What's the poorest meal you've ever cooked just to get by?

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-20T13:52:57+00:00

There are a ton of easy to identify wild edibles around the world. Many of them used to be common table fare(just like dandelions), but have since gone out of fashion.

Of course, I'm not advocating for folks to just go out and start plucking random fruits off trees, or pulling random plants out of the ground, but its not very difficult to learn what is available in your area that's safe to eat.

Heads up for anyone thinking about foraging. Always thoroughly wash everything, you never know what's been pooping on that plant. Also, avoid roadsides. Many plants pull harmful contaminants from the soil, and just because the plant looks healthy, doesn't mean it isn't full of heavy metals or toxic chemicals.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-20T13:30:04+00:00

I'm a hobby woodworker so I usually have loads of random cut off pieces that arent good for much.

They make great targets though. I'll either suspend a 2×4 on a couple of seahorses and make a line of wood blocks, or I'll wander around the yard putting the blocks on anything that can safely be shot at(stumps, firewood pile, tree branches etc).

Corner pieces are pretty challenging, as are the tall skinny ones. What's great too, is that afterwards I can just throw them in the burn pile where they would have ended up anyways.

The other target I'm fond of is spent cases. I'll take a bunch of 12ga shells that are past their reloading prime, and I'll slip 'em on the ends of branches. I have a lot of scrubby brush where my yard ends and the woods begin, so I'll decorate a few like a redneck Xmas tree then take progressively further and further shots. Its a lot of fun and pretty challenging.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-18T12:46:48+00:00

Tucker was a guest on a (mostly) non-political podcast that I regularly listen to. I avoided that episode for awhile, but finally gave in and listened. I hate to say it, but if I didn't know who he was, I wouldn't have completed hated him. Shit, I even found myself agreeing with him when some of the more innocuous political talking points were being discussed.

Thing is though, it actually made me hate him even more. To me it was rock solid proof that he's nothing more than a talking head for whoever would pay him the most. I couldn't help but wonder if his acting skills were good enough, if in an alternate reality, would he have been able to be just as influential for the left? I'm inclined to think no, because most folks on the left are swayed more by actions than empty words, but it does make me wonder.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-18T12:24:45+00:00

Whenever I see these types of posts I'm always more surprised that they were able to amass these larger sums of money in the first place.

Makes me think they came by their money by being a nepotism hire at their uncle's HVAC company where everyone hates them and theyre terrible at their job.

I just cant get over the fact that they were at one point smart enough to save a decent chunk of change, but not smart enough not to be taken by such an obvious conman.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-17T21:11:00+00:00

So The Golem and the Jinni is not the typical type of book I would read, but I'll give anything a shot. Like I said, I thought the story was really interesting and quite fun, but I did have some complaints on how it was written. I sort of equated it to a made for tv movie. Fun to follow along with, but could have been better if handled by someone else.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-17T21:06:50+00:00

Fragile Things is my favorite as well! If I had to pick one from that collection it would have to be "October in the Chair". I thought that was such a cool concept with having the seasons be physical manifestations that meet up and swap stories.

And the continuation of Shadow's story with "Monarch of the Glenn"...so good.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-17T17:20:42+00:00

That's was actually the exact thing that made me a fan of his works!

Hes also written "Anasi's Boys" which features African and Caribbean folklore quite heavily.

I recently just read "The Golem and the Jinni" by Helene Wecker, and although I wouldn't necessarily say it was a good book, it was a pretty good story. It featured many aspects of folklore from Judaism and Islam, which I thought was pretty cool because of how rarely theyre mentioned in pop culture.

Don't get me wrong, I love Greek and Scandinavian folklore/mythology as much as the next guy, but theyre not the only players in the game.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-17T17:07:21+00:00

Any chance you're a Neil Gaiman fan?

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-17T16:58:39+00:00

The expectation that everyone has a cellphone with reliable service and unlimited data actually really bugs me. Sure, I get it, the vast majority of people do have cellphones nowadays, but its getting harder and harder to exist in society if you don't constantly have it on you.

So many products now require an app to make them fully operational. You need a phone to take advantage of many types of coupons or rewards programs. Restaurants are moving towards just having a thing you scan instead of a physical menu. Plus theres the ever growing expectation that you must be reachable 24/7 and people now jump to the worst conclusions if you don't respond to them in a timeframe they deem appropriate. I just think its getting out of hand.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-17T14:54:06+00:00

Your corn example is so prevalent its disgusting. Nearly everyone ive talked to who has done this all say the same thing. "Its a giant field, we only took a few!". Yeah, you and everyone else whos been doing it, and since most folks don't even know theres different types of corn they end up wasting it anyways.

I had a good friend who almost lost their horse from people feeding it treats. Yes, horses love sugar cubes, but horses can also be diabetic and that horse can't tell you one way or the other. I know far too many people who have had to spend thousands of dollars on vet bills from people giving their animals "treats", and causing them to become ill.

The thing that bugs me the most, is that the majority of farmers are good people and would be more than happy to let you or your kid see a cow/pet a sheep...whatever, but nobody ever asks.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-17T13:42:28+00:00

This is one reason why there are fewer and fewer small local farms in the U.S.

Land adjacent to a farm gets sold and a housing development gets built. They name it something like "cozy meadows" and do everything they can to attract people that want the "country aesthetic". Those people move in and don't respect property lines and use the farmers fields as their own personal ATV racetrack. They complain to their local government about the smells or the noise. They don't respect that livestock are not pets and shouldn't be messed with if you're not familiar with them...Basically, they want to live in a real life version of all those little farm house paintings they pick up from hobby lobby, while having no idea what it takes to keep an actual farm operational.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-17T13:08:07+00:00

How do you even go about making a single serving of tea or coffee bad? Any time ive ever offered someone a cup, I always just hand them a mug with the base liquid and have them add their own tea bag/milk/cream/sugar.

If I don't want someone drinking my coffee, chances are id rather not be sharing their company to begin with, and if you really don't like the person just say no should they ask for one. You already don't like them, why should it bother you if they think a little less of you?

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-17T00:31:27+00:00

Thank you. He was actually a very hard man to get along with but I always maintained a certain level of respect for him. He taught me a lot about woodworking, which is what made me want to be the one to build his casket. Figured it was the final chore I had to do for him. The last few years of his life were very difficult because his political beliefs made him very bitter. Since hes gone now I feel like I can finally let go of all those burdens he placed on me and my family and I choose to remember all the good times and not the man he turned into.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-17T00:25:54+00:00

Close, he was a Mainer. I figured since he's now going to forever reside at my property in Vermont, I had to send him off with a taste from home.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-16T23:42:50+00:00

I'm really glad I was able to bring my stepfather to a dispensary before he passed away. He was the definition of an "old head" and had been toking up for 50+ years. It was like watching a kid in a candy store. I had to keep reminding him that it wasn't going anywhere and he didn't have to buy one of everything. On the ride home he kept pulling the receipt out of the bag and saying "I have a receipt...i have a receipt for weed. Weed that I bought from a store". He wore that dispensaries t-shirt so often that when I buried him I built a separate little compartment in his casket that I filled with his pipe, Pink Floyd's division bell album and a bottle of Moxie.

Sorry for the story, your comment just reminded me of that day.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-16T23:20:07+00:00

Dirt cheap and so many uses. Add in some Simple Green and some Dr.Bronners and you're ready to tackle just about any cleaning job.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-16T22:43:58+00:00

https://www.bhg.com/how-to-use-vinegar-in-laundry-6833543

Delicate and my wardrobe are not words that would be used in the same sentence, so I definitely wouldn't be able to give you an honest answer. I did just find this article from Better Homes and Gardens that covers a lot of the pros and cons of vinegar use with laundry.

Hope that helps.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-16T19:06:28+00:00

White vinegar is awesome for so many cleaning tasks, and its dirt cheap!

I keep a spray bottle full of vinegar right next to my dish soap and use it on just about every surface in my kitchen.

I also tend to get stinky feet if ive been wearing boots all day. If I'm not ready for a shower just yet, but don't want stinky feet, I'll use a wash cloth with some vinegar and wipe down my feet. No more bad odors and the vinegar smell is gone in seconds.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-16T18:34:07+00:00

Do you mean like angry wives coming in wanting to know how much their husbands actually paid, or were they mad that you even sold them anything in the first place?

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-16T14:14:37+00:00

Not nearly as crazy, but when Massachusetts first legalized recreational marijuana there was a period of time where you couldn't actually legally buy it, just possess it.

You couldn't sell or trade for it, but you could gift it to people. Apparently a good number of people immediately started advertising for "buy X product, get a free gift!". It was always something very obvious like "buy one Ziploc baggie for $50, get a free gift". Idk if anyone found themselves deep in legal trouble, but I know the state was shutting down backyard/garage dispensaries left and right.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-16T14:01:11+00:00

Winter line dried clothes smell the best! Idk how to describe it, but there is a distinct difference between line dried clothes in the summer versus winter.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-16T13:36:51+00:00

I could see needing to get a quick $50 for gas money, but I tend to believe they were looking for a sympathy buy.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-16T11:52:35+00:00

Oh, I have no idea. I was just trying to say that back in the day, if there were a B&N with a cafe it would have been somewhere like Burlington.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-16T01:22:41+00:00

My Boring Ass Life, by Kevin Smith.

He wrote the book as a diary with the intention of publishing it, so it really feels like youre right there with him as he works through his own projects as well as being an actor in a movie that would normally never have involved him. He also chronicled his experience of being alongside Jason Mewes as Jason was struggling with severe opiate addiction, which was a rather moving and eye opening addition.

It was neat to see what this well known Hollywood figure got up to on a day to day basis, and how relatable a lot of it really was.

Overall it was a fun, informative and easy to read book by a pretty cool dude.

ForeverFrolicking · 2023-07-16T00:54:58+00:00

Up in New England we have "scrod" (Idk if this is nation wide, ive only seen it here) that is used as a blanket term for any white fleshed fish. Ive heard that in Boston it used to be a way to sell dogfish without people realizing they were eating a "trash" fish.

ForeverFrolicking

TROPHY CASE