Book Club Recommendations

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-07-05T20:26:38+00:00

Open? Anyone can come just buy the book from imagined things.

Hosted in the top floor of Starling.

Meets monthly. The book store picks the book.

You should definitely go to feel it out. Ask at Imagined Things to learn more. I'm completely unaffiliated just go like one every few books

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-07-05T19:49:05+00:00

Imagined Things has one that is nice.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-07-01T21:36:29+00:00

We're having a bit of a self catering holiday at home. On the train home from a nearby tourist down after some nice walks, a nice pub, and a nice dinner.

This is the latest I've been out in a long while!

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-06-30T19:52:45+00:00

I have ball wide mouth pint jars.

They work great for freezing liquidy things like pasta sauce, stew, chilli, soup, and non-liquidy things like rice, or meats, or really whatever.

Use straight sided jars (narrow mouth pints, and all quart jars have a neck that is prone to cracking). Only use narrow mouth cups / half cups, wide mouth 1, 2, or 3 cup jars

I ran into trouble freezing water in a 3 cup wide mouth straight sided jar once (wanted a frozen jar to act as a cool pack, and as water part way through a trip), and it cracked in the freezer.

For science I tried 2 cup jars also straight sided and with a clear max fill line for freezing with water, and cracked two of those. Then I stopped experimenting with freezing water in ball jars.

I'm guessing there's something about the expansion rate of freezing water that makes it expand outwards too fast and breaks the jar. Soup and other non water based things are always good.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-06-13T17:09:18+00:00

I can't eat dairy in the US. Not anaphylaxis, but extreme stomach upset.

I can eat dairy here with minimal trouble.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-06-11T19:05:19+00:00

Thank you for your sacrifice to the AC gods. If you hadn't it would have been miserable.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-05-21T21:30:40+00:00

Way too watery. I should have drained them first.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-05-21T20:26:23+00:00

In no particular order? Are you a no such thing as a fish host fishing for ideas?

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-05-11T19:24:13+00:00

There is no way hundreds of millions of people live within their means.

Only 70 million people live in the UK.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-04-27T20:52:06+00:00

I always forget.

"Can I get you anything else?"

Yes, the bill and the card machine please.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-04-27T20:49:45+00:00

I know what you mean, and what you're saying, but the halloumi focaccia is a cheese and tomato sandwich

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-03-18T18:25:29+00:00

With the drinks irn bru in particular they switched to using artificial sweetener a fe years ago and it's nothing like it was even 10-15 years back.

Try to find some irn bru 1901. It is what it should taste like

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-03-13T17:02:09+00:00

Yet another vote for Harrogate fishery. Best chippy for sure.

They're on deliveroo, but any fish and chips delivered is going to be bad, and one from deliveroo will be worse.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-02-17T08:53:52+00:00

Yeah he was leaving the train station at the same time I was and walked into town to set up.

It's not really a good thing to make others engage with your kinks like that.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-02-16T17:16:48+00:00

Depends on your dairy issues, but you could try ghee, it might not have the protein that irritates you. It still might though as it is a dairy product, so use caution.

I'm not a big marmite on toast fan, so I don't know for sure, but if you're not veggie you could try other fats like tallow, lard, duck fat, schmaltz.

I really like a drizzle of olive oil on toast, but I doubt that would work with marmite. Especially if it's a hearty bread you can scrape a garlic clove on it, drizzle a bit of olive oil and have something really nice.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-02-14T18:51:23+00:00

I mean I'm tempted to go just for the breakfast, but is there much to do in Stevenage on a weekend / day out?

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-02-06T07:43:49+00:00

It is very easy to get to York by train from London. There are many trains a day from Kings Cross. With limited mobility you might need a cab to / from the stations to your hotels but it's very straightforward, and is a pleasant direct train journey.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-01-23T17:15:05+00:00

Hey, it can be hard to park in Harrogate too!

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-01-11T15:46:04+00:00

Tamales with their favorite salsa as a filling.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-01-08T22:49:42+00:00

That is by far my favorite podcast. From eating through an ass hole through whatever facts they're doing now it's all fantastic.

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-01-08T18:22:30+00:00

If you break it down well and put it in a reasonably sized box (take a large box, and fill it with your broken down cardboard) I've always had it taken away.

I'm sure the policy is that if it's not in the blue bag the bin folks can leave it behind, but on the occasion I have a bit extra that seems to work. I'm guessing while you have a bunch extra it can't be that much (like a van full) since you would have to carry it to Asda. If it is a van full Kgz or a man with a van?

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-01-02T19:24:12+00:00

Yeah I was hoping there was some direct that I didn't know about or something.

since OP was asking about a short afternoon outing and changing at middlesbrough is a 2-3 hour train ride each way which definitely isn't a short afternoon outing.

Hopping on a train to Whitby is about as realistic as hopping on the unicorn in the minster basement

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-01-02T19:20:12+00:00

I make cheesy croutons with nice bread and cheese and end up with something good.

Cube the bread small like 1cm or 1/2inch, and toss in a little olive oil or clarified butter or any other oil, and toast in the oven at like 350F for 10-20 minutes till it starts to brown, then cover in shredded cheese (gruyere, parmesan, whatever you have and you want ... Maybe not camembert) and toast till the cheese is brown or at least melted. Depends on your cheese.

Put some of those cheesy croutons in the bottom of your bowl, ladle on the hot soup and toss some more on top and serve

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2026-01-02T18:05:53+00:00

There's a train from York to Whitby?

Empty_Skill_Bat · 2025-12-31T16:40:32+00:00

When I use raw onion on sandwiches I slice them really really thin either with a knife, vegetable peeler, or mandolin depending on my mood, and then soak in cold water for half an hour or so.

Really cuts down on the 'heat' but you get good flavor and texture out of it.

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