Re: The Usual Christmas Loot Thread
Elder
"Jennie Kermode"@triffid.demon.co.uk says...
> Anyway, what about the rest of you?
>
Sounds a bit boring, but cash and gift cards.
They will come in useful for all the bits and pieces I will need once
the house contracts exchange and the split with the ex will finally be
done and dusted and I can move on.
Still need to buy things like a matress, towels, a VCR for all those
tapes I've got, plus a cooker and fridge/freezer.
Got a lot of what I need to get started though, including a super king
size metal framed bed for £22+£20 diesel to collect it. The bedding cost
about 5 times that.
--
Carl Robson
Get cashback on your purchases
Topcashback http://www.TopCashBack.co.uk/skraggy_uk/ref/index.htm
Greasypalm http://www.greasypalm.co.uk/r/?l=1006553
moonglow minnow
> So, what did everyone get from Santa this year?
Mostly I got art supplies, including a student's easel, sandpaper, and
willow charcoal. Beyond that, I got antibacterial hand soap (not so fond
of the antibacterial bit but the fragrance is lovely), a kitchen towel,
a new gluten-free cookbook (my favourite) and money that will probably
go toward vet bills. I got myself a cross stitch pattern for another
Durer painting, even though the current cross stitch project will
probably take another couple years.
I'm trying to give myself the gift of better health while changing to
better eating patterns and regular exercise still has the most impact
for the rest of my life.
Getting the Extreme Rat Challenge girls (all pink eyed white lab rats
saved from a typical lab life) on the 31st may count as a late christmas
present for both myself and Steve.
minnow >^..^<
--
http://twitter.com/taheenahana
http://www.flickr.com/photos/minnow/
Dark Phoenix
"Jennie Kermode" <"Jennie Kermode"@triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:slrnhjhomj.6nu...@laocoon.triffid.demon.co.uk...
I was left on my own, doing work,
> because I couldn't get out of the house due to the sheet ice that's
> formed across our street (I've been trapped inside for ten days now).
I don't know if they would help you (they do change the gait some), but they
make (over here at least) things like tire chains that go on the shoes to
give traction. Some are actual small chains (crossing about 5 times under
the sole) and some are strips of metal with cleats. Usually held on with
elastic cord. They do help quite a bit on ice, but like I say, some of the
thicker ones change the way you walk.
--
Laurie Brown, Dark Phoenix
dark_p...@netw.com
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/103910/laurie_brown.html
"To destroy the Western tradition of independent thought, it is not
necessary to burn books. All we have to do is leave them unread for a couple
of generations."
--Robert Maynard Hutchens.
NightMist
Kermode"@triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> Anyway, what about the rest of you?
>
Nothing wildly exciting, but pretty nifty anyway.
A Staedtler mini drafting kit in a tin box, and a bunch of DVDs.
A set of all four Tremors movies, season one of Torchwood, a DVD copy
of Interview with the Vampire.
Got christmas boxes out to the few worthies we can manage. Sent my
dad the six MGM Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movies. Sent my mom a two
cup teapot with matching cup, some darjeeling, gunpowder, and a
package of Walkers shortbread. My dad favors coffee, but mom is fond
of tea. She doesn't like to make a whole big pot just for her, so a
little one was an obvious choice.
NightMist
--
Legolas is my house elf
Peter H. Coffin
> So, what did everyone get from Santa this year?
The Geek and I gave each other new black iPods. It's a nice change to be
able to put ALL the music we have on the device instead of having to
pick a tiny subset. I was grumped at mildly by a friend:
Him: "Why an iPod? Why not a Zune or something?"
Me: "40 more GB, and the MSRP is the same."
Him: "Zune syncs wirelessly..."
Me: "You gotta plug it in to charge it anyway. And how long does
syncing 120 GB wirelessly take?"
Him: "You can play it in Xbox games."
Me: "360 only, and I haven't got one. I got like four gigs of
video-game soundtracks. It'd be kind of redundant..."
Which is true... The Katamari Damashi soundtrack is in pretty heavy
rotation for me, as is Persona 4, and the Wipeout soundtracks.
--
35. I will not grow a goatee. In the old days they made you look
diabolic. Now they just make you look like a disaffected member of
Generation X.
--Peter Anspach's list of things to do as an Evil Overlord
Panurge
big enough to make it helpful. Cash, of course, and a warm-up jacket.
My sister makes sweets for everyone, too. But it occurs to me that by
now in our family it really is about the getting together first. So, in
likely order: Family, food, l00t.
Friends are largely out of the picture all around--Christmas gift-giving
is understood to be specifically a family thing in my circles. My
parents' friends, OTOH, have made homemade food gifts (generally the
same ones, like my sister does) literally for decades, and my mom has
been doing likewise pretty much as long as I've been alive.
--
"He who wishes to go beyond it must die."
--Arnold Schoenberg, on Gustav Mahler's Ninth Symphony
Peter H. Coffin
> On 2009-12-29, Dark Phoenix <dark_p...@netw.com> wrote:
>> I don't know if they would help you (they do change the gait some), but they
>> make (over here at least) things like tire chains that go on the shoes to
>> give traction. Some are actual small chains (crossing about 5 times under
>> the sole) and some are strips of metal with cleats. Usually held on with
>> elastic cord. They do help quite a bit on ice, but like I say, some of the
>> thicker ones change the way you walk.
>
> actually very good at gripping the ice compared to most of my friends'
> footwear, just of limited use when it's smooth as glass, given that I
> have balance problems to begin with; and nothing seems able to keep my
> walking stick from slipping. But we have a shovel now (we didn't before
> as we have no garden) so hopefully we'll be able to clear the steps and
> get me safely down into my wheelchair tomorrow night, and thence to a
> taxi, so I can go out for Hogmanay.
Yaktrax is a brand name to look for of the "snow chain" sort, and
STABILicers and Get-A-Grip are two brands of a different sort of thing:
a non-slip rubber harness for shoes that supplement with replacable
steel spikes, kind of like a really shallow golf sole. In the US, these
things are found at larger sports goods stores.
For canes, you might want to look for something like
--
Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist
the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
-- HL Mencken
`una
> a new gluten-free cookbook
Would you please write a review of the book?
I am on the lookout for cookbooks because of my multiple food allergies.
I like vegan books because of my egg allergy, but they tend to be
pretty preachy. I like gluten-free books because of my wheat allergy,
but gluten-free doesn't always mean wheat-free or allergen-free.
It's frustratingly difficult to find cookbooks that talk about cooking
without being preachy about diet, exercise, and nutrition. When I know
more than the preachy author does, the book is worthless to me.
My mother's nutritionist encouraged me to get a license because
I knew as much as she did about general stuff and far more than
her on certain specific things. I do NOT need preachy cookbooks.
I just need to learn to cook.
`una - encyclopedia of pointless information
`una
> Anyway, what about the rest of you?
new tea kettle
navy blue flannel sheets (the least offensive color available)
two books of poetry by Shel Silverstein
set of tiny metal jacks (as in the children's game)
The jacks are pretty special because I have seen them made out
of metal since I was a kid. My brother is of the opinion that
they aren't real jacks if they don't get embedded in your foot
when you step on them and most modern jacks are designed to
make that impossible.
I gave my brother most of my DVD collection for Christmas.
After a year of not watching movies, I've decided that
I don't have any desire to start watching them again.
`una - apparently nesting lately
moonglow minnow
> moonglow minnow wrote:
>
>> a new gluten-free cookbook
>
> Would you please write a review of the book?
In a nutshell, the book is Gluten-Free Quick and Easy by Carol Fenster,
Ph.D. (ISBN 978-1-58333-278-8). Instructions are very particular
(especially with baked goods). While the author is very good at steering
away from even potential gluten (with one exception that I noticed about
shredded cheese) and allowing for dairy intolerances, it isn't a great
book for people with intolerances/allergies that go beyond
gluten/casein/lactose.
> I am on the lookout for cookbooks because of my multiple food allergies.
> I like vegan books because of my egg allergy, but they tend to be
> pretty preachy. I like gluten-free books because of my wheat allergy,
> but gluten-free doesn't always mean wheat-free or allergen-free.
I'd really hope that gluten-free always means wheat free, at least in
the US. It's impossible to separate parts of wheat from the gluten
protein without processes such as distillation. Wheat starch is *not*
gluten free, for example.
For multiple food allergies, I would honestly have to recommend Living
Without magazine, as they're very good about discussing multiple
substitution options, and include substitution instructions in every
issue. Delight Gluten Free magazine is also pretty good for recipes. It
takes a while to accumulate recipes this way, but it may be a better
resource than cookbooks which often focus on one intolerance or allergy
while neglecting others. I'd recommend Bette Hagman's cookbooks with the
warning that you'd have to experiment with various egg replacements if
you want to make very many baked goods. She tries, but, well... it's
*hard* to make gluten free bread products work without eggs.
I haven't had the chance to take a look at the one gluten free vegan
book I found on Amazon.
> My mother's nutritionist encouraged me to get a license because
> I knew as much as she did about general stuff and far more than
> her on certain specific things. I do NOT need preachy cookbooks.
> I just need to learn to cook.
Good luck. I've had to re-learn how to cook with a steep learning curve
twice, so I know it's possible, at least.
`una
> `una wrote:
> > but gluten-free doesn't always mean wheat-free or allergen-free.
>
> I'd really hope that gluten-free always means wheat free, at least in
> the US. It's impossible to separate parts of wheat from the gluten
> protein without processes such as distillation. Wheat starch is *not*
> gluten free, for example.
That's what I assumed, but there's conflicting information and it may
just be that I've stumbled across some poor sources of information.
I am avoiding gluten because it makes it easier to avoid wheat, but
I'm not strict about it because there are so many other things
I need to avoid that being strict makes me a little nuts.
> For multiple food allergies, I would honestly have to recommend Living
> Without magazine
Thank you. I will definitely look into that.
> I'd recommend Bette Hagman's cookbooks with the
> warning that you'd have to experiment with various egg replacements if
> you want to make very many baked goods.
I haven't even considered baking as an option. I was never a fan of
baked goods and have been greatly enjoying learning more about
Indian and Mediterranean cooking, which make liberal use of
grains, legumes, and vegetables I enjoy very much. They also
make liberal use of onions and garlic, which I'm allergic to, but
I find that most dishes are fine without and that spices can make up
for the lack.
> I haven't had the chance to take a look at the one gluten free vegan
> book I found on Amazon.
I probably saw it and thought it looked lame.
I ended up getting a bento cookbook and a Lebanese cookbook,
both of which have given me some great ideas.
Rice and lentils with liberal servings of leafy greens
is my favorite thing ever.
> > I just need to learn to cook.
>
> Good luck. I've had to re-learn how to cook with a steep learning curve
> twice, so I know it's possible, at least.
I'm really good at cooking. It's just being creative with food
that I suck at because I have never enjoyed food and have been
avoiding learning to cook for one person.
Learning to cook simultaneously helps with my food issues and
triggers my food issues in a bad way. So, it's a dance. The more
I do it the more it helps and the less triggery it gets, but
working through all of those triggers is a pain in my ass.
`una - occasionally enjoys food now
TenshiKurai9
> So, what did everyone get from Santa this year?
Your Cat Interpreter by David Alderton
Linux Powertools by Roderick Smith
Americanized Chinese food
-TenshiKUrai9
Dark Phoenix
"Paul Arthur" <flower...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:slrnhk2bdl.81q...@shasta.marwnad.com...
> _Odd Thomas_ by Dean Koontz, which regards a short-order cook who sees
> dead people. It was a decent read, but very dark.
The sequal to 'Odd Thomas' sucks, but the third one I found quite good.
Elder
says...
> I'm really good at cooking. It's just being creative with food
> that I suck at because I have never enjoyed food and have been
> avoiding learning to cook for one person.
>
need to cook for one week every 6 months and the rest of the year is
yours.
Peter H. Coffin
> In article <qg9217-...@abyss.ninehells.com>, una...@nettrip.org
> says...
>> I'm really good at cooking. It's just being creative with food
>> that I suck at because I have never enjoyed food and have been
>> avoiding learning to cook for one person.
>>
> so plan meals that can freeze well, and cook for twenty. Then you only
> need to cook for one week every 6 months and the rest of the year is
> yours.
Most people aren't really set up to hold that much frozen food, and
(aside from this kind of weather) can't do the initial freeze of 20
meals in a way that thaws to "as nice as it went in". One's way better
off just sucking up the monotony of eating that tasty lasagna every
night for a week.
(The fun way commercial freezing can happen? Conveyor belt down into and
back out of a trough of liquid nitrogen. Adjust conveyor speed to handle
various water densities and sizes of things. Then you let it warm back
UP to about -30 C to boil off the nitrogen. Clean, pristine, very little
crystal formation.)
--
I think I'd like to see a Simpsons episode starting up with Bart Simpson
writing "I will not attempt to undermine the Usenet Cabal".
-- J. D. Falk
Peter H. Coffin
> In article <slrnhk4hg4....@abyss.ninehells.com>,
> hel...@ninehells.com says...
>> can't do the initial freeze of 20
>> meals in a way that thaws to "as nice as it went in".
>>
> under do the veggies slightly when cooking, seperate one portion for now
> to finish cooking properly, and freeze the rest. Reheating will finish
> the cooking perfectly.
> Even rice can be cooked and frozen and reheated dry(just using the
> freezing moisture) in the micro with no ill effects.
Can't agree with that last one at all. It may be the type of rice I use,
but it goes from nice soft sticky pillows of white to something
resembling thick porriage after a freeze-thaw cycle.
> I love slow cooking cheap cuts of large portions of meat and enjoying
> the melt in the mouth texture even after freezing.
>
> Sometimes the appearance does get affected slightly, but the flavours
> and nutritional content is so much better than ready meals and instant
> food.
>
> A decent sized home freezer or if needed a small chest freezer can hold
> an amazing amount of bulk cooking.
That's a lot more than is in most homes here. MOST people seem to cope
with a home freezer that's almost large enough to hold two ice trays and
a couple of frozen pizzas. I DO own a chest freezer, but when it was
purchased, it was the first one the store had sold in a month, and they
were considering dropping the whole category for in-store purchase in
favor of more laundry. (Laundry equipment is big sellers these days...)
--
It is odd, but on the infrequent occasions when I have been called upon
in a formal place to play the bongo drums, the introducer never seems
to find it necessary to mention that I also do theoretical physics.
--Feynman
Elder
dark_p...@netw.com says...
>
> "Paul Arthur" <flower...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:slrnhk2bdl.81q...@shasta.marwnad.com...
> > _Odd Thomas_ by Dean Koontz, which regards a short-order cook who sees
> > dead people. It was a decent read, but very dark.
>
> The sequal to 'Odd Thomas' sucks, but the third one I found quite good.
>
>
>
Elder
> meals in a way that thaws to "as nice as it went in".
>
under do the veggies slightly when cooking, seperate one portion for now
to finish cooking properly, and freeze the rest. Reheating will finish
the cooking perfectly.
Even rice can be cooked and frozen and reheated dry(just using the
freezing moisture) in the micro with no ill effects.
I love slow cooking cheap cuts of large portions of meat and enjoying
the melt in the mouth texture even after freezing.
Sometimes the appearance does get affected slightly, but the flavours
and nutritional content is so much better than ready meals and instant
food.
A decent sized home freezer or if needed a small chest freezer can hold
an amazing amount of bulk cooking.
Elder
hel...@ninehells.com says...
> Can't agree with that last one at all. It may be the type of rice I use,
> but it goes from nice soft sticky pillows of white to something
> resembling thick porriage after a freeze-thaw cycle.
>
boiling water after cooking.
Dark Phoenix
"Elder" <carl....@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.25ae65eda...@news.individual.net...
> In article <pLqdnZCHnf8-89zW...@povn.com>,
> dark_p...@netw.com says...
>>
>> "Paul Arthur" <flower...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:slrnhk2bdl.81q...@shasta.marwnad.com...
>> > _Odd Thomas_ by Dean Koontz, which regards a short-order cook who sees
>> > dead people. It was a decent read, but very dark.
>>
>> The sequal to 'Odd Thomas' sucks, but the third one I found quite good.
>>
>>
>>
> I've enjoyed all the Odd books, but I do like Koontz's writing style.
So do I. I've got tons of his books...save them up to read during stressful
times as they are a great escape. Most are formulaic, but I still love them!
`una
> A decent sized home freezer or if needed a small chest freezer can hold
> an amazing amount of bulk cooking.
Such things tend to be a matter of available space and
available money, neither of which I have at present.
However, I have long been aware that such tools are
desirable for convenience.
`una - fully aware that the role of housewife used to be necessary
because domestic chores are time consuming, even with modern conveniences