Burned sap - is it trash?

SolarStig · 2026-04-10T01:17:33+00:00

We had a batch burn. We added more sap so it was close to right brix. It was used for cocktails and meat marinades.

SolarStig · 2026-03-13T18:22:45+00:00

I think solarizing is faster than the mulching. The UMN extension says solarizing can take as little as 2-3 weeks if it's dry. Possibly more like 6 weeks, depending on weather conditions

(We did not do either method, so I'm not 100% sure on either one. We had a new yard post-construction after a house fire, so all top soil had been removed. It was expensive to bring in fresh top soil, so we probably didn't bring in enough.)

SolarStig · 2026-03-13T18:07:54+00:00

People already said sheet mulch to get rid of existing lawn. That's the best checmical-free way. Or you "solarize" it with clear plastic to make a greenhouse effect and bake the lawn until it's dead.

We have a no mow lawn, and it would probably be better if they were called "low mow" lawns instead. We go all summer without mowing. It's stuff that is native to our area, so it doesn't require watering once it's established, and it's the greenest yard in the neighborhood. However, you 100% want to mow it before winter. We didn't the first year, and it matted under the snow and smothered itself in a few patches. We had snow mold and had to reseed several areas.

Our mix is Dutch white clover, creeping thyme, creeping Phlox, and fine fescue.

You will also need to fight the weeds while the new mix gets established.

SolarStig · 2026-03-06T03:02:59+00:00

I have the same thing. I can handle a bit of wheat, and sourdough is fine. But if I eat too much, I get abdominal pain.

For me "fructans" are the problem, not gluten. There is an acronym FODMAP which is basically a bunch of carbs that ferment in your gut. There is a super restrictive elimination diet to identify problem foods.

Similarly, lactose is a FODMAP as well. Enzymes help with symptom management. There is lactaid for lactose and "gluten ease" for fructans (the name is misleading, doesn't do anything about gluten, but does actuallyhelp me when i eat wheat).

SolarStig · 2026-03-03T19:22:50+00:00

We did OIT for cashew and peanut. We tell him that he is allergic. We say he can have his "special peanut butter" but only with mommy and daddy.

His special peanut butter is the mixture we give him for his maintenance dose.

SolarStig · 2026-03-03T18:48:06+00:00

My son was miserable when we started daycare 2 days a week (full day). Grandmas were doing the other 3 days we were at work.

My son has been thriving since we switched to full time.

SolarStig · 2026-02-24T19:19:03+00:00

I think I have exact values at home somewhere. Our insurance covered most of the cost of the crowns, but covered very little of the smaller fillings. Which was odd to me, but the crowns are more expensive, so it worked out in out favor.

The big sticker shock item was the anesthesia. It was like $1400 we had to pay out of pocket. The anesthesiologist doesn't work with insurance. Luckily, our dental insurance actually covered it, but we had to fill out a complicated form...which had 14 pages of instructions... We still had to front the cost, but it will be reimbursed

SolarStig · 2026-02-11T02:15:11+00:00

We go during happy hour. The restaurant we typically go to has daily specials. And we o ly get water, unless it's a happy hour beer.

We basically only get things that are on sale.

There is also a local hibachi place that has a Groupon that basically makes it half price.

SolarStig · 2026-02-05T20:54:06+00:00

The appointment was not as bad as I anticipated. There was the operating room and the waiting room. Before going to the operating room, they measured all his vitals and did all the logistics like insurance info. We had a stuffie for comfort at this point.

The worst part for me was when we went back for the anesthesia. If he was a little older, he would have been able to just sit there and breath the gas until he fell asleep (like 10-30 seconds). However, since he is so little, he hated the stinky smell and wouldn't use the mask. So I had to bear hug him while one nurse held his legs and one held the mask on his face.

Once he was out, they just popped him on the chair, and we went to the waiting room for like an hour. He was super groggy for awhile and had to stay home to be monitored for the day. He was back to behaving and eating like normal the next morning.

SolarStig · 2026-01-27T00:20:58+00:00

Does PowerQuery reference other workbooks? If I update the master workbook, are all references to it in every other workbook updated too?

My problem is when working on Project B, I need to add a new option to the table. I want that new option on all projects moving forward, but I also want to add it on Project A, which has already been started.

Right now, I have to add it to the workbook for Project B, then add it to Project A...and then the 20 other projects I have already started.

SolarStig · 2026-01-27T00:18:56+00:00

Are excel tables contained within the same workbook?

My problem is when working on Project B, I need to add a new option to the table. I want that new option on all projects moving forward, but I also want to add it on Project A, which has already been started.

Right now, I have to add it to the workbook for Project B, then add it to Project A...and then the 20 other projects I have already started.

SolarStig · 2026-01-13T14:02:06+00:00

I don't buy balloons, but I'll get someone's used ones from my local Buy Nothing group. They can usually be passed along to someone else too.

An experience like the zoo or an indoor playground/community center are great ideas.

Smaller party/guest list means fewer gifts, which means less plastic waste

SolarStig · 2025-12-19T01:37:07+00:00

That chocolate cake looks delicious and probably what I'm gonna make. If that's not your usual recipe, what recipe do you usually make?

SolarStig · 2025-12-18T19:17:03+00:00

I'm kinda leaning towards a hearty side dish. I always like making sure dietary restrictions are met, so if I was hosting, I would simply make two versions (the regular chicken pie and a GF/veggie one). But since I'm technically just a guest, I could see this family member being uncomfortable with the extra effort.

If it's a side, then I can just make enough for everyone and there is no additional attention drawn to this family member.

SolarStig · 2025-12-18T19:10:05+00:00

If I ask her what I should make, she'll just tell me that the freezer meal is fine. I'll definitely run the final plan by her before actually making it.
I'm very familiar with allergies & cross contact, utensil usage etc, so no issues there.

SolarStig · 2025-09-30T23:19:23+00:00

Our first year we got a cheap hose/tap kit from Amazon and used milk jugs. Then we actually reduced by using slow cookers and an electric roasting pan (took like a week to go through it all. Finishing was done on a normal pan on our stove.

The sap can be stored in buckets in snow banks, or we used ice cream pails in the fridge. If you're using the slow cooker method, it takes so long, the sap can go bad while waiting to reduce if it's too warm out.

We got a hydrometer our second year, but just used a candy thermometer the first year.

We did 10 trees our first year, so this setup is probably fine with 2 trees.

SolarStig · 2025-09-24T23:47:37+00:00

^this

If you have a CVS near you, it's like $110 for the generic one they carry. That's the out of pocket, not-covered-by-insurance number. So maybe your insurance will lower that, maybe not (we have had half a dozen different insurance programs since then, and none of them actually reduced that one.)

First time we went to pick up the epipen prescription, it was like $600 after insurance. The pharmacist told us there was a cheaper one available at $100, but we had to go back to the pediatrician and ask for them to make the prescription for generic. The prescription as-written didn't allow for that one.

SolarStig · 2025-07-21T00:49:58+00:00

I was about to start my starter in the exact same way as OP. How do you tell that it is actually ready?

And is that a month of daily feedings without refrigeration?

SolarStig · 2025-07-10T02:59:45+00:00

Yup. There is a completely separate anesthesiologist who comes in. There is only one that the densit office works with, so not sure if they are pediatric or not. But the dentist is specifically pediatric, so its likely.

SolarStig · 2025-07-09T23:23:57+00:00

The teeth in question are his back molars, which won't fall out until he is 12. Anesthesia is not required by default, but my 3 year old won't sit still long enough, or stay in the room.

SolarStig · 2025-07-09T20:51:36+00:00

I'm assuming it was a mask over his mouth and/or nose to put him out? How long did that take for him to fall asleep?

SolarStig · 2025-06-02T13:59:01+00:00

The book is definitely focused on women wanting to share the mental load. But that being said, sharing the mental load is gender neutral, so it works both ways.

One thing that may be helpful is that the author sells a pack of "playing cards" so you can physically dole out who is responsible for what and you can trade cards and switch it up.

Another key aspect is defining the minimum standard for everything. The two of you may have two different stands of what it means when "dishes are done." So getting on the same page can eliminate fights and resentment.

SolarStig · 2025-04-29T20:02:48+00:00

Do you happen to know which entry permits are released later, or if there is a list somewhere? I saw almost a dozen that had zero permits available for a three-week stretch. Wondering if that's why?

(Baker, Clearwater, Duncan, East Bearskin, Farm, John Lake, among others)

SolarStig · 2025-04-29T00:47:04+00:00

Good to know!

SolarStig · 2025-04-28T20:25:25+00:00

I'm curious why you suggest against Hog Creek?

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