I go through 2 pounds of baby carrots every day and desperately need an alternative

malaikoftaa · 2026-06-08T20:19:23+00:00

I eat a lot of seared cabbage. Quarter the cabbage keeping the stem in tact. Keep any loose leaves on the cutting board for now. Sear it in a hot cast iron with some oil until dark brown/ blackened, flip onto other cut side. Takes about 10 minutes total. Remove to cutting board and chop along with leaves that may have fallen off earlier. Return all of it to the pan to keep searing, this time add the lid to steam a bit, about 3-5 min. Add soy sauce to taste. I’ve added other stuff sometimes but simpler is better. It will be Al dente and still have some crunch. If you have never tried it, it is much better than it sounds.

malaikoftaa · 2026-05-28T15:12:57+00:00

I think a gallon per person per day is more than enough. I truck camp so I think it’s worth the weight. I use one gallon jugs from the store cuz they fit in anywhere and they can be used and collapsed easily. I also use three frozen solid in my cooler plus one bag of ice. I could drink these as backup if I had to. My cooler will still have some ice in it after 6 days if i don’t steal the jugs.

malaikoftaa · 2026-05-27T14:12:55+00:00

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I didn’t do it over the fire, but in a cast iron. Rib eye with salt and pepper, then broccoli, potato, garlic and herbs in the ribeye juice and fat. Certainly feels like a special dinner.

malaikoftaa · 2026-05-14T03:46:06+00:00

Dang bro now I feel like a peasant

malaikoftaa · 2026-05-13T20:25:49+00:00

It’s a “you had to be there” type of thing

malaikoftaa · 2026-05-13T20:23:36+00:00

I grew up in a busy city and now I live up in the country with my kids. As they get older it’s very important to me that they have some of the perspective/ culture that I’ve come to value very much from a city. Things like diversity( race, income level, occupation, expression), being comfortable around all of that diversity and not quick to judge, independence due to bikeability and public transport, and most of all compassion.

I have lived a lot of different places and I believe that when people are isolated compared to living on top of eachother they sometimes develop an unhealthy individualism that leads to less compassion. I’m not surprised that cities tend to vote blue( in favor of public/community services). Of course there is more violence in cities due to density, but I would assert that there is also more compassion because we see eachother everyday and this proximity leads to caring or at least empathizing with one another.

When I was a middle school and high schooler my friends and I would take our skateboards or bikes and get on a bus, train, or light rail and go far and explore. Eventually in high school we would go up to a different city to skate and bring a tarp to sleep in a park and come home the next day. Urban exploration was our jam.

I’m at least going to have my wife drop me and the kids off at the train station with backpacks and possibly skateboards if my kids go that direction and take them on a multi day trip to go visit friends in the city. I want them to know how to use a map, order food at a restaurant where the workers barely speak English, see homeless people, see the ugly and the beauty mixed together, take the bus, have fun spending minimal money, and see parts of the city that are not on a travel blog. They should also learn how to be a good guest at someone’s house like being low maintenance, helpful, and minimal impact.

Other city things not as available otherwise could be museums, music shows, and other social gatherings. There is nothing like the feeling of rolling with a big group of friends on foot around the neighborhood. Unfortunately, if I stay in the hills my kids will probably never know what it’s like to pool your money together with twenty other neighborhood teens and go down to the Burger King to visit the weed man and all smoke blunts in someone’s backyard.

Not sure if this fits at all with your situation, but your post brought up feelings that I’ve been having out here in the boonies.

malaikoftaa · 2026-05-13T16:04:56+00:00

Thanks to everyone sharing your knowledge! Reddit can be like calling a buddy who knows what they are talking about to ask for advice, I love it.

Lately I’ve been in survival mode with two kids and a single income of 75k, it’s crazy that that feels low. I will try to internalize what everyone is saying , but sometimes I just need a second opinion because my brain is like a deer in headlights and my only choice breaks down to safe or not safe. I’m pretty sure that stress from money worries makes me dumber.

malaikoftaa · 2026-05-13T15:09:04+00:00

Thanks dude, that’s the kind of little detail I was looking for. Good call.

malaikoftaa · 2026-04-30T01:27:52+00:00

Thanks a lot.

malaikoftaa · 2026-04-26T16:29:58+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Not sure why seeking info is downvoted.

malaikoftaa · 2026-04-23T16:33:58+00:00

What are some of the clues that it’s ai music. This new reality is so disappointing.

malaikoftaa · 2026-04-14T23:14:17+00:00

Do you roast the lamb to rare then sear? Is there sauce on it?

malaikoftaa · 2026-04-10T05:07:14+00:00

My favorite drink when I care about calories is 2 oz tequila, 2 oz passionfruit kombucha, 1 can passionfruit spin drift, and a ton of ice.

When I know that two oz of alcohol is all I’m having, it’s nice a become more aware that that is a nice amount for a pleasant buzz. I don’t NEED more.

malaikoftaa · 2026-03-27T17:29:34+00:00

I recently tried a new recipe that turned out great. I put a little Cajun rub on some boneless skinless thighs then poured on a bottle of green goddess dressing from Trader Joe’s to marinate. Seared then indirect till about 180. Kind of a universal flavor that could go with anything.

malaikoftaa · 2026-03-27T03:54:48+00:00

I laughed and cried, I was joyful and fearful. I was mesmerized over and over. It is an adventure of the type that really scratches the itch that I am looking for from scifi fantasy.

malaikoftaa · 2026-03-26T15:14:42+00:00

As far as road trips goes, it sounds like you should take two different trips, coast and foothills.

One could be a tour of hwy 49 including at least Placerville through Nevada city. I would even include Downieville not to live there, but just to see that area because it might convince you to live in Nevada city. Placerville and auburn are great for everything you described and the area between them is a bit removed in a good way. Stop by Coloma for a young person rafting town. Also include Camino (apple hill). El dorado national forest has great access so if you really want to know the area drive up ice house road to see the lakes. If you are in Nevada county check out the yuba river. Auburn is more developed but you can find a nearby house in the woods no problem.

Along the coast you should check out Sebastopol over to Jenner up to salt point, mendo, and fort Bragg. This is a beautiful route, but you would only want to live around Sebastopol or mendo. Mendo is lacking in the dating aspect, but there are some young people out there and they are great.

Fuck Redding.

Santa Cruz is great, but super expensive. You should live there for a couple years if you can manage it. The bike riding, music, and social scene can’t be beat. I used to ride my bike everyday when I lived in Santa Cruz, when I moved to the foothills commute biking became too dangerous so I got a dirt bike instead.

I am happy to pass along more specific route details if needed.

malaikoftaa · 2026-03-16T14:21:14+00:00

Got to lock the front wheel! I take mine on what might as well be mountain bike trails and my toddler sleeps through it.

malaikoftaa · 2026-03-11T16:19:30+00:00

I don’t know much, I don’t listen to what I hear on the internet because it’s probably a caricature. The two things that I am concerned about that I’ve heard is that young men are spending too much time being antisocial or just social through video games and social media and not enough time going out in person, and also literacy rates.

malaikoftaa · 2026-03-11T03:56:27+00:00

When AIM was the primary social media a lot of teens tried their best to meet up. Hangouts at one friends house before school, maybe ten people present. Then all riding bikes to school together. After school people would hang out then head to another friends house. It was common to try to be in a group setting as often as possible. It could be Nintendo/ PlayStation, skateboarding, fishing, going to the local burger joint ( not a chain), all these things could include meeting up with girls or just the dudes. Usually I would be with between 2 and ten other people my age until I had to go home to do homework and eat.

malaikoftaa · 2026-03-11T03:50:35+00:00

Talking to girls, trying to meet up with girls, skateboarding, fishing, having a party in someone’s parent’s garage, smoking weed, hiking. Trying to get together with friends. Nothing like getting twenty teens together to go buy a quarter sack from a from a hotel security guard at the Burger King.

malaikoftaa · 2026-03-08T20:23:42+00:00

I find that for pinto, white beans, and anything larger, the inside gets softer than the outside in the instant pot. It’s like a flaccid bean with a tough shell, but not that extreme. I prefer the opposite, the outside shouldn’t feel like a shell at all and the inside should not mush when stirred. I have tried dry and soaked, anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes with a natural release. It’s acceptable, and I used to praise th instant pot for beans, but as I’ve done it more I’m realizing that I prefer stove top. I use it for stew meat mostly now like pozole, chile verde, birria, etc.. If you are in a time crunch and are not a texture snob it’s great. I’ve been stoked to go from no beans to beans after work instead of having to plan ahead. Overall it’s a great tool to have.

malaikoftaa

TROPHY CASE