that could FIX that problem. I GOT COMPLACENT, OKAY? But hey, it turns out there is some stuff that replaces the bile salts I am no longer getting, and it's GREAT.

Dad keeps feeling bad that I got rid of my gallbladder only to pay for a replacement, but I have to remind him that the one I had was not working.

Mad Kitchen Science

DAD: Hooray, it's movie time! I'm going to make some popcorn and a rum and Coke.
ME: I'm afraid I have bad news for you. This Mexicana Cola I'm currently drinking is the only cola in the house.
DAD: There's no Coke?
ME: Nope.
DAD: HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?
ME: Well, I've got a Fentiman's Rose Lemonade or a Sioux City Prickly Pear if you want--
DAD: YOU CAN'T ADD RUM TO THOSE
ME: True.
MOM: Well, I think I might have some SodaStream cola mix ...
ME: Ooh! I also have some cola extract in my soda supplies!
DAD: Can we use bottled water in the SodaStream?
MOM: Of course!

So I got out my cola stuff and Mom showed Dad how to use the SodaStream to charge his bottled water.

MOM: How much of that stuff do we put in here?
ME: Well, it makes four gallons ...
MOM: We've got a quart here.
ME: What's 1/16th of two ounces?
DAD: This is getting REALLY complicated.
MOM: All right! We've got the fizzy water!
ME: Let's add the extract!

We added the extract and it looked pretty cool and all chemistry-like. Except ...

MOM: By the way, is there any sugar in this extract?
ME: ... Um.
MOM: Hang on and I'll whip up some simple syrup.
ME: Well, I'm curious. Let's try this out!

We all took a sip of the unsweetened cola.

ME: Interesting. I've never thought about what it tastes like without sugar.
DAD: Me, either. HURRY WITH THAT SYRUP!"

We added syrup, but the process mostly de-fizzed the drink. It didn't taste too terrible, but then Dad tried mixing the rum in.

DAD: This tastes like it will make me throw up.
ME: I advise against drinking any more of it, then.
MOM: It's pretty good without the rum.
DAD: But I wanted a rum and Coke!
*pause*
MOM: Store?
DAD: I guess ...
MOM: Think of it like back when we had to go rent videos. We can pick up some popcorn, too!
DAD: Wait, there's no popcorn?
MOM: Nope.
DAD: TO THE STORE!

So even though it was a failure this time around, we had some fun messing with it. And I think it might not be a bad idea to tweak the values and see if I can't get a decent cola out of it the SodaStream way. Or even the old-fashioned microbial way. But for tonight, Dad got his popcorn and his rum and Coke anyway, and I got entertained, so everything worked out pretty well!