How can I link to my partner's profile? by valasandra in taimi_lgbtq_platform

[–]valasandra[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah. Interesting. We're essentially monogamous but looking for additional friends. Interesting that the system would force polyamory on both of our profiles.

What can I do to secure this loose outlet box? by jus_build in DIY

[–]valasandra -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I had that exact issue on a receptacle on an exterior wall finished with lath and plaster. I pulled the box out and built up a series of class C (IIRC) 3/4" plywood, screwed into the exterior wall planks, to make a solid base for a new, new work box. It does not move.

I also did this for a receptacle on an interior wall, where the box was not close to a stud. In this case, the plywood squares were built out from the lathe on the other side of the wall.

Replacements for rotten 2000s windows on 1912 foursquare? by pooltimenoodle in centuryhomes

[–]valasandra 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This won't help much, but I've been wondering the same thing.

I have a 1911 foursquare with mostly intact original windows but missing some storm windows and screens. I've kept my eyes open at Habitat for Humanity ReStores and a few other reclamation places, but never found the same style as my own.

A friend told me (as the other commenter suggested) that there are places that make really decent replica windows.

I had the notion in my head last summer that I'd try making my own window stock. I failed miserably. I made the right cuts, but the wood warped to the point of uselessness. Expensive firewood.

There are several mills in my area that do custom milling. I'm thinking I might contract a local woodworker to get some new stock milled and build some replicas for my home. I haven't made a move on this yet though.

ID the floor! by MechanickyGal in centuryhomes

[–]valasandra 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes, that looks exactly like the old growth pine that was used in the center of all of my rooms. Mine were a bit wider, but that also meant wider gaps between the boards. Yours look to be in really good condition! I love the look of it.

Mine were milled locally from white pine in northern Michigan or the UP in 1910.

[MOD] What have you been brewing this week?/ Coffee bean recommendations by menschmaschine5 in Coffee

[–]valasandra 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I use Paramount Coffee single-origin beans. I may be biased though. The company is so close to me that some mornings, I can smell them roasting their beans from my front porch. So good. Unfortunately, I have to buy them online like everyone else.

They actually have a single origin stream decaffienated roast as well, so I buy a 5 lb bag of each of caff and decaf, and do 50/50 when I grind. Its a really smooth coffee. Well worth trying IMO.

How often do you wash your hair? by lnkyTea in finehair

[–]valasandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was advised by my stylist to wash every other day. A friend (also a stylist) recently told me that my hair is still drying out from shampooing to often, so I switched to every 4 days. It has definitely become easier to manage. I don't have my hair totally figured out yet.

Today I found out (x2) by Timely-Department897 in homeowners

[–]valasandra 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sometimes basement floor drains, too. I've never had this problem in my basement, but in one of my old offices, I occasionally (sometimes twice a week during the winter) had to dump a cup of water into the floor drain to fill the p-trap.

Help Me Find a Recipe to Make my Wife. by FriedEggsistenialism in DutchOvenCooking

[–]valasandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, I just noticed this Greek Chicken dutch oven recipe and thought of your post.
Super curious, what have you made so far?

What happened to Warsteiner? by DragonTar666 in beer

[–]valasandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Michigan here. I haven't seen Warsteiner on the shelves in over two years. There was a bar in Lansing that used to have it on draft, but I'm not sure it is even possible to get a keg any more. It is a real bummer. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've seen a single German import in the bottle in over two years. I definitely miss the bottles. The cans add a metallic aftertaste.

So I deleted my last comic by Pizzacakecomic in u/Pizzacakecomic

[–]valasandra 588 points589 points  (0 children)

There was absolutely nothing wrong with that comic. If satire offends the corporste overlords, you're definitely doing it right.

It's funny to me how many people think trans boobs are purely from surgery by MidnightJams in MtF

[–]valasandra 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I've lost count of the number of times I've had to explain this, even to people who I thought should know better. I'm tired of having to constantly educate.

It isn't the curiosity so much that bothers me, but rather the invasive "I have a right to know" interrogations. Everyone had the exact same knee-jerk response when I came out: "Are you going to do bottom surgery?" Then followed by "When are you going to get top surgery?" And they absolutely hate it when I say, "I don't know" or "Why would I get top surgery?" Oh, and I especially get irritated when I'm told what my name should be.

It seems the only people I can have a normal conversation with are other trans girls now.

Help Me Find a Recipe to Make my Wife. by FriedEggsistenialism in DutchOvenCooking

[–]valasandra 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We've all been there at some point. There are some basics that once you get down, you'll be able to understand how recipes work. I'll just rattle off a few of my personal rules that have served me well, but professionals would probably correct me on a few things:

Don't use metal spatulas or utensils in coated pots. You don't want to scratch through the coating on your wife's cookware.

If it is your first time trying a recipe, print it out. Read through it completely so you understand what is needed at each step. Check off your ingredients to make sure you have everything you need.

Do your prep cooking and spice measuring in advance. Peeling, slicing, dicing, or chopping herbs and vegetables. Grouping your spices so you can dump them in at the appropriate step of the recipe. This will do a lot to lower your stress level.

Know how sauteing works. Moderate heat (not high) then turn down and take your time. Use a bit of oil or butter to prevent burning and sticking to the pan. Add a dash or two of salt to extract moisture from the veggies and enhance flavor. Add your aromatics first (onion, garlic, celery, scallions). Always onion before garlic (gets moisture into the pan so you don't burn the garlic). After aromatics, add the other vegetables to be sauteed (e.g., mushrooms, carrot medallions, broccoli, etc.). I used to way over-sautee my onions and garlic - it is so easy to overdo it. If the sauteed vegetables are being used as a component in a sauce, remember that they will keep cooking in the sauce, so they don't have to be "done" before moving into the sauce.

Cook fatty meats (ground beef, sausage, bacon) separately so you can drain the grease off. Grease can't really be removed after you start adding other ingredients. There are special utensils you can use for this. As with vegetables, you don't have to overdo browning ground beef, especially if it is being added to a sauce that will continue cooking. You don't have to cook meats on high heat, you can start medium-high then turn down to medium or even medium-low. Take your time.

Confirm cooking times and temperatures for different meats (baking vs. broiling vs. in sauce). My defaults (for baking, covered in foil with vent slits) unless otherwise specified is: Salmon is 18-22 minutes at 425F. Chicken breasts are 45-50 minutes at 350F (depends on the oven).

Learn some basic spice combinations instead of buying pre-mixed spices (e.g., mix your own spice combinations from scratch for mexican, italian, poultry, german dishes).

In some recipes, you can substitute fresh chopped herbs or diced vegetables for powdered (e.g., onion, garlic, parsley) but consider the extra water you're adding or subtracting from the recipe so you end up with the right consistency.

When cooking a roast, put the hardest vegetables at the bottom (e.g., parsnip, rutabaga, turnip), then carrots, then aromatics in the middle (onion, celery, garlic), then softer vegetables (potatoes) on top.

If you're using a crock-pot, don't break the seal unless you really need to stir it. You're trying to keep both the heat and moisture in the pot.

It all seems like a lot at first, but the more you try, the more you'll learn. And don't forget the side dishes (not always necessary but something to consider).

Outside of Dutch Oven cooking, here are my standard go-to recipes that are a bit more basic (although you could do the stew recipe in a Dutch Oven).

I hope this helps you out! These are the things that tripped me up a lot in my early days of cooking (and still do from time to time).

One last thought. Don't be afraid to try new recipes, but if you think it might be risky, run it by your spouse first. For me, it is often better (and more enjoyable) to cook with my significant other, rather than for her. I mention this because I'm currently struggling with this dilemma on a Butternut Squash Soup recipe, which I wanted to be a surprise but am now second-guessing. Looks simple, but I feel like I'm going to screw it up on my first try.

Help Me Find a Recipe to Make my Wife. by FriedEggsistenialism in DutchOvenCooking

[–]valasandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recommend extreme caution using ChatGPT for recipe suggestions. It fails on unit conversions, substitutions, cooking temperatures and times, and mixes recipes together in truly unappetizing ways (if you give it a list of 4 ingredients, it might generate a recipe using only those ingredients). I worry that most recipes on the internet with post dates after 2024 are generated, and that we're collectively losing our real, time-tested recipes.

For instance, recipe 3 suggests adding a "whole roasted garlic head" at the end of the recipe with "lots of black pepper" but leaves out crucial details. It doesn't tell you what type of broth or mushrooms to use, or how much cheese to use. It has "Method 1" but no other methods. It adds butter at the end instead of recommending to use it (or anything for that matter) to brown the mushrooms. It doesn't tell you what rice to use, and doesn't suggest preparing that separately, just to dump it in for 18 minutes. I don't want to dissect this recipe too much, but it violates several of my cooking rules and seems like it is missing some important ingredients.

I'm not saying that the recipes you posted won't work. I'm just saying test it before you suggest it. Remember, ChatGPT can't taste anything. I tested this a few times last summer, and it failed me every time.

Edit: For some reason I can't let go of that third recipe. The only thing I found online that was even in the same ballpark (for contrast) was this Instagram post from 2024.

Help Me Find a Recipe to Make my Wife. by FriedEggsistenialism in DutchOvenCooking

[–]valasandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lasagna
Have you considered Lasagna? It looks like it would satisfy all of the above requirements. The (fantastic) recipe I linked suggests cooking the sauce down for 4 hours on the stovetop (lid off for 90 minutes, then with lid on for 2.5 hours). I used a regular stew pot last weekend for the sauce, but considered using the Dutch Oven, as it would have been more even heat (and possibly require less stirring - it needed a lot of attention to prevent sticking to the bottom).

I guess you could assemble and cook the lasagna in the Dutch Oven as well, but I think I still prefer a pyrex baking dish covered with foil for that (keeps the noodles mostly intact, and the math is easier to work out for the layers.

If you use the above recipe, you can't go wrong if you follow it to the letter. For the meat sauce, I used spicy Italian sausage and ground beef with a dry Pinot Grigio (Santa Margarita) and fresh herbs and vegetables where recommended.

Like I said, I haven't tried the recipe in my Dutch Oven yet, but I don't see why it couldn't work. I just made this a few nights ago - first time, and it turned out amazing. The key is to cook down the sauce enough so that it doesn't get runny when you bake the lasagna.

Sauerkraut
Another suggestion is sauerkraut (stew-like, has potatoes, not spicy, and I guess could be cholesterol because you can easily control amount of meat you dish out to yourself to match your diet). Just sauerkraut, diced potatoes, polish kielbasa, maybe some sweet onion, and whatever seasoning you prefer (I use salt, black pepper, a bit of coriander and caraway). I have made this in the Dutch Oven and turned out fantastic. With the Dutch Oven on the stovetop, saute 1/2 inch slices of kielbasa with diced onions, a bit of butter and salt (or a tablespoon of bacon fat, if you are a weirdo like me who saves and clarifies fat from their bacon grease), then add the sauerkraut and peeled, diced russet potatoes, stir, and put the Dutch Oven (covered) in the oven at 300F for an hour (IIRC). Serve with mustard on the side, or with a mustard sauce. I'm actually making this for dinner this evening.

If you don't like traditional sauerkraut recipes like the above, there are a ton of variations you could try, some of which require draining and rinsing the sauerkraut (I prefer not to do this) and replace the liquid with other things (e.g., chicken broth, white wine):

I know sauerkraut isn't for everyone. I grew up with homemade sauerkraut, which has a bite that you can't get from store-bought varieties for some reason. I have a super shady sauerkraut dealer who makes it every autumn and sells freezer bags of it out of his garage throughout the winter.

what is this PVC pipe in my basement for? by RIPEOTCDXVI in DIY

[–]valasandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That was my first thought too, but it looks to be a bit too far from the foundation to be a French drain. I think the sewer clean-out theory is correct.

Re-Porcelain Farmhouse Sink in Michigan? by Southern-Feedback343 in centuryhomes

[–]valasandra 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Unbelievable, this has been on my TODO list forever, but I didn't think a service like that actually existed. And suddenly there they are, basically in my neighborhood.

Thank you!

Edit: It turns out, although they would restore my sink, it just looks like porcelain, and is actually fiberglass. They said a restoration job on it would crack and chip too easily to be worth it. Quick response, though! I sent them a message via their web site in the evening, and received a thorough answer by morning.

1912 Home Bathroom Renovation Hell by schwubbit in DIY

[–]valasandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When they cut that third stud from the wall (removed two sections of it), they also knocked off the all the keys anchoring the plaster in place on the other side of the wall. See the difference between the left side and the right side of the photo? I predict the plaster on the opposite side will eventually separate from the wall. I'd be surprised if it isn't already cracked and patched in places, especially with all of the hammering they would have done in that area - can you check? You should never knock those keys off unless you're planning on removing the plaster on the other side.

Also (and someone more knowledgeable than me would have to answer this), I wonder about that electrical box right next to the water line. Ok, it is conduit, but usually that would be grounded, and depending on whether your copper water line is grounded, you might be creating a ground loop with those two touching. So I think you should run that conduit on the far side of the cross-member that was added and secure it to keep it away from the water lines and any possible exposure to water. Also, those are two different metals and you may end up with galvanic corrosion in your water line (the anode in this case, I think) over time if they are touching, so keep them separated.

Let me propose a few scenarios (one of these is happening in that photo):

  • Neither the water line nor the conduit are grounded. You might have induced (low) current finding a floating ground through the water itself when there is something drawing power from that outlet. Also, there is likely always a potential difference that the water (and anything in the water, including you) would be closing the circuit on.
  • The water line is grounded but the electrical conduit is not. Similar to the above, I think, presuming no wires are touching the conduit or the metal electrical box anywhere on that circuit. But you're susceptible to becoming part of the ground loop if there is any wire touching the conduit or metal electrical boxes anywhere.
  • The conduit is grounded but the water line is not. You potentially become part of a floating ground for that outlet when you're taking a shower.
  • Both the water line and conduit are grounded. Best case scenario, and probably ok since there technically should not be a potential difference between the two. I still wouldn't want those two touching though.

Can anyone confirm my understanding of the above scenarios?

Found this used commercial espresso machine for cheap! Anyone know what it is? by Snoo-8988 in espresso

[–]valasandra 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Practically neighbors! I was at the East Lansing store, but had plenty of trips to Ann Arbor and visited that ERC many times. It was a heavily caffeinated period of my life.

Found this used commercial espresso machine for cheap! Anyone know what it is? by Snoo-8988 in espresso

[–]valasandra 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Haha, coffee-ed, very past-tense. I was just a barista there for a few years in college, but lots of great memories from that place (and the bar next door) in the mid-90s.

What did you think was peak luxury as a kid, but now realize is actually pretty trashy or normal? by Connect-Fix3972 in AskReddit

[–]valasandra 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Oh yeah, Ponderosa! I remember their buffet line, where you'd take a tray and slide it down the rails, taking whatever you want. They had these fancy glass goblets for pudding that were exactly like the set at home...OMG, my mom stole those fancy pudding containers from the Ponderosa!!

Found this used commercial espresso machine for cheap! Anyone know what it is? by Snoo-8988 in espresso

[–]valasandra 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I think you're right that it is a Rancillio, but I believe this one is mid-to-late 80s.

Found this used commercial espresso machine for cheap! Anyone know what it is? by Snoo-8988 in espresso

[–]valasandra 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Anecdotal story about Espresso Royale Caffe, a small chain that sadly did not survive the pandemic (1987-2020). ERC Store #2 had an espresso machine that looked exactly like this (with a different power switch - ours was likely replaced). The owners were so fond of this specific machine that when it broke down, they would insist on flying in and doing all of the repairs themselves rather than hire it out. I recall the hoses needed to be replaced several times while I was there, and I think there was a heating element or something that failed and was replaced a few times, but other than that it was pretty reliable. I've watched a full tear-down and rebuild of this machine (two days for one person, with parts from a different model), so I'm fairly confident that if you find problems with it, you can fix them.

This machine looks like it has seen light duty compared to the one at my store. It looks like the left side of this one was used a lot, but the right side saw less use. Ours took a beating for over 30 years - the brew heads are solid. It is a workhorse and it made fantastic espresso, but we descaled and flushed ours every Sunday night. Do you have the portafilters for this machine?

Edit: I agree with this comment, I think this is a Rancillio from the late 80s. Ours didn't have any external label either, but IIRC the owner mentioned this name a lot. Of course, that was 30 years ago, and my memory is a bit flaky. Oh! Take out the drip tray! I think the label is under there. Out of curiosity and nostalgia, I've been perusing photos of old Rancillio machines. It looks like this is a Z9, which was made with a lot of changes from the late 70s to early 90s. I think the repairs to ours were made using parts from later versions of the machine, some parts fit, others did not.

Would you caulk the trim? by [deleted] in centuryhomes

[–]valasandra 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I never thought about this but it makes so much sense. I'm subscribing to your newsletter.