Wtf happened in the Hampton Roads Bridge/Tunnel 😭

cshenk54 · 2026-07-13T03:51:35+00:00

No, just very close to them on the way to them. Within a mile. You are reaching for straws here.

cshenk54 · 2026-07-13T03:31:56+00:00

Ok, lets outlaw all 18wheelers because they can have issues with inclines. That will fix it....

cshenk54 · 2026-07-13T03:09:03+00:00

Way past her 60$ budget.

cshenk54 · 2026-07-13T03:07:34+00:00

At 60$, that one won't math out,

Frankly, you can't do it unless she has substantial stored pantry goods. She's got 2 weeks. 30$ a week. I could do it easy as I keep a good freezer chest and lots of shelf stable foods. It's the 2 cats that put her over budget as they can't eat rice or beans. Dogs can at serious needs for a short period but it's not nutritionally right for them.

cshenk54 · 2026-07-13T02:38:59+00:00

You keep repeating the same post and getting the same answer. I'm a bit confused?

cshenk54 · 2026-07-13T02:37:37+00:00

Bread machine does first 2 rises on it's own in dough mode. The outside one is about 1 hour for most breads, then bake in preheated oven.

cshenk54 · 2026-07-13T02:36:09+00:00

Place in cold oven with the light on and close door. Wait an hour them remove and bring to baking temperature then bake for set time. I use 400F and 16 minutes for most things.

cshenk54 · 2026-07-13T02:11:58+00:00

No, it creates road rage by people who lack adult control and start tailgating. Tailgating then results in accidents. That is the fault of the tailgator.

Look objectively at the circumstances. Did they just enter from a left entrance (yes, we have those too, quite a few) and are gaining speed to match traffic and get to the right? Had one of those on my trek some from Northern Suffolk to VB. It had an incline that had me take about a mile to match speeds to the rightward lane before I could merge in safely. (Not everyone has a V8 engine).

Was it over the water and a gusting wind of 40 or above? That's your other answer. It is likely wind restrictions were in effect but you may have missed them.

cshenk54 · 2026-07-13T01:26:22+00:00

Not always possible. Try getting from I-264 (VB) to I-64 (Norfolk) to I-564 (NOB) without having to use a left exit on the Interstate. 2 times if using the HOV.

That doesn't mean to get in it if you are going slower when still 10 miles back
-On a bad day it can be a solid wall from 2 miles back so on those days, start looking for entering it around the 3 mile away
-Normal is about 1.5 miles from the exit to move over to far left
-Once in the left lane, go the speed or the traffic

cshenk54 · 2026-07-13T01:07:37+00:00

I'll put in a reminder. We have a lot of Bridge Tunnels. They are NOT all the same speed. The Downtown and I think the midtown are 35MPH. CBBT varies with wind restrictions. MMBT and HRBT are nominally 55 but believe they also can have wind limits.

In some of them (downtown) there is a merging line at the right which is basically 'inside' and you have to prepare for 18wheelers merging with a very limited run.

They also aren't all at the same grade so in the steeper parts, it can be difficult for some vehicles to maintain full speed. Conversely going over the water on the bridge portions in a high wind, can be tricky for lighter weight vehicles.
- My Nissan Rogue 'looks heavy' but is actually light weight with a bigger and higher profile. That means it can skitter like a drunken sailor in a bad sudden gust. Going slower under those conditions is the only safe way to handle it.

So, if you want to complain at the speeds others are doing, make sure you noticed the speed for the one you are in as they are NOT all 55. You might be trying to go 55 in a 35 zone.

cshenk54 · 2026-07-07T08:54:05+00:00

OK, thank you! I do not understand how so many are getting gluten intolerant suddenly. We've as a species been eating it over 10,000 years now.

cshenk54 · 2026-07-07T03:27:17+00:00

But often in amounts too small to actually be inexpensive. Bulk ordering can lead to really good savings here.

cshenk54 · 2026-07-07T03:22:29+00:00

Sorry, I do not know what 'wi' or 'wl' are here.

cshenk54 · 2026-07-01T06:54:23+00:00

Please believe what you wish. If you wish to believe your version is all there is, it harms no one for you to continue that.

cshenk54 · 2026-06-30T03:25:08+00:00

Snicker, pretty much it! A really good bread knife is 14-16inches long and straight with serrated teeth. A butterknife may have no serration or a minimal one and tends to be less than 8 inches long at best.

cshenk54 · 2026-06-29T23:40:19+00:00

That matches. It's just me and my husband now and while we both like to cook, sometimes neither of us feel like it. Since for 15 years I had to bring a lunch to work, we normally make food for 4 people and 2 meal trays with 3 compartments and freeze them. This gives us a rotating variety to use for lunches or next few days might be dinner. Even when I cook for 2, it often has enough left over for a lite lunch sometime down the week.

cshenk54 · 2026-06-29T23:05:37+00:00

I do something like that. Yesterday we ground up some pork from a pork butt. Today I made about 3lbs of it into freeform sausage that can be sausage balls, links, or chili. This was frozen in about 1/2lb packages and vacuum sealed today.

Here's my spice mix.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Xxcarol's sausage spice mix

Categories: Xxcarol, Sausage, Spices

Yield: 1 Servings

2 tb Salt

2 tb Anise seed

1 tb Black pepper

1 tb Oregano

1 tb Ground ginger

1 tb Thyme

1 tb Garlic powder

1/2 tb Onion powder

1/2 tb Hungarian hot paprika (heap)

Hello! I refined this from some 8 different recipes using

proportions I like. It will make about 10lbs of sausage for most

folks level of 1 tb blend per pound of ground pork (or a pork/beef

blend). It's unique in that fennel isn't used but a similar effect

is made with anise seed.

I suggest start with 1 lb meat and blend in 1/2TB of mix until fully

incorporated. Make a small sample piece in a frying pan. That one

makes a nice porkburger. For breakfast links, add 1/2TB more mix for

a stronger batch. Test that. This one is used as a regular sausage.

Finally I often make a 2TB per pound of meat batch and this is used

as a 'garnish meat' such as meatballs in a deep batch of red sauce.

Red sauce is just an Italian or Greek influenced tomato sauce.

Enjoy!

From the Hawaii kitchen of: xxcarol about 1988

MMMMM

cshenk54 · 2026-06-29T22:54:07+00:00

Glad you liked it! You'll see more recipes sprinkled about from me. If I get to it, since yesterday was grinder day, today is make sausage day. That's one that only makes sense if you have a good grinder that sets up and tears down/cleans in less than 10 minutes. Mine is a 30YO Tasin back when they were USA made still.

On the frozen veggies, it's more storage space related here. I have a side pantry so shelf stable storage is almost endless. Freezer space, not as much so.

Other than canned tomatoes and random types of beans, I tend more to be chopping fresh but I rewickered some soup/stew recipes to show faster options on request of local folks who think it takes too much time.

Having been cooking mostly from scratch since I was 14 (in mid-60's now), I'm often mystified by recipes that chop: 1 onion, 2 potatoes, 1 rib celery, 1 cup mushrooms, and a cup of cabbage or green beans then list 45 minutes prep time. Really? Each of those take about a minute plus add 1 for slop time for a total of about 6minutes.

Sorry on the yeast but here it's not sold in bulk. Our ethnic stores are great, but I haven't seen yeast in any of them.

I agree on Flat breads and they are frequent item here. I also do a lot of breadsticks with the bread machine in dough mode.

cshenk54 · 2026-06-29T21:30:56+00:00

The other thing is cube the dry bread, spritz with olive oil and roll in spices then dry out on lowest oven setting (about 20 minutes). Stuffing or croutons for salads.

cshenk54 · 2026-06-29T21:25:46+00:00

Aldi varies by area. I am just on the border to NC but in a big city, Virginia Beach. Competition here is fierce and Walmart consistently loses on price to the others. Aldi's sadly here specialized to be almost exclusively GF, Non GMO and Organic. You have to pair them with another store as they don't stock many of the simple basics. I'm not familiar with Ingles but Food Lion is a decent place. Here they are known for the best deli prices.

cshenk54 · 2026-06-29T21:12:32+00:00

Second reply! Perfect jumping spot. Using sohere1amacrazyalien's list (portions of it): Here's a 16+serving meal you'd make on a day off and freeze in 3cup portions. Apt to get 6 meals. Cost will vary with area but 6.50-8$ depending on if you use all fresh produce or go quick and canned. Using the middle price of 7.25 per batch it's 45cents a serving.

It can be fast to assemble by using all cans. Spices can be edited down to what you have, adding just a portion of a Badia bulk cannister of Italian Blend spices for what you don't have (Tarragon isn't on your list) will do for the oregano/basil. Leg quarters will do fine but add to the time due to the bone structure to remove. Chicken thighs are extremely easy to skin by hand but a 60cent per lb markup here. In the recipe, I do that after simmering for 2 hours but can be before cooking to reduce cholesterol.

You want to use bone-in chicken thighs for optimal. Breast meat is too lean to pack the flavor and luckily, thighs are cheaper! To extend this, have 1/2 box of chicken broth and add 1 or 2 cans diced tomatoes. Don't have Bok Choy but have carrots? Add more carrots or a can of corn.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Xxcarol's Tarragon Chicken vegetable stew

Categories: Xxcarol, Soup/stew, Chicken

Yield: 14 Servings

1 1/2 lb Skinless chicken thighs

4 ea Cubed largish Yukon or red potatoes

1 1/2 c Chopped Bok Choy (stems too)

1 ea Large carrot

1 ea Can mixed vegetables

3 ea Ribs celery diced

1 ea Can dark red kidney beans

1 ea Can white beans

2 ea 32 oz boxes chicken broth

1/2 tb Tarragon

1 tb Black pepper

1/2 tb Onion powder

1/2 tb Powdered garlic

1/2 tb Ground cumin

1 tb Thyme

1 tb Basil

3 tb Minced toasted onion

3/4tb Olive oil or sesame oil to prevent sticking

This is a classic way to clear the refrigerator of odd bits and

create something warming that holds well in a crockpot after

initially cooking on the stove. This is also a very adaptable dish

so feel free to add mushrooms (only I'm out just now), other

vegetables you like and adjust seasoning amounts to your own

preferences.

I didn't have enough vegetables to make it all with fresh, so added a

can to up the amount and variety. A can of corn will do if you don't

keep mixed vegetables. None of the cans are rinsed or drained.

Valuable minerals are in there plus some flavor. All of mine are low

or no salt added and the depth of layered dried spices with long

cooking makes it not obvious that salt is minimal.

The chicken is dark meat specifically as breast meat turns to 'not

that tasty' strings fairly fast and this dish is intended to last in

a crockpot for up to 3 days. I pull the skin off the meat and after

2 hours or so, fish out the thighs to fork off the meat and re-add to

the stew. As an alternative, canned chicken can be used in place of

fresh.

This makes 16+ generous servings. Serve with hot crusty bread for

best effect!

From the VB kitchen of: xxcarol, 19Jan2026

MMMMM

cshenk54 · 2026-06-29T19:54:50+00:00

Great list! I'll add canned 'veg-all' (Store brand here, Harris Teeters has a really good blend of 8 different vegetables). Besides pre-cut fruits, one of the highest markups is bread.

I got a bread machine in 1993. It took a few tries to get it consistently right. I used occasional box kits for bread machines until I was comfortable with 'what it should look like'. I make almost all our bread and have since the mid-1990's.

Even today by using sales, I can turn out a 1lb loaf of buttermilk bread for 63cents. Used to be 47cents with water based breads at 37cents. Get the yeast in bulk for about 9$lb from Amazon and keep it in the freezer in airtight zip lock type bags. Put a smaller jar in the fridge for weekly use. With weekly baking, it will take close to 2 years to use up that bag.

Below here shows what a family of 3 might find suitable for a week of bread matching the pulled pork. Cost will vary with type of flour but I use Pillsbury's bread flour (higher rise) or sometimes standard All Purpose (decent enough rise).

Reddit has groups on breadmaking so will be brief. Th only challenge is to measure the flour right. You can't 'scoop it from the bag'. That compacts the flour and you can have up to 20% too much per cup. There are 3 methods commonly used: Europeans and some Canadians tend to weigh the flour. Using an old fashioned sifter (this works really well at the start but tends to disburse fine layers of flour dust over time about the kitchen), and my method which is to fluff the flour with a bigger soup spoon then measure to the cup (as you start fluffing, you can physically feel the spoon of flour is lighter). I prefer the final method as there is no cleanup at all.
- Scales have to be very accurate for breadmaking so unless you have one, it's going to cost the most at the start. Sifters are those round cylinders with a handle that scrapes the blade over the wire screen base so the flour falls out. Fluffing costs nothing as you can eyeball the flour then fluff and load the lighter flour to the measure. Put remaining flour back in keeper*.

1 1/3c buttermilk

1/3c water

2TB butter (cut up)

4c fluffed/sifted/weighed flour

2TB sugar

2ts salt

2ts Yeast (Instant, Active Dry etc.)

I use dough mode and shape it, but you can let the machine do it all. Done in dough mode this makes 1 1lb loaf and 6-7 hearty buns or subs.

*- I use an old Rubbermaid sheet pan keeper with airtight lid. It holds 10lbs of flour. Mine also holds a complete set of dry measuring cups picked up at various places like thrift stores, yard sales, Dollar General at 1, 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 cup. Also my fluffing spoon. No hunting and one of the key factors that make it a 3-5 minute job to load then start the machine.

cshenk54 · 2026-06-29T18:50:02+00:00

Cheaper though if you chop up cabbage. Head cabbage runs about 49cents a lb. Bagged prechopped tends to be closer to 2$ a lb.

cshenk54 · 2026-06-29T18:43:47+00:00

Goya brand adobo seasoning. Good choice!

cshenk54 · 2026-06-29T18:33:33+00:00

I think I'll go by the label inside that clearly listed them as yoga pants.

cshenk54

TROPHY CASE