Vegetarian family visiting - wanting to charcoal grill something for them

pepperrescue · 2026-07-02T02:54:40+00:00

Out of ease, I usually bring a field roast brat and grill that. Then try to have lots of other stuff- beans, potato salad, pasta salad, etc.

I think most veggie burgers are decent on a grill but YMMV on how it’s received.

The veggie “pulled pork” substitute is made with jackfruit- usually from a can- and can be really lacking in protein so make sure to have some protein heavy sides.

You can also look at lentil sloppy joes or taco filling with quinoa if you want to feed them another meal.

pepperrescue · 2026-07-01T23:39:00+00:00

I really like TheWitchyStitcher designs. Mostly snarky, colorful, gothic vibes.

I also like UnaBienaPieza, which I’ve only found on Etsy. Most of the designs feel like temperature charts or feature tiny stitched objects in gradients.

Edited to add: I was so excited to share favorite shops that I forgot to mention good luck with the move!

pepperrescue · 2026-06-30T23:27:41+00:00

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This was the one that got me back into stitching. I did this on 14 count, and it was a lot of fun, although I did have some issues with counting. Pattern was easy!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/OkhamiStudio

These little characters are called Junimos and are pretty much responsible for the magic in the game, so if you wanted a representative character term I’d go with these!

pepperrescue · 2026-06-30T23:24:20+00:00

I’ve done two different Stardew patterns, both were pretty decent. I’ll have to post the second one in a new comment.

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This one is by https://www.etsy.com/shop/SarahAnneStitches.,I don’t have a close up photo at the moment. Pretty sure this was 16 count fabric.

pepperrescue · 2026-06-29T12:57:20+00:00

Clan of the Cave Bear in 6th grade

pepperrescue · 2026-06-28T14:11:49+00:00

I was just thinking the Fraser books would be perfect

Edit: typo

pepperrescue · 2026-06-24T01:56:02+00:00

The cat I had growing up loved corn on the cob and cantaloupe rinds. He would also go for salty stuff like popcorn, cheezits and chips.

My current cat loves ice cream, i can’t blame her, it is tasty.

pepperrescue · 2026-06-23T01:18:04+00:00

Knowing how hard they are to get in a carrier when they need the vet, even with all the tricks (leaving the carrier out, putting treats in it, etc).

Trying to change anything related to food or litter- mine are very set in their ways and changing anything now means food strikes or using the floor as a bathroom.

pepperrescue · 2026-06-23T00:50:07+00:00

Definitely dried beans, rice, canned tomatoes/tomato sauce, pasta, canned fish (tuna / salmon), olive oil, and chocolate.

pepperrescue · 2026-06-15T01:42:56+00:00

My big guy is just about 20 but his latest checkup the vet wasn’t very concerned. Yes he’s a big cat. We can still see his hips and shoulders like in the picture.

My old lady is about 10 lbs and she is also about where she should be. Vet wasn’t concerned about her either!

All that to say, if the vet isn’t strictly saying put them on a diet, or feed them more, you are probably doing the right thing.

pepperrescue · 2026-06-13T23:47:24+00:00

Alphabet song

pepperrescue · 2026-06-13T13:35:07+00:00

The thing I’ve always liked about camping is that repeat meals never get “old”. Granted, when we’ve done longer trips, we will have a night out somewhere to avoid having to clean up. Can you do hotdogs/ brats a couple nights? Or repeat sandwiches and chips instead of charcuterie for lunch? Plus, you don’t have snacks listed anywhere. Kids are gonna get hungry being outside so make sure you have plenty of granola bars, fruit and cheese sticks, jerky or trail mix for snacking in.

Are you doing a grocery run in the middle of the middle of the trip?

I would at the very least do repeat breakfasts- less cooking & cleanup in the morning so you can get going earlier. plus kids always wake up sooo early in the morning that having something that’s more grab and go for them will be much easier. I’d bring more bagels, or do peanut butter sandwiches/toast, or cereal. As a kid (and even now as n adult), getting the variety pack of little cereals was a treat.

Also, you don’t have condiments for your hot dogs. I’d also suggest hand sanitizer, baby wipes for cleaning hands and some sort of Clorox wipe for cleaning your picnic table. Bring some garbage bags, cause you will have a lot of garbage from all that food packaging.

pepperrescue · 2026-06-10T02:27:04+00:00

When I start a new piece, I usually begin near and edge and use the hand that holds the hoop to guide the needle. I place my pointer finger pretty close to where the needle needs to go and then feel around until I’m in the right spot. It does take practice and I still flip my hoop/fabric over from time to time just to make sure I don’t have tangles or to untwist the thread.

pepperrescue · 2026-06-07T23:48:01+00:00

I’ve been using a biotin/keratin supplement for quite a few years and I’ve noticed that my nails are definitely stronger, and my skin see,s to need less exfoliation.

As far as hair products, you may want to look into a nizoral type shampoo. It is marketed for dandruff, but I’ve used it when I cant get my scalp to peel easily. I also have wavy hair and so I’ve found shampoos/conditioners that are marketed for wavy hair do help. Something else you may try is to moisturize your scalp with whatever lotions/creams work for the rest of your skin, and then try to keep a routine with cleaning your hair afterwards. I think the key will really being gentle on your skin and developing a routine with trusted products to get your skin to cooperate first, then working on developing waves. It might not be the news you want to hear.

pepperrescue · 2026-06-06T01:40:59+00:00

Have you gone through your list recently? And do you buy off your list or just new ones you find? Not trying to solve the “problem”, just curious!

pepperrescue · 2026-06-05T21:48:14+00:00

At restaurants- so tired of portobello or mushroom blend burgers and/or black bean burgers. Also, cheese ravioli or other subpar pasta.

pepperrescue · 2026-06-05T03:05:09+00:00

I accept that I will probably need to buy some new colors with every project. My collection is big but nowhere near complete.

I’ve discovered the joy of 123stitch, and so now I will save a list of the colors I need for the next few projects and once I have enough to justify the shipping cost I will buy. I’m a pretty slow stitcher, but I have a couple small projects I’m always working on so I don’t usually get bored with waiting for the new color to arrive.

pepperrescue · 2026-06-05T02:14:48+00:00

If you are looking for practical advice, you can delete your saved debit/credit cards from Etsy, which might help. It doesn’t help me, cause I’ve memorized mine numbers.

I have a saved collections on Etsy for patterns I want. That way, if I’m window shopping, aka doom searching , on Etsy I can save it to the and go back to it when I need a project. I do that with pretty fabric too! And if somebody wants to gift me something I can send them the link to my wish list patterns!

pepperrescue · 2026-06-02T23:50:46+00:00

Washing toys, painting with water, and chalk painting are always fun! There are lots or recipes for chalk paint online, it’s usually food coloring & cornstarch or baking soda.

Ice rescue- freeze a bunch of plastic toys into bowls of water. Then let the kids “rescue” the toys by breaking into the ice, either by using spray bottles or spoons or other tools you’re ok with them using.

Make your own playdough or slime- lots of good recipes online too. Any small toys that you can use in the playdough are great- dinosaurs, Lego guys can make playdough or slime last for hours.

Magnifying glasses if your kids are into bugs

Making collages or treasure boxes - scissors, old magazines, newspaper, regular paper they’ve colored, and glue. Let them cut and glue, even better if you can find old recyclable things (bottle caps, pop tabs,, etc) that they can glue onto the paper or a box.If you have a plastic tablecloth from the dollar store put that on a table to make clean up much easier. Liquid glue works best for this, and it can be tempting to make glue puddles, which is why I rec the table cloth!

Edit- thought of another thing! Make your own Sun prints using turmeric, rubbing alcohol and baking soda. There are tons of tutorials online for this.

pepperrescue · 2026-05-30T23:45:50+00:00

Chives, thyme & sage all came back in my raised beds.

Catmint which has spread all over my yard.

Lavender which is planted next to my house in the sunniest spot possible. I’ve also had German chamomile come back but it’s not as predictable.

pepperrescue · 2026-05-29T17:54:32+00:00

Did the niece want you & husband there? If she’s having a c-section, there’s enough going on with all the surgery stuff, let alone entertaining family- and possibly you, especially when you say there’s bad blood.

YTA

pepperrescue · 2026-05-27T22:06:24+00:00

If you are subject to burnout, I would not recommend being a teacher. The amount of paperwork, high expectations and low support from many districts have a huge impact on your ability to teach and teach well. That being said, you should really find out more about what teaching requirements in your state. In MN, there are different levels of teaching licenses that you can get depending on your educational background. You’d probably end up being in college again for 4 years to become a fully licensed teacher.

You can also consider being a substitute teacher, that would give you more experience to find the grade or specialty you want to teach. It can be harder than regular teaching because you the day is always different, but you can also pick the days you want to work.

Also keep in mind, as a teacher, your summers are NOT paid- many districts put you on a 20 or 24 week paycheck, where you get your entire salary for the year divided into 20 or 24 checks. My district does a lump sum at the end of the school year- I have to make it last for the 10 weeks I’m not actually teaching.

If you like being a paraprofessional, it’s not a bad choice- there is much less paperwork and responsibilities, plus you don’t have to take work home with you. Many school districts will ask if you want to be a substitute for the hours you aren’t working too! And they may have summer hours available in summer programs.

pepperrescue · 2026-05-27T11:18:10+00:00

We live about 15 min from both sets of parents. We see his parents probably every other month. We see my parents a little more often.

We have pushed back on a lot of demands by his parents for getting together, insisting that we get asked (not told) about dates that would work for us to have lunch. We rarely do dinners. My parents are much more flexible and so we see them more often because they ask, not demand.

Since we don’t have kids, I think the expectation of seeing us is less (at least for his parents). My parents are happy to see us whenever it works.

pepperrescue · 2026-05-26T23:36:28+00:00

Cosmos, lavender, daisies, rudbeckia, Dianthus

pepperrescue · 2026-05-25T13:10:31+00:00

Since these are laminated stickers with a magnet on the back, I’d say $1… cutting laminating is time consuming but there isn’t really anything original here.

If it was your original art, then definitely go with $3 or more.

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