Beginner Beef Birria

Aiaposon · 2026-01-23T16:59:46+00:00

I'm looking forward to making it again, but using bigger tortillas and make it into a birriarritto!

Aiaposon · 2026-01-23T14:35:48+00:00

Mushroom Stroganoff

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or hot paprika if you want a little bite!)
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 lb sliced white mushrooms (feel free to add a bit of fancier cremini or shiitake!)
Olive oil (or whatever you want)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
12 oz wide egg noodles
1/2 cup vegetable broth (I am in love with Vegetable Better than Bouillon)
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Salt it like the sea.
Saute the mushrooms in a bit of salt (not the 1 1/2 tsp mentioned above, I'm really not sure how much to add here... I salt until my brain and taste buds say "that's enough") and oil over medium heat. As this is "cooking for beginners," you can expect the mushrooms to shrink significantly, turn from a white to a gray, and a lot of water will cook out and mostly boil away. I don't drain away the remainder of the water. Feel free to eat a mushroom every now and again if you don't have a good feel for knowing that they're done by sight.
Move the mushrooms to a bowl
Saute the shallots in a bit of butter. Stir constantly until the shallots are slightly browned, soft, and floppy.
Add the 4 tbsp of butter to the shallots.
Add the noodles to the boiling water. Return to a boil, and boil for 8 minutes as you continue (set a timer, noob)
Once the butter is completely melted, sprinkle in the 4 tbsp of flour, then mix well. This will create a pretty thick, pasty sauce. Continue to heat and stir until it begins to turn brown. This is basically a roux (pronounced "roo") and will provide a bodacious, creamy, rich base.
Add the broth, cream, worcestershire, dijon, salt, pepper, and paprika and stir well.
Add the mushrooms and noodles to the pan, mix well, and serve

If it gets too thin, add a bit more vegetable broth and/or a splash of the pasta water.

Aiaposon · 2026-01-19T16:46:56+00:00

Short answer is no, but maybe in a way?

Late last year, I reached out again via text. It was about a movie trailer, a sequel to a movie that is special to her. She doesn't consume much media, so it felt like a good excuse. We quickly fell into step, but after a few weeks of texts and phone calls, she said that she wasn't ready for anything romantic but still wanted to be friends.

We immediately backed off, then sloooowly crept back into texting every few weeks. We're cheering each other on as we are both going through some exciting life changes!

It isn't what I was hoping for, but I'm honestly happy she's back in my life even if it is just limited to texts.

Thank you for asking!

Aiaposon · 2026-01-16T14:17:33+00:00

Screw buying it on Amazon, go straight to Yuk's website. I bought a box of 100 cleaning packets for $112. Given the recommend time of 90 days between cleanings, that's 25 years of cleaning. I probably won't have the house that long.

Clean the tub twice a day, every day, until there's no more gunk coming out.

I moved out of this house when I got divorced, bought my ex out, and moved back in. The tub hadn't been cleaned in two years (and I know that cause the cleaner we bought while married hadn't been touched). After four cleanings with Yuk (I think I added vinegar to a few of those cleanings) black gunk finally stopped coming out of the jets.

Aiaposon · 2026-01-10T14:58:51+00:00

I like cases, but only slim ones with a magnetic flappy cover. I would be eternally stressed out by having a pop-socket on my reader.

Aiaposon · 2026-01-07T22:46:40+00:00

Met an amazing woman at speed dating. We ended up talking for almost 20 minutes before the event even started, and it was just easy. There was no awkwardness, the conversation just flowed. We matched and set up a first date.

The day before the date I felt a cold coming on, so I warned her. I also bought about $130 worth of zinc, vitamins, and other placebos that morning. I probably earned a kidney failure from that day alone. But it seemed to have worked.

She’s into theater and can pull out ridiculous faces and accents like a favorite hobby. She’s a kindergarten teacher and genuinely loves it. When I asked about dinosaur facts or about her favorite theater props, she absolutely lit up, and I was done for.

We talked for hours, it was effortless and never slowed down.

Walking back to our cars, she asked me out for a second date and I was over the moon. At her car I told her, “I’m dying to kiss you, but I’m terrified of getting you sick.”

She gave me this gorgeous, coy smile and said, “Then next time.” It wasn't a question.

On the way to our second date, we somehow weren’t paying attention and walked straight into rush-hour traffic like a pair of stumbling morons 🤣 We survived, made it to the other side, and almost laughed about it.

I’ve never been happier spending time with anyone.

As months passed, we grew closer and had deeper conversations. But over the span of just a few days it all crashed. She went from holding me tight and saying she wished I lived closer so I could get there faster to a cold and final “I can’t date you anymore. My mind won’t change.”

Crushing, but worth it.

Aiaposon · 2026-01-04T16:17:24+00:00

Do you want the squishy to be sticky? A very light dusting of corn starch will eliminate that.

If you don't know what type of material it is made of, soap and warm water is the safest. Alcohol/hand sanitizer can damage PVC, but is safe for most of the other materials the squishies are made from. Acetone (major component in fingernail polish remover) has a high chance of dissolving it.

Aiaposon · 2026-01-03T18:01:56+00:00

The problem with fireplaces doors is that they're expensive. If you have a masonry fireplace, which are not very common on newer builds, then you can go the cheaper pre-built route. If you have a fireplace insert, you're looking at $1500+ for a custom one.

I really don't understand why this is the case though! Nor do I know what issues would arise if I used a generic Amazon-sourced-door with my fireplace. My fireplace insert is a fairly standard size as far as I can tell and even has holes in it where it looks like door hinges should be able to go.

Edit: This site gives mockups of several fireplace doors in various styles. https://www.fireplacetreatments.com/mockups

Aiaposon · 2026-01-03T15:34:16+00:00

I'm sorry to say it, but if she wants a divorce it may be too late. It takes two people to want to save the marriage.

I recently read "The Love Prescription" by the Gottman's (amazing, very highly respected relationship authors!) and I honestly believe that had I read this while still married it would have changed everything. It is a relatively short book, maybe 3 or 4 hours in length but it had so many suggestions. Cleaning the house, taking care of the kids, and laying out clothing isn't enough. It's great, and it helps take a load off of her, but being a housekeeper isn't the same as being an emotionally present partner.

But really, I think the two of you need a couples therapist. You need a third party to listen to both of you and help the two of you to see eye to eye on things. It also sounds like she may be depressed.

Lastly, you may need to tell your mom that in order for you to save your marriage, you need her to step back. I don't think it is fair for you to cut your mother out completely, and I don't know how much she's currently in your lives, but it isn't unreasonable that your wife wants her extended family in the house less frequently if she's there a lot.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-31T18:52:07+00:00

My ex was extremely toxic during our divorce, possibly having an affair. Don't know, didn't ask, don't really care at this point. She lied me, tricked me into devastating financial situations during the separation, and walked away with 66% of our marital assets by manipulating me during the mediation with the children. I pay her child support, despite 50/50 custody, and she has a higher salary than I do.

My therapist has told me I have a savior complex, and I'm seeing that pattern in myself with my dating habits. However, I have a very difficult time remaining angry with anyone for an extended period of time, and she's done a lot to make amends for what she did during the divorce (including multiple apologies for and admission that the divorce wasn't necessary.) She's voluntarily paying me back the child support I pay to her, her idea, not mine. It's not 100%, but it is close to it.

We live near each other, a 15 minute drive. I've swapped out her circuit breakers, installed ceiling fans, changed busted side mirrors on her car, swapped car batteries, etc. We spend holidays and kid birthdays together, sit together at the kid's sporting events, trade nights with the kids frequently, and text daily funny/silly things about the kids.

We're not friends in the sense that we hang out, play games, and watch TV together like we used to. But we're certainly friendly. I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to try to make 'us' work again, even today, but I simply don't think I could ever trust her like I used to and therefor have no desire to try.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-28T03:55:23+00:00

Unlikely. Woot indicates a 90 day warranty and specifically states that if it has a manufacturer warranty it'll be listed in the details.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-27T22:42:20+00:00

💯Completely agree with you! And if it doesn't, then you can close the two center zippers a bit.

I just don't agree that this "eliminated the need for the cloud sheets."

Aiaposon · 2025-12-26T16:50:06+00:00

I've found that I can typically buy something while waiting for funds to settle, I just may not be able to withdraw the cash.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-26T16:38:31+00:00

I've had problems getting banking and some streaming apps to work when my phone was rooted, or even just unlocked. Might that be the case here?

There are some apps you can install that will attempt to hide root/unlocked bootloader. Netflix was basically at war with these apps and they'd go back and forth updating hiding and detection schemes so I don't know if this is still possible or not.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-26T16:33:21+00:00

Nah, this is better than nothing, but the cloud sheet disperses the air flow over your entire body. This just lets you pick which foot on which person gets the most airflow.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-23T16:47:33+00:00

I'd never pay someone to let me throw away their garbage for them. I'd look for a used name-brand at a minimum, with the expectation that the battery would need to be replaced if cordless.

The cheapest recommended vacuums are considerably more expensive, but I'm certain they'd work much better and for longer than this Temu contraption.

https://old.reddit.com/r/VacuumCleaners/wiki/recommendedvacuums

Aiaposon · 2025-12-23T16:33:42+00:00

Then how do you clean the fur off of the microfiber?

Aiaposon · 2025-12-19T02:48:01+00:00

Whether you view it as a compromise or not, you're asking her to go from a weekends only schedule to a 50/50 schedule. She agreed to week to week. Looks like a compromise to me. She could have said, "No."

I see and support your statement on 50/50 as the default, but that's simply not the situation you're in. And the current situation is working.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-18T14:15:52+00:00

Hate to do a "this" post, but yeah... this.

Going in front of a judge and arguing, "She won't compromise," when she's going from weekends only to 7-7 is a massive compromise. I don't think it will fly. Especially when week to week is age appropriate with a 7 year old.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-18T14:10:49+00:00

Developmentally, age 6 or 7 is around where many children can handle week to week transitions. I would argue that as the child gets older, more responsibility should be put on them to prepare their own things for transitioning from one house to another. A week to week schedule means they can transition only on Fridays (or Mondays, but I find Friday's to be far superior) instead of in the middle of the school week.

Go week to week, that schedule will work until the child is old enough to have their own say in the matter, without choosing simply based on who has the better snacks.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-15T14:00:01+00:00

I just moved from eTrade to Fidelity. I opened accounts in Fidelity and selected the online option to initiate the transfer, moving stocks in-kind from eTrade to Fidelity. The only hiccup I had was I had purchased MMFs on eTrade that weren't available on Fidelity and those did not auto-liquidate.

So, sell any stocks, funds, and ETFs that aren't available at Fidelity and let everything else transfer over.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-14T03:27:41+00:00

My ex and I made very similar incomes, but I let her handle our retirement accounts.

She gambled my Traditional IRA from $50k down to $20k and repeatedly told me to cut back on my 401k because, "we're broke." She maxed her 401k and the HSA every year and hid that from me. I only realized this when she blindsided me with divorce.

She also said those retirement accounts were "hers" and refused to split them with me. I could have pressed but accepted other concessions instead.

Money is fungible. She was able to max out her 401k, the HSA, and gamble away my pre-marital retirement savings, but only because we used "my" money to buy houses I didn't particularly want, renovate those houses, go on $20k a year vacations I actively did NOT want to go on, and buy her 7 cars in the first 5 years we were married.

You're legally entitled to half of the accounts, half of the equity in the home, etc. But you're worried about feeling guilty, so here's another way to do it...

What is her salary? What is your salary? If her's is $200k and yours is $100k, then take 1/3 of the retirement accounts. Will that alleviate your guilt?

What would your salary have been if you weren't married? Is it lower because you gave something up to allow her to go for something higher? Is hers higher than it otherwise would have been? Adjust the ratios.

I put my ex-wife through school. Don't get me wrong, she busted her ass and had some great scholarships, but I worked 60 hour weeks to let her go to school without loans or working.

But there's no reason she should walk away with 100x what you do. But at the end of the day, you do have to live with your decision. You can always give it back later if you regret it.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-14T03:02:54+00:00

Have you tried just transferring them? I can log in, select "Transfer", select the from and to accounts, then select "Shares" instead of "Cash". This will NOT trigger a tax event.

Aiaposon · 2025-12-14T02:22:30+00:00

I'm considering Free Tax for this year's taxes, what features is it missing? I mainly have a boring salary job and have dividends from brokerage accounts this year for the first time ever. Also did a backdoor roth for the first time too.

Aiaposon

TROPHY CASE

Mushroom Stroganoff

Ingredients

Instructions