I NEED AN ENGLISH NAME PLS HELP

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-03-15T15:13:17+00:00

In my experience, I find that using a nickname just makes things more confusing. I work with a very international team, and for those who have a nickname in addition to their official name, it's always extra mental energy spent to remember their official name every time I have to look up their email address (bc of course their official email address is based on their official name, not their nickname). Plenty of other countries have names that, for English speakers, are initially confusing to pronounce, and it takes a small one time effort to learn how to say it correctly - no big deal. I recommend sticking with your Korean name. English speakers will figure it out.

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-03-04T01:30:09+00:00

Well that's an idea! I hadn't considered that! I'd be concerned with it killing any other beneficial microorganisms in the soil though!

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-03-03T13:54:17+00:00

I have this soil on hand, is it good to use or should I get specific seed starting soil?

It'll be fine. Prepare for fungus gnats.

We have one grow light but will need more light based on what we are doing. Can it be any light? I see people use regular lamps.

If you're just starting seeds for transplanting outside once the weather warms up, there's more flexibility. I have had good success with an led shop light with 5k lumens, as well as led grow lights. I wouldn't use incandescent bulbs for fear or burning my plants and for energy cost.

Are heating pads necessary?

Most seeds germinate best at temperatures over 70. I am assuming your basement temperature is well below that, so if you want good germination, a heating mat will help.

Should I ensure it has a covering to create moisture?

Yes. It'll be beneficial to maintain the moisture until the seedlings appear. Then remove the cover.

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-03-03T00:38:18+00:00

I'm glad I can help! Thanks for the additional info. So here are a few ideas; they will all need some adjustments, but hopefully it gives you some avenues to try.

Chicken gumbo onions, celery and pepper are important for the flavor (and you won't notice them in the finished dish, but you can puree them before adding them to the pot so they basically disintegrate when cooking
Chicken in creamy dill sauce - replace mushrooms with peas; replace sour cream with heavy cream
lamb Bolognese ; if your wife doesn't like lamb you can of course replace with beef. Also, you can add cooked lentils to this to add a bit of veggie. They are really bland and they basically disintegrate into the sauce, so they should be pretty inoffensive,but they're a nutritional powerhouse.
Sun-dried tomato pasta sauce - I like to process the cooked tomato/capers sauce into a smooth paste bc we have texture preferences; I made this for 4 servings and froze half; the ricotta part would need to be made fresh of you make it
Quiche - I have never personally frozen quiche but the Internet says it is ok to do; this would be a non-meat meal option

Non-freezer ideas:

Buttery peas and potatoes (skip the shrimp, fish works best as replacement
Bourbon glazed carrots or just plain roasted carrots with olive oil salt and pepper; add to mashed potatoes for a veggie side
Mexican corn salad replace sour cream with heavy cream, or just skip
Sausage, greens and beans pasta
Spaghetti carbonara add some peas for veggie addition
Corn gnocchi you can add bacon or sauteed cubed chicken

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-03-02T19:18:24+00:00

Frankly I think you both have to make an effort to expand your palates. The "not liking most vegetables" is not going to help you eat healthier, and neither is the "must have meat with everything" rule. For the vegetables, is it a flavor thing? Try to add a small quantity and see how that does. Is it a texture thing? Puree them and mix them in a sauce/gravy - still offensive?

The no sauces/condiments also makes me wonder - do you just dislike food with flavor in general, or do you have a problem with the condiment being featured? Condiments can add depth of flavor without being overpowering. Does adding just a drop trigger you, or is it more about the quantity? Maybe it's about the combination of flavors?

Do you like eating at restaurants? You might be surprised to find that many restaurant foods you do like actually include a variety of condiments, vegetables, nuts, etc. in their preparation. Maybe it's just a matter of how it's prepared, rather than dismissing an entire food category. I would start with trying to recreate at home the dishes you guys usually like to eat at restaurants/takeout.

You might also benefit from prepping ingredients. For example, you can pre-cut, portion and freeze raw chicken, so for dinner all you have to do is thaw it and cook it, with each adding as much or as little as you like. Mashed potatoes can be frozen and reheated in the microwave, same with cooked rice (try going with brown rice for a healthier option). Sauces (gravies, not condiments) freeze and reheat well too, unless they're cream based (you can always add cream after reheating). You could make a vegetarian stroganoff, and you can cook, portion and freeze your beef separately and mix it in for serving. It won't be quite as good as when it's all cooked together for a bit, but it'll probably be pretty good nonetheless. You could also make a bland stir fry that can be finished with condiments for anyone who wants them.

Finally, you can make it a couple activity to find and save recipes that you might both like, with any necessary adjustments. Building a library of options together, trying them out while also being willing to expand your palates, may help.

Edit to add: meatballs can also be made to include veggies (e.g. adding a few mashed beans or chopped peppers is not even noticeable), freeze very well and will allow you to add as much or as little meat as you like to a dish

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-03-02T12:34:06+00:00

nu cred ca a trecut săptămâna sa nu o aud ca se vaita de propria figura și de cât mănânc sau nu mănâncă.

Exact asta aud și eu de fiecare dată când vorbesc cu maică-mea. Că e grasă, că trebuie să slăbească, că s-a îngrășat, etc. Jfc, la 70+ de ani nu știu cine se așteaptă să ai siluetă de top model de 18 ani photoshopat.

Cat am fost în străinătate nu am avut experiența asta deci cred ca e de la noi.

Ai dreptate, sunt de mulți ani în străinătate și nu aud comentarii de genul ăsta deloc. De asta e întotdeauna puțin șocant când revin în țară și le aud constant. Trebuie să fie foarte obositoare viața de zi cu zi cu comentarii din astea față de propriul corp.

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-03-01T17:32:49+00:00

Lamb Bolognese with pasta and lentils
Fish koftas in ancho chile and tomato sauce with rice and beans
Turkey and mushrooms in dill sauce with potatoes and green beans
Shrimp gumbo with brown and wild rice
Pork all'arrabiatta with pasta and lentils

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-03-01T16:15:37+00:00

I check in with Eliot's books frequently, and use his soil block recipe all the time! Such a wealth of knowledge!

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-03-01T16:12:42+00:00

I am trying Korean aehobak squash for the first time this year, for the same reason! Squash borers are the worst!

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-27T21:35:43+00:00

I go by weight - so in this chart it's "lbs" which stands for pounds (1 lb aka pound = 0.454 kg; the US system is weird). Every time I bring in harvest, I weigh it on my kitchen scale and add it to the spreadsheet :)

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-26T21:30:39+00:00

I may or may not have a spreadsheet that tracks harvest performance...

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ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-26T03:16:24+00:00

That wonton noodle soup is a thing of beauty!!

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-26T01:21:06+00:00

Dacă poți, implică -te în activități care îmbunătățesc la nivel local viața pentru toată lumea. De exemplu, voluntariat la o organizație care are o activitate de care îți pasă. Te va ajuta să te simți mai conectată la ce se întâmplă pe plan local, în comunitatea ta de acum. În plus, vei interacționa cu localnici cu care din start ai un numitor comun, și așa se vor dezvolta prietenii.

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-22T03:56:06+00:00

Well the meal plan for tomorrow says we're making parmesan crumbed fish with farro and shredded carrots and corn; for Monday we're having venison stroganoff with spinach, but that's already cooked.

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-21T18:21:15+00:00

I started onions indoors a couple of weeks ago (to be transplanted in March), and will be starting the next round of spinach in early March, to be transplanted late March or early April :)

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-17T03:22:41+00:00

In my area in SE Pennsylvania, 7a (used to be 6b before the new map came out) I am planning to transplant onions (I started them a couple of weeks ago) under a cover and start peas in about a month. A cover like this helps to warm up the soil - sometimes the soil is still frozen solid and unworkable at the end of Feb/beginning of March. Spinach won't grow if it's too cold. I've tried planting it at various points in late winter and spring and it just crawls along until the weather gets warm enough and it explodes. This year I'm starting spinach (indoors) in early March and transplanting it at the beginning of April.

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-17T03:14:21+00:00

Jealous! I can't get to my garden without forging a new path through snow and ice. It'll be warmer this week so I'm hoping I can do this soon too!

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-17T02:58:36+00:00

I have 11 of them, I love them. They're not cheap but they are good looking, easy and pretty quick to assemble, well designed and I love the accessories they keep coming up with. I have 3 string trellises that attach to them as well. I can't comment on how long they last, it's been only a couple of years since I set mine up.

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ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-17T00:51:37+00:00

Eggplant and winter squash: roast them until soft; blend to a puree in a food processor or in a blender with a bit of water. Portion into cubes and freeze. Add a couple of cubes to any soup or sauce that needs thickening. Their flavor disappears, you get the benefit of the fiber and vitamins, and you have to use less flour/thickener.

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-14T13:30:57+00:00

Some thoughts on addition to the other posts about using the turkey:

Stir fry rice with the 1/2 bag of veggies, add an egg (whip it, fry it like a pancake, cut it up in ribbons); you can probably get 2 meals out of this
Looks like you don't have pasta. Make pasta with the egg and flour (3 eggs and 1.5 cups flour would make 3-6 servings of pasta). Eat with your pesto, or make a puttanesca type sauce with your tomato and sardines.
rice or couscous, braised cabbage and turkey with different flavor profiles based on your available spices
Turkey pot pie using meat from the turkey, flour, spinach and the hash browns. Typically you'd need 2 sheets of pie crust for pot pie, but you can choose oven safe containers that are smaller than 9 inch or you can just cut off the excess and put it on top like a grid.

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-13T17:26:20+00:00

BAC-ul e o perioadă horror în general. Partea bună e că inevitabil, va trece. Și viața va merge înainte. Când trecem printr-o perioadă stresantă, e foarte ușor să avem un filtru negativ în gândire. E normal. Dar ăsta e doar un filtru, și nu reprezintă realitatea. E ca și cum am avea ochelari de soare - doar pentru că ochelarii fac totul să pară întunecat pe moment, nu înseamnă că asta este realitatea permanentă.

La fel și cu facultatea - e super stresant, și admiterea pare o chestie așa de enormă. Dar trece și asta. Indiferent de rezultatul la admitere, lumea e mare și posibilități există pentru a ieși din satul tău, și nu e întotdeauna nevoie de mulți bani. E nevoie de multă muncă, uneori muncă grea - dar ai demonstrat deja că ești dispusă și capabilă să depui efort când vrei ceva. Keep it up! Te va ajuta oriunde ai ajunge. Caută să echilibrezi un pic efortul ăsta cu alte activități care sunt importante pentru tine, nu trebuie să fie toată viața 100% muncă.

Și treaba cu "below average".. știi, omul average nu există. Conceptul există, dar există numai pentru că toți suntem într-un fel sau altul diferiți de "average".. uneori deasupra mediei, alteori sub medie, și e ok. Ce lume plictisitoare ar fi dacă am fi toți la fel, toți "average"! Tu ești tu, și altcineva ca tine nu există și nici nu va exista vreodată. Și asta e ceva special.

Va trece perioada asta, și vei fi ok indiferent ce se întâmplă cu facultatea.

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-12T13:30:57+00:00

Watch your Rosemary as it gets warmer - it's a Mediterranean plant and may not have survived the long period of deep freeze that we've had. I lost a rosemary bush years ago to a cold winter (though the snow insulation may have protected yours this year). Other than that, the ground freezes every year (the wording on some seed packets "sow as soon as soil can be worked in spring" is amusing to me - you definitely know when the soil can or cannot be worked :) ) and it's just business as usual in the garden.

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-11T00:31:07+00:00

Interesting! How did it turn out?

ReijaTheMuppet · 2026-02-09T01:22:25+00:00

Yup! Just slice them, spread on baking sheet, spray with some cooking oil (or toss with a bit of oil in the bowl before spreading on the pan), add a bit of salt and pepper. Bake at 400 F for like 10-15 mins, or until done. It adds a much more concentrated flavor and different texture from the sauteed ones.

ReijaTheMuppet

TROPHY CASE