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Here are some shots of a friend of mine's house on Walnut Street. ReadeR photo Submitted by Lawrence d'aLberti It all started when my friend Rosalie told me she's going to start roasting her own coffee beans in her kitchen. In a pop - corn popper. The motivation? First, quality and taste, but also to cut the high cost of quality coffee by at least half. That was enough to get my atten - tion. Turns out Rosalie's co- worker Dax Wilson has taken up this hobby of home roasting in a seri - ous way. A conversation with Dax together with a visit to a strategic website was all I needed to become equally enthusiastic. I learned I could roast green coffee beans (half the price of commercially roasted beans) in a frying pan, although that is not the most desirable. There are two methods of roast - ing: with hot air or on a hot surface. Hot surface allows for a darker roast, which for many tastes is preferable. At Dax's suggestion, I purchased an old-fash - ioned-style popcorn pop- per, the Whirley Pop (ev- erydaycheapskate.com/ whirley), a high-temp candy thermometer, a sim- ple food scale and a cou- ple of pounds of green cof- fee beans (about $4.50 a pound). My total invest- ment including beans was less than $40. I preheated the pop- per to 400 F, and then dumped the green coffee beans into the roast cham- ber (popcorn popper) with the kitchen exhaust fan on high. I began to turn the crank immediately and continued at a steady pace (one revolution per second) until the roasting was complete. The roast - ing chamber cooled as the green coffee beans ab- sorbed the heat. When it reached 350 F, I turned the heat down to medium- low and continued to roast until I achieved my de - sired roast color (light, medium or dark). Dax said a dark roast would take from 9 to 11 min- utes, and through the "first crack." Coffee beans "pop" as the moisture is released and sound a lot like popping corn. I dumped the hot beans into a metal colander and swirled them gently to allow the heat to escape and to allow them to cool quickly. That's it! Roasting complete. It took me a couple of tries to achieve a roast color that met my par - ticular preference (I like it dark). I was too overly cautious in the beginning and ended up with a very light roast. But practice does make perfect, and I'm happy to say I am en - joying the best coffee of my life. My only regret is that I may have turned into a coffee snob, find - ing ordinary coffee to be woefully unacceptable. Freshly roasted coffee is to store-bought what vine- ripened garden grown to - matoes are to grocery or Wonderbread is to home- made bread. For detailed informa- tion on every possible question you might have about home-roasting cof- fee, go to Dax' favorite website, SweetMarias. com, a one-stop store with great prices and an online library of how-to's, articles and tips for home-roasting coffee beans. Or look for "Home Coffee Roasting: Romance & Revival," by Kenneth Davids (St. Mar - tin's Press, 1996, $15.95). By the way, for surface- heat roasting, the inex- pensive Whirley Pop pop- corn popper is a great op- tion. But check the garage first. You might already have one. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@everydaycheap - skate.com, or write to Ev- eryday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2099, Cypress, CA 90630. eveRyday Cheapskate A robust idea for coffee lovers Mary Hunt This year the National Park Service invites vis- itors to "Go Wild for Wa- terfalls" and take the Whis- keytown Waterfall Chal- lenge during National Park Week Saturday, April 19-27. This year the National Park Service has selected the theme "National Park Week: Go Wild," and the Whiskeytown Waterfall Challenge is one of the many wild adventures you can have at national park sites across the country. A great way to begin the Wa - terfall Challenge is to join a park ranger for a free ranger-led hike to one of the park's four major wa - terfalls. During Waterfall Week, hikes will be offered daily to Whiskeytown, Brandy Creek or Boulder Creek Falls at 9 a.m. and daily at 2 p.m. to Crystal Creek Falls, which was recently rede - signed to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Ac- cessibility Standards. For the complete schedule and to make the required reser- vations, call the visitor cen- ter at 246-1225. In celebration of "Na- tional Park Week: Go Wild!" April 19-20, will be a fee-free period for Whis- keytown. to do Take the Waterfall Challenge Today Red Bluff Childbirth Class: 6:30- 8:30 p.m., St. elizabeth community Hospital, co- lumba room, 529-8026 Community BlS/CPR class: 6 p.m., St. elizabeth community Hospital, co- lumba room, 529-8031 Cribbage Club: 6 p.m., cozy diner, 259 S. main St., 527- 6402 emblem club: 7:30 p.m., elks Lodge fun Senior Aerobics: 8-9 a.m., $1, community center, 1500 S. Jackson St. 527- 8177 Homeschool Support Group: 7 p.m., north Valley baptist church, 345 david ave. International Order of the Rainbow for Girls: 6:45 p.m., masonic Hall 822 main St. 527-6715 PAl Kickboxing: 6 p.m., 1450 Schwab St., 529-8716 or 200-3950 Penny Bingo: 9:30 a.m., community center, 1500 S. Jackson St. Photo club: 6 p.m., com- munity center,1500 S. Jackson St., 528-8066 Pinochle for Seniors: 12:30-3:30 p.m., 1500 S. Jackson St., free, 527-8177 Red Bluff derby Girls open tryouts and practice: 6:30 p.m., tyler Jelly building at tehama district Fairgrounds Red Bluff Rotary: noon, elks Lodge Red Bluff union elemen- tary School district board meeting: 5:30 p.m., 1755 airport blvd. Take Off Pounds Sensibly TOPS: 10 a.m., First united methodist church, 525 david ave., 824-0556 or 529-1414 Tehama 4-H: 7 p.m., First baptist church , Pine Street, 527-3101 Tehama County Board of Supervisors: 10 a.m., 727 Oak St. Tehama County fish and Game Commission: 8 a.m., conference e, courthouse annex, 527-2095 Tehama County flood Control and Water Con- servation district: 8:30 a.m., 727 Oak St. Tehama County Ge- nealogical and Historical Society: 6:30 p.m., library, 529-6650 Tehama County Tea Party Patriots: 6 p.m., Grange Hall, 20794 walnut St. Tehama County Young Marines Parent Meeting: 5:30-7 p.m.,332 Pine St., 366-0813 Veterans of foreign Wars Post 1932: 7 p.m. Veterans building, Oak Street Weight Watchers meet- ing: 9 a.m., 485 antelope blvd., #n, 1-800-651-6000 Westside 4-H: 7 p.m., reeds creek School Gym, 527-3101 WWe self defense train- ing for women: 5:30-7 p.m., 1005 Vista way, Ste. c CORnInG City Council: 7:30 p.m., city Hall, 794 third St. dance with Juana: noon to 1 p.m., Family resource center, 1488 South St., 824-7670 eSl: 9 a.m., Family re- source center, west and South streets, 824-7670 Soccer training: 4-6 p.m., woodson School Soccer Field, 150 n toomes, 824- 7680 Women's Support Group: 6 p.m., Family resource center, west and South streets, 824-7670 GeRBeR el Camino 4-H: 7 p.m., Gerber School cafeteria, 527-3101 el Camino Irrigation dis- trict: 6 p.m., 8451 Highway 99w, 385-1559 lOS MOlInOS los Molinos Women's Club meeting: 1 p.m., Veteran¹s Hall, 7900 Sher- wood blvd. School Readiness Play Group: 10-11:30 a.m., up to 5 years, free, First Steps Family resource center, 7700 Stanford ave., 384- 7833 MAnTOn Manton 4-H: 7 p.m., man- ton Grange, 527-3101 COTTOnWOOd evergreen School Board: 5 p.m., 19500 Learning way Wednesday Red Bluff Adult Carving Class: 10 a.m. to noon, Veterans memorial Hall, Jackson and Oak, 527-0768 Al-Anon: noon to 1 p.m., Presbyterian church, Jef- ferson and Hickory American Association of university Women: 6 p.m., department of education, 1135 Lincoln St. nurturing Parenting dads Program: 10 a.m. to noon, 1860 walnut St. #d, Shasta room, call Keith at 527- 8491, ext. 3012 nurturing Skills for Teen Parents: 9-10 a.m., 1900 walnut St., 527-8491, ext. 3012 PAl Martial Arts Women's Self defense: 5:30-6:30 p.m., 1005 Vista way, Ste. c, 840-0345 Parks and Recreation Commission: 7 p.m., city Hall, 555 washington St., 527-8177 Penny Bingo: 9:30 a.m., community center, 1500 S. Jackson St. Red Bluff Airport Commis- sion: 5:30 p.m., city Hall, 555 washington St. Red Bluff Cemetery dis- trict Board of Trustees: 4 p.m., Oak Hill cemetery office Red Bluff Kiwanis: noon, elks Lodge Red Bluff derby Girls open tryouts and practice: 6:30 p.m., tyler Jelly building at tehama district Fairground CalendaR 530-527-0727 243 So. Main Street Join Us for an Inspirational Leadership Event Wednesday, April 16, 2014 The Refresh Leadership Live Simulcast is your opportunity to come together with other members of our business community to learn more about the principles of great leadership. 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Schedule your tour today and enjoy a free lunch! Ask about our move in special Ask about our new UNBEATABLE Rent Specials & Free Rent Specials too! Fish Frenzy Fish Frenzy Friday s Friday s Every Friday in March & April 365 S. MAIN ST, RED BLUFF 527-2720 • www.lariatbowl.com Lariat Bowl Fish & Chips Fish Tacos Fried Fish Sandwich Tuna Fish Salad Tuna Fish Sandwich LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com tuesday, april 8, 2014 » mOre at fACeBOOK.COM/RBdAIlYneWS and TWITTeR.COM/RedBluffneWS a5