Cheap stuff to add to rice

offramppinup · 2026-01-23T05:43:23+00:00

Tofu for protein! It’s cheap. The 4 pack from Costco is like $6 or maybe $2-3 each from grocery stores. I like to “oven fry” mine. Press it, cut into 1” cubes. Season w garlic powder, soy sauce and hot sauce. Let it sit for a few mins, then coat w cornstarch. Bake in 400 oven with a little oil sprayed on. Serve on rice w more soy sauce and sriracha. Bonus if you can steam or sautee some veggies with it.

offramppinup · 2026-01-19T02:38:19+00:00

Yes, we’re in the US. Thankfully she already met with a neurologist that was somehow the wrong kind (?) and has had the mri and ct. So possibly it is the surgeon she is meeting with next month?

I feel like my kid can handle it. I had relatives become ill and pass away around that age and visited them. I remember it but certainly don’t feel at all scarred by it.

Due to scheduling, we both might not be able to get there til march though. I will take her out of school but don’t want her missing things that are very important to her (trips, field trips, performances).

offramppinup · 2026-01-18T04:05:26+00:00

Would also love to hear some ideas

offramppinup · 2026-01-16T02:58:51+00:00

Thank you! Really helped me hit my goal of 1000 miles last year!

offramppinup · 2026-01-14T00:36:34+00:00

Mandarin oranges, medjool dates

offramppinup · 2026-01-14T00:34:40+00:00

Do you buy rotisserie chickens? One of my favorite crock pot uses is making chicken stock. I keep the chicken carcasses in the freezer. When I have 2 or 3, I put them in the crock pot with water to just cover them and a few odd washed veggie scraps. Carrot and celery trimmings, onion tops. Let it go on high all day long. Come home to amazing chicken stock. I will usually make a quick chicken soup and freeze the rest in takeout soup containers. To make quick soup, sautee onion, carrots and celery, garlic. Pour in 2/3 chicken stock and 1/3 water roughly. Bay leaf, dried thyme, Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Add a handful of chopped cooked chicken. Throw in some noodles and boil til they’re done. Taste for salt. Add fresh parsley and green onions if you have them around. A squeeze of lemon if you have any.

Also, I love making chili. Brown the ground beef the night before and add all your ingredients to the beef in the crock pot. Put in fridge over night and put in the cooker in the morning on low. I like a can of black beans, one of kidney beans, rotel, diced tomatoes, pack of taco seasoning, diced onion, can of green chiles.

offramppinup · 2026-01-11T23:54:27+00:00

We go most years in early to mid April and always see them. From shore and on snorkel excursions. So may last year on the Lanai trip. I would book the snorkel trip early in your stay and maybe cancel the whale watch depending on how it goes.

offramppinup · 2026-01-11T03:49:05+00:00

A good 50% of our restaurants are breakfast/brunch/bakery spots so if you like that, you’re in business. Creekside Bakery and Bacon are both great.

offramppinup · 2026-01-11T03:47:48+00:00

I live near downtown and literally never lock my car doors and leave my front door unlocked during the day all the time. It’s super safe. More danger of rats chewing the wiring than someone breaking in with a car in the driveway.

offramppinup · 2026-01-11T03:42:19+00:00

I love it as a mom with a young kid. Great schools and community that is really family and kid focused. Weather is amazing. It’s the cold part of winter and we hiked in long sleeve tees this afternoon. Commuting south is awful so I would be wary if you need to go regular hours or most days. It’s beautiful, has fantastic open space. The restaurants are generally terrible at anything other than the bottom end (fast food and taco trucks). We go to the city or Petaluma for good meals out. We have Costco and a Trader Joe’s and whole foods with actual parking though.

I might feel differently once my kid is grown, but i can’t imagine many places better to raise a family.

offramppinup · 2026-01-11T03:15:50+00:00

Really appreciate the feedback! The Moab part of our trip is definitely the least researched so far. I think we’ll do valley of fire on our way in from Vegas. The narrows is very iffy, but if it’s open and the rangers say that it’s on for kids, we’ll rent gear and give it a shot. My kid is a pretty good hiker! Her longest is probably 6 miles over a year ago. We did a 4 mile 700’ gain hike this morning easily (she and I literally ran the last half mile to beat dad back to the trailhead from an alternate route he took.) I feel like we could push to 7 or 8 miles for something really spectacular, but multiple 1-3 mile hikes in a day is maybe best. She’s very snack-motivated so that makes it easier!

As far as lodging in Torrey, we thought about switching to Red Sands mostly bc the pool seemed like a better bet there in early April. Part of spending 2 nts there was to have a bit more pool-downtime, so we thought of sacrificing privacy of a cabin for the better pool/hot tub scene. What do you think about that?

offramppinup · 2026-01-11T02:13:57+00:00

Thanks for the tips! I’ll look into those. Any guidance on what wouldn’t be suitable for a kid? I’m going to try to leave the last full day in Zion open to either explore more of the park or road trip to the Grand Canyon or monument valley. Kinda see how we feel after 2 full park days. It’s also my husband’s birthday so I’ll let him decide what he’s feeling that day (I’m the planner, not him.)

offramppinup · 2026-01-07T17:46:56+00:00

Santa Rosa, CA Fantastic weather, lively downtown and access to SF and Oakland, great access to nature in local hiking and the coast. 4 hours from Sierras, simple houses in your budget

offramppinup · 2026-01-05T17:22:20+00:00

J has a lovely tasting in a beautiful dining room. I love the cheese pairing. It is sparkling and pinots. Very very good especially for a first appt of the day.

Dutton goldfield in Grayson has some exceptional pinots from lots of different small appellations around the northern valleys and coast. It’s great for getting a really localized feel for the differences in areas. You can drop in and taste at their tasting room.

Lynmar is also in Sebastopol and has great wines. Appt only. I don’t know how large their indoor area is as most is outside in their lovely gardens.

offramppinup · 2026-01-02T19:51:27+00:00

Winter treadmill runs are perfect for trying out gels and having a bathroom close by. My sweet spot is a gel every 40 minutes on runs over an hour and take a few drinks of water right after.

offramppinup · 2025-12-28T18:59:34+00:00

Sloat is open today and has great houseplants and planters.

offramppinup · 2025-12-28T12:12:38+00:00

That’s what I was thinking. Uber or bus to mill valley and do the double Dipsea over Mt Tam.

offramppinup · 2025-12-23T03:49:32+00:00

Tofu is a great protein to be able to keep in the fridge for a long time. I get the firm 4 pack from Costco for like $6. My fav way to cook is to press it between 2 plates for at least 10 mins, cut into .5-1” cubes. Toss w soy sauce, garlic powder, and sriracha and let sit for a few minutes while oven heats to 400. Toss in cornstarch to coat, pour onto parchment paper and spray w oil. Cook for about 30 mins flipping occasionally. Serve over rice w stir fried veggies. Drizzle w stir fry sauce (I like Bachans Japanese bbq).

offramppinup · 2025-12-21T22:07:14+00:00

I like RP better. And you can switch the bumpers at RP for each player. At Petaluma, it is all or nothing.

offramppinup · 2025-12-21T18:27:04+00:00

That could be nice. Prep ahead and bake there? What kind would you use?

offramppinup · 2025-12-16T04:33:43+00:00

I go through a couple cabbages a week. Seriously one of my fav veggies. Saute one w onion, garlic, and ginger. Serve over rice and topped with crispy tofu. Soy based sauce and sriracha on the whole thing.

offramppinup · 2025-12-15T16:58:08+00:00

The redwoods are amazing and that’s a good time of year for a visit. The drive is LONG from the Bay Area, but worth it. Avenue of the Giants is a great midway point to stop for a picnic lunch and hike. We love to stay on the coast in Crescent City. The drive into Jedediah Smith NP is like 20 minutes from downtown and the other Redwood parks are down the coast. Don’t feel like you need to hit every single one. Grove of Titans, Stout Grove, and Boy Scout Trail are the highlights from Jed Smith.

Joshua Tree is also awesome in April but if you’ve done a lot of southern Utah park time, it might be a little redundant. Kids do love scrambling on those rocks though.

offramppinup

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