@Zem, lol, I bet it would be awesome! I'd probably mix the gravy 50/50 with spaghetti sauce though, or it might be too rich! ;)
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2017-12-14T03:22:04-05:00
Ah... it's 2:20 am. I have a final at 10, waking up at 8...
But thankfully I'm not too worried about this one. I could have taken it a week ago and been perfectly prepared, gotten at least average. Not to mention I did the math, and if I skipped it entirely I'd have a 91% in the class, also to mention it's my last one to do, but still... maybe more sleep will have been appreciated! ;)
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-14T09:58:27-05:00
Morning kittens. Tons of work but there is the office party today and since we are a foreign company, there will be booze there. Don't be surprised if I'm drinking at my desk at 3:30 pm today.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-14T10:03:30-05:00
Morning kittens!
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-14T10:04:30-05:00
@Zem, good luck on your last exam! Next ones for you will be in Berlin! ;)
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-14T10:05:34-05:00
@Geist, lol! I hope you have some fun at your office party! Try not to get too wobbly at your desk! ;) I'd be too afraid of sharing my real feelings about some of my co-workers if I was to drink around them... ;)
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-14T11:12:35-05:00
So Disney just bought Fox (except the "news" division)! X-mex vs. Avengers anyone?!!!!
I really wish people would read the stuff I send them in regards to what I need them to send/verify.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-14T12:12:58-05:00
@BaKhan: I heard about that. $52 billion dollars! Jeez, that is a lot of money to have. *looks at empty wallet*
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-14T12:13:34-05:00
Did you guys hear about the asteroid that is acting kinda like a spaceship?
Lord Zombitten 2017-12-14T12:23:44-05:00
I had heard that the Disney/Fox thing was in the works, but not that it had been finalized.
I've heard nothing about an asteroid acting like a space ship.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2017-12-14T12:50:15-05:00
Great, they actually bought Fox now? Jesus, they have way too much money now, they own like half of everything!
Though yes, X-men actually being included in Marvel for once would be nice! Vs Avengers, though? Aren't a bunch of the x-men part of the avengers?
In fact, I bet that's what's going to happen soon, in like 4-5 years, there's going to be a movie series about the x-men and the avengers meeting and joining up. I'd bet anything on that.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-14T13:19:21-05:00
@LZ: if you google "Oumuamua", you'll get articles about the funny shaped object that entered our solar system that some folks think might be a ship.
Makes sense. Trump is president and there is a possibility that we could be invaded. Maybe I should take that trip to Vegas and just live it up like it's my last day on Earth.
@Geist, yeah its kinda neat. Definitely not a spaceship though (imo). If you do go to Vegas to party like its the end, don't go rooftop, just in case... ;)
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-14T14:19:40-05:00
Why couldn't Disney purchase DC? They really need some guidance on how to build a super hero franchise.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-14T15:58:19-05:00
@Geist, lol! Talk about a monopoly!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-14T16:45:59-05:00
Okay. The party started an hour ago and the gift baskets they are giving away are smaller this year. No cheese basket but they kept the wine and chocolate basket and have a coffee basket that you can choose from. I'm sticking with the chocolate. I love how the baskets are so well made that you can use them again after they are empty.
Not much in the way of booze. Mostly beer and wine. A few hard liquors but only if you fancy peppermint schnapps and vodka.
Also different this year is the gift card raffle. Funny thing is, one of the items you can win is a $50 Amazon gift card that that seems to be really popular. Tons of people dropped their raffle ticket in that basket to try to win one of two cards.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-14T16:54:43-05:00
@Geist, oh so its "party over here, eff you over there", then hey? ;)
Though, also apparently, the taxi chits that they have for us to use after expire at 6pm...so we can't even go out and have a good time afterwards and spend longer than that out.
Lord Zombitten 2017-12-14T20:14:56-05:00
Well, our furnace died. It'll be about $12.5k to get a new furnace/ac unit (we don't have to replace the ac unit yet, but it's almost as old as the furnace and the evap coils on it have a tendency to get really gunked up). It could have been less, but we opted for the heat pump. Without the heat pump, we'd save $1.3k. With our solar panels, it seems like spending the extra money for the heat pump will save us more in the long run. Not to mention it'll help reduce our carbon footprint.
Lord Zombitten 2017-12-14T20:16:42-05:00
The bright side is that I now get all of next week off, instead of only the three days I had requested. I need to be at the house on Monday so they can install the new furnace, and it just didn't seem worth it to go to work on Tuesday only to take the rest of the week off.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2017-12-14T23:34:54-05:00
Haha, LZ, accidental bonus vacation! Wow, you just happen to be able to take a full week off, great timing for them to install the new furnace!
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2017-12-15T01:06:37-05:00
So that Neutrality Repeal vote passed, if you hadn't somehow heard. I just take respite in the fact that this was 5 people's votes, but there are a ton of lawsuits now, some may make it to the Supreme Court, and Congress will likely have something to say about it, especially since next year is an election year.
'
So basically... even if we somehow repeal the legalization of corporate censorship, this was WAY too close for comfort! Thankfully I'm escaping to Germany for 6 months and might be back after this debacle has died down a bit!
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2017-12-15T01:08:06-05:00
My favorite theory is that Ajit Pai thought up a ludicrous plan to reunite the country at one of its most politically divided times in history, but the bill accidentally passed. Or that he was trying to shut down the internet just to save everyone from Star Wars spoilers!
Unfortunately, I know those aren't true at all...
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-15T09:39:41-05:00
Morning kittens.
Did I tell you they had a gift exchange at the party last night? My gift partner gave me The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook along with some cookie cutters, cupcake cups and sprinkles. I LOVE IT! I was only expecting a book from the list of suggestions I put on Elfster so this was a wonderful surprise.
Another co-worker and avid book lover and I decided to exchanged books that we recommend so I got a copy of The Blade Itself by Joe Abercombe. He said it was a really good book so that is the next thing I read after I finish with "Shift".
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-15T10:10:34-05:00
Morning kittens!
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-15T10:15:18-05:00
@LZ, sorry to hear that about your furnace! Too bad you didn't live here are I could have hooked you up with those pieces at cost, saved you a couple of grand. Hell man, thats what I do. Best of luck with everything! Good call on adding the heat pump! That will not only reduce your carbon foot print, but your monthly bills as well with a typical payback period of less than 8 years! I didn't know you had solar panels, pv or hydronic? If they are hydronic, have you ever thought of thermal storage? That would further reduce your carbon footprint as well as give you heat in the winter and cut down on energy usage as well. Just a thought. ;) Ok enough heating geek talk... ;)
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-15T10:16:32-05:00
@Geist, well it sure sounds like you had a good time anyways and I think thats just what you needed! Congrats! I'd sure love it if people gave me stuff like cook books, normally they just give me booze, which I don't even drink! (mostly) ;)
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-15T10:29:21-05:00
@BaKhan: I'd love to gift you cookbooks. If you had a list on Amazon (I have two) I'd have a better understanding of what you like.
And the party was fine. Lots and lots of food and I love the stuff that I got. I went home after I got my basket. Others went and partied at a bar until 2 am.
@Geist, I pretty much only go on Amazon if I already know what I want, kinda like when I go to the mall. I'm a little different than most men as my reasoning isn't that I don't like shopping, its that I like shopping too much, and don't want to blow all my cash. I have very poor impulse control and a wish list would only become a reciept... ;) Also, you have given us so much stuff already! I couldn't possibly ask for anything else, excepting that you come back next year, if you can! ;)
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-15T11:44:53-05:00
@BaKhan: Trust me. I know what you mean. I have about 100 items on my Amazon wish list and since they now have a "discover" feature, I've marked a few more things that I would love to have. Can't afford but one item per paycheck and barely that since I keep fooling around with Kickstarter.
You and Misty have been so kind to invite me to your house each year and allow me to sleep and eat there. I feel like I don't give you guys enough. :-)
Lord Zombitten 2017-12-15T18:33:05-05:00
BaKhan, I was actually lamenting that we didn't live closer to you. As for the solar panels, I really don't know whether they're pv or hydronic. I kinda want to say pv, but it would just be a guess, as I'm assuming hydronic is for solar water heaters, correct?
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2017-12-16T14:32:20-05:00
Great, for some reason, Chrome decided not to save anything in the "Recently Closed" file like it always does, so now I have to go through my entire browsing history to see if I can recover all of the important pages I had open. This could take awhile.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2017-12-16T17:14:31-05:00
Ah, that's better. I can finally relax after this week; it was all pretty busy, but it made sure to end with a really busy bang.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-18T06:18:50-05:00
Morning kittens.
Today starts my final week. After Friday I don't have to be back at work until January 2nd. 10 whole days off sounds so good around about now. When I turned in my time card, I had 20 extra hours that I worked, that I won't get paid for. This week, I'm going to try to stick to the 8 hours only rule. I am not going to over work myself right before Christmas.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-18T10:04:36-05:00
Morning kittens!
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-18T10:07:31-05:00
@LZ, I wish I could have done something to help out! Maybe in the future they will let us write up orders in the states, that would be pretty cool! As far as the solor goes, is it for electricity or heating? PV is for electric. If thats what you have, then it is what it is. If you have hydronic panels, they create heat, normally best for a large load, like a swimming pool, or thermal storage, although some do use it to create domestic hot water. If its the latter, then you could bury a large container, like a cistern and heat that with your panels all summer, then in the winter, start circulating it (through a heatpump) and heat your home, basically for free. ;)
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-18T10:08:13-05:00
@Geist, good for you! That should be a nice re-energizing break! Do not work too hard this week! ;)
@LZ, well the good news is they are much more efficient than heating panels, so you've got that going for you! ;) I've got a ton of roof space, if I should come into some extra money after we've finish renovating the rest of the stuff we want to, I'll probably look at doing the same!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-18T11:16:18-05:00
I've decided that I won't me cooking anything special for Christmas. Just gonna go to the movies and have Chinese food afterwards.
@Geist: Chinese food on Christmas is sometimes a welcome change. Though, this year we are having steak and mushroom pie(normally it would have been steak and kidney, but since my Grandma moved into a retirement home, she hasn't been able to make it for dinner and my uncle has taken over the Christmas eve dinner responsibilities)
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-18T11:37:09-05:00
@Geist, that made me think of the scene from A Christmas Story, where the Asian guys were trying to sing Christmas carols. Fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra! ;) I hope you have a good time on Christmas, and know that we'll be thinking of you (and of course all the kittens as well). ;)
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-18T11:39:47-05:00
@GM, steak and mushroom pie sounds like a great alternative to the original! I remember getting in so much trouble one year when my Grandfather on my mom's side made steak and kidney pie, and I wouldn't eat it. The smell of the cooking kidneys was too much for me. Apparently it was very embarrassing to her; I paid a heavy price. All I got for dinner that night was a beat down. Don't miss those days a bit! ;)
@BaKhan: We would always get to my Grandma and Grandpa's after it was already cooked(just keeping warm in the oven), so we didn't get the in process smell at all. It was a rather delicious(once I actually tried it with the kidney - there was always two, one with kidney and one without). My uncle is saying he will probably do two, one with mushroom and one without(I'm not a fan of the texture of mushrooms, so that would be welcome).
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-18T12:07:02-05:00
@GM, wow, consideration? Must be nice! ;)
Lord Zombitten 2017-12-18T14:22:42-05:00
That is nice! Someone usually brings stuffed mushrooms to family gatherings, and gets upset when I don't want to eat any. They always say that the ones they brought are different from other stuffed mushrooms (even the ones they brought the previous year, even though they're exactly the same), and I have to try them. They don't take no for an answer. When I finally give in and discover they're exactly like all the others, they're unapologetic. At least they're not offended; it's always, "Well, at least now you know you don't like them." Yeah, because the hour it took for you to get me to reluctantly try one wasn't a clue there!
@LZ: You could always take one, put it on your plate, and eat everything else then when asked why you didn't touch it, you were just too full for it. Then proceed to devour dessert.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-18T16:30:39-05:00
Well, I managed to slink off work after 8 hours. Now if I can do that until Friday, I am all set.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-18T16:31:23-05:00
I like GM's idea. I'm going to try that the next time someone tries to make me eat artichokes. Or beans.
@Geist: It's what got it so I didn't have to eat mushrooms much.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-18T17:05:06-05:00
@Geist, good for you! Now just rinse and repeat for the rest of the week! ;)
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2017-12-18T18:10:52-05:00
The smell of cooking kidneys was too much? For Christmas every year, my mom makes clam chowder and lobster bisque, and it's amazing, one of my favorite meals ever! Only problem is, to me, lobster cooking is one of the harshest, worst smells ever, so I'd just sit in the family room with the door shut and the outside windows open trying not to throw up! Still, it was so worth it in the end, that bisque is heavenly!
`
I don't think it's so bad to me now, but still, I typically avoid the kitchen on Christmas.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2017-12-18T18:13:23-05:00
Ooh, GM, great idea! Though I've never been able to eat mushrooms at all, and since I'm not very picky otherwise, I think my parents never really cared since I eat almost everything else, so it's not hard for me to avoid them.
Only problem is when they're in the main dish, and there's not much alternative, then you have to get creative.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T08:56:26-05:00
Morning kittens. Is it Friday yet? I wanna start my vacay sooooo badly.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-19T10:03:43-05:00
Morning kittens!
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-19T10:04:07-05:00
@Geist, 3 more days, you can do it! Hang in there, you're so close now!
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-19T10:09:39-05:00
@Zem, hmmm thats weird, especially because lobster tastes like it smells... ;) I find kidney, and all other organ meats for that matter, to have a very repulsive off putting smell. If you've ever smelled cooking kidney's you'd know what I mean! ;)
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T10:19:54-05:00
@BaKhan: I came across a magazine at the bookstore that was all about recipes to cook in a cast iron pan and I thought of you. Would you be interested in getting a copy? I purchased one for myself and might cook a few of them in the cast iron pot in inherited from my gran.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T10:21:03-05:00
As far as organ meats are concerned, I enjoyed my great aunt's fried liver an onions when I was growing up. Haven't had it since she passed away.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-19T10:33:00-05:00
@Geist, that sounds lovely! I actually have a couple of cast iron pots as well (not cheap!). I rarely use them, only for making stews and german strudels really. So yeah, I would love something like that! ;) My mom loved fried liver and onicns, but that didn't pass down to me... the smell of liver cooking is no where near as bad as kidneys though! ;)
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T10:46:21-05:00
@BaKhan: I'll pick up a copy for you and bring it the next time I'm up your way.
Liver is suppose to be good for you and will help add more iron to your diet. Lord knows I need more iron in mine since it's always too low and the Red Cross won't let me give blood just for that reason.
It looks better with the emoji URL, but KS doesn't take emojis in text. This is my latest Internet address. (Yes, that's me in the red suit.)
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T13:25:00-05:00
Well hello CB. Good to see you around these parts.
Just saw the new update. Funny to see them now. Then again, I'm sure Elan wasn't expecting the comments section to turn into a chat box.
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:27:59-05:00
A question for those of you ho have smelled kidneys being cooked: Do they smell like what passed through them in life?
... just curious because It's a delicacy to which I have never been exposed.
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:29:51-05:00
Hello, Geist.
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:31:42-05:00
Funny thing ... I just now translated "Seist de la Muerte Gaito" into English. (Ghost of the dead cat.) Finally, the Oatmeal's drawing makes sense!
OK, ok ... some of us are a little slow on the uptake ...
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-19T13:31:59-05:00
@CB, as a plumbers son, I have to say they smell much worse than what passed through them! Its a bitter, acrid, off putting, smell. Its actually hard to compare it to any other smell I know honestly. The closest would probably be liver, but you'd have to multiply the things that make it awful by a factor of 10. Have you ever smelled someone sear unseasoned meat in an unseasoned pan, that first wiff that comes off of it? Kinda like that, but stronger, much much stronger... ;)
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:32:43-05:00
Well, it's obvious that my efforts to turn my spell checker off have succeeded...
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:33:24-05:00
One more try ... Geist de la Muerte Gaito ...
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:35:10-05:00
Thanks, BK. Maybe I can find a way to eventually try steak and kidney pie without having to endure the cooking aroma. I'm usually open to trying anything ... once.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-19T13:36:38-05:00
@CB, you're a better man than I! I wish you the best of luck, and I've heard its quite delicious from several sources, so it could be good. I'd never know, too much trama! ;)
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:40:49-05:00
My dad made us eat cranberry orange relish when we were little. My younger brother threw up at the table. It was many many years before I dared to try it again.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T13:40:55-05:00
@CB: You are very close. It's suppose to be Ghost of the dead kitten. Cat is gato in Spanish. I have his drawing on my phone. So proud of it.
I wonder where Goldie is. She got the first drawing if I remember correctly.
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:41:42-05:00
I wonder if you can cook kidneys sous vide.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T13:43:28-05:00
Cooking kidney has got to smell better than pigs intestine, otherwise known in the South as chitlins. Man, they smell so bad and I personally don't like to eat them. I probably would have a taste for them if my family had cooked them more often but I hear that cleaning them is time consuming so my gran and her sister didn't make an effort to serve them.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T13:43:53-05:00
I wonder if you can cook kidneys sous vide
Ewwww. Why would you want to?
Leandro Matthes Aurelli 2017-12-19T13:46:46-05:00
can i have a Brazilian Portuguese one? please!!!
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:48:51-05:00
@Geist, IDK, I thought it might mitigate the odor problem if the kidneys were sealed into a plastic bag and immersed in water while cooking.
... might be a big surprise waiting for you when you open the bag, though.
Doing a Google search, I see that it has been done though.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T13:54:33-05:00
@Leandro: I want one in Klingon!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T13:55:30-05:00
@CB: cooking it that way, I would hope the person some lots of spices or marinated it first. Just plain cooked kidney so vomit inducing.
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:56:00-05:00
How about one in Na'vi as well?
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:58:09-05:00
Hannibal Lecter cooked kidney in one episode of the series. I think it was in season 2.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2017-12-19T13:58:46-05:00
@CB, you could probably sous vide anything, but normally that is done to preserve texture and delicate flavour, is it not? You wouldn't have to worry about preserving that flavour... ;)
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T13:59:41-05:00
You could probably marinate the kidneys while cooking them in the bag if you know your way around a spice rack...
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T14:00:54-05:00
Anyways, if I give it a try, I'll probably do it sous vide. It not only preserves texture, but it offers much greater control over the cooking process.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T14:13:54-05:00
I'd probably only ever get a sous vide for fish. Heard they make fishes taste real good. Even Salmon.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2017-12-19T14:15:02-05:00
Forgot to mention that I had mulled wine for the first time this weekend. It was barely OK. Definitely won't make me a wine drinker.
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T14:15:35-05:00
... EVEN sammon? ... salmon is one of my favorites!
Sous Vide is also great for cooking steak to perfection. It does need to be seared on a grill to bring out the flavor however.
Mike Kabala 2017-12-19T14:18:20-05:00
I've also cooked turkey breast sous vide. It comes out moist and perfect. I remove the skin, crisp that up in the oven, and serve it on the side.
@Zem, lol, I bet it would be awesome! I'd probably mix the gravy 50/50 with spaghetti sauce though, or it might be too rich! ;)
Ah... it's 2:20 am. I have a final at 10, waking up at 8...
But thankfully I'm not too worried about this one. I could have taken it a week ago and been perfectly prepared, gotten at least average. Not to mention I did the math, and if I skipped it entirely I'd have a 91% in the class, also to mention it's my last one to do, but still... maybe more sleep will have been appreciated! ;)
Morning kittens. Tons of work but there is the office party today and since we are a foreign company, there will be booze there. Don't be surprised if I'm drinking at my desk at 3:30 pm today.
Morning kittens!
@Zem, good luck on your last exam! Next ones for you will be in Berlin! ;)
@Geist, lol! I hope you have some fun at your office party! Try not to get too wobbly at your desk! ;) I'd be too afraid of sharing my real feelings about some of my co-workers if I was to drink around them... ;)
So Disney just bought Fox (except the "news" division)! X-mex vs. Avengers anyone?!!!!
Morning kittens.
I really wish people would read the stuff I send them in regards to what I need them to send/verify.
@BaKhan: I heard about that. $52 billion dollars! Jeez, that is a lot of money to have. *looks at empty wallet*
Did you guys hear about the asteroid that is acting kinda like a spaceship?
I had heard that the Disney/Fox thing was in the works, but not that it had been finalized.
I've heard nothing about an asteroid acting like a space ship.
Great, they actually bought Fox now? Jesus, they have way too much money now, they own like half of everything!
Though yes, X-men actually being included in Marvel for once would be nice! Vs Avengers, though? Aren't a bunch of the x-men part of the avengers?
In fact, I bet that's what's going to happen soon, in like 4-5 years, there's going to be a movie series about the x-men and the avengers meeting and joining up. I'd bet anything on that.
@LZ: if you google "Oumuamua", you'll get articles about the funny shaped object that entered our solar system that some folks think might be a ship.
Makes sense. Trump is president and there is a possibility that we could be invaded. Maybe I should take that trip to Vegas and just live it up like it's my last day on Earth.
@Zem, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avengers_vs._X-Men
@Geist, yeah its kinda neat. Definitely not a spaceship though (imo). If you do go to Vegas to party like its the end, don't go rooftop, just in case... ;)
Why couldn't Disney purchase DC? They really need some guidance on how to build a super hero franchise.
@Geist, lol! Talk about a monopoly!
Okay. The party started an hour ago and the gift baskets they are giving away are smaller this year. No cheese basket but they kept the wine and chocolate basket and have a coffee basket that you can choose from. I'm sticking with the chocolate. I love how the baskets are so well made that you can use them again after they are empty.
Not much in the way of booze. Mostly beer and wine. A few hard liquors but only if you fancy peppermint schnapps and vodka.
Also different this year is the gift card raffle. Funny thing is, one of the items you can win is a $50 Amazon gift card that that seems to be really popular. Tons of people dropped their raffle ticket in that basket to try to win one of two cards.
@Geist, oh so its "party over here, eff you over there", then hey? ;)
So, for our Christmas lunch happening tomorrow, we are apparently getting a gift card to Superstore, and there is no drink limit(supposedly).
Though, also apparently, the taxi chits that they have for us to use after expire at 6pm...so we can't even go out and have a good time afterwards and spend longer than that out.
Well, our furnace died. It'll be about $12.5k to get a new furnace/ac unit (we don't have to replace the ac unit yet, but it's almost as old as the furnace and the evap coils on it have a tendency to get really gunked up). It could have been less, but we opted for the heat pump. Without the heat pump, we'd save $1.3k. With our solar panels, it seems like spending the extra money for the heat pump will save us more in the long run. Not to mention it'll help reduce our carbon footprint.
The bright side is that I now get all of next week off, instead of only the three days I had requested. I need to be at the house on Monday so they can install the new furnace, and it just didn't seem worth it to go to work on Tuesday only to take the rest of the week off.
Haha, LZ, accidental bonus vacation! Wow, you just happen to be able to take a full week off, great timing for them to install the new furnace!
So that Neutrality Repeal vote passed, if you hadn't somehow heard. I just take respite in the fact that this was 5 people's votes, but there are a ton of lawsuits now, some may make it to the Supreme Court, and Congress will likely have something to say about it, especially since next year is an election year.
'
So basically... even if we somehow repeal the legalization of corporate censorship, this was WAY too close for comfort! Thankfully I'm escaping to Germany for 6 months and might be back after this debacle has died down a bit!
My favorite theory is that Ajit Pai thought up a ludicrous plan to reunite the country at one of its most politically divided times in history, but the bill accidentally passed. Or that he was trying to shut down the internet just to save everyone from Star Wars spoilers!
Unfortunately, I know those aren't true at all...
Morning kittens.
Did I tell you they had a gift exchange at the party last night? My gift partner gave me The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook along with some cookie cutters, cupcake cups and sprinkles. I LOVE IT! I was only expecting a book from the list of suggestions I put on Elfster so this was a wonderful surprise.
Another co-worker and avid book lover and I decided to exchanged books that we recommend so I got a copy of The Blade Itself by Joe Abercombe. He said it was a really good book so that is the next thing I read after I finish with "Shift".
Morning kittens!
@LZ, sorry to hear that about your furnace! Too bad you didn't live here are I could have hooked you up with those pieces at cost, saved you a couple of grand. Hell man, thats what I do. Best of luck with everything! Good call on adding the heat pump! That will not only reduce your carbon foot print, but your monthly bills as well with a typical payback period of less than 8 years! I didn't know you had solar panels, pv or hydronic? If they are hydronic, have you ever thought of thermal storage? That would further reduce your carbon footprint as well as give you heat in the winter and cut down on energy usage as well. Just a thought. ;) Ok enough heating geek talk... ;)
@Geist, well it sure sounds like you had a good time anyways and I think thats just what you needed! Congrats! I'd sure love it if people gave me stuff like cook books, normally they just give me booze, which I don't even drink! (mostly) ;)
@BaKhan: I'd love to gift you cookbooks. If you had a list on Amazon (I have two) I'd have a better understanding of what you like.
And the party was fine. Lots and lots of food and I love the stuff that I got. I went home after I got my basket. Others went and partied at a bar until 2 am.
Morning kittens.
@Geist, I pretty much only go on Amazon if I already know what I want, kinda like when I go to the mall. I'm a little different than most men as my reasoning isn't that I don't like shopping, its that I like shopping too much, and don't want to blow all my cash. I have very poor impulse control and a wish list would only become a reciept... ;) Also, you have given us so much stuff already! I couldn't possibly ask for anything else, excepting that you come back next year, if you can! ;)
@BaKhan: Trust me. I know what you mean. I have about 100 items on my Amazon wish list and since they now have a "discover" feature, I've marked a few more things that I would love to have. Can't afford but one item per paycheck and barely that since I keep fooling around with Kickstarter.
You and Misty have been so kind to invite me to your house each year and allow me to sleep and eat there. I feel like I don't give you guys enough. :-)
BaKhan, I was actually lamenting that we didn't live closer to you. As for the solar panels, I really don't know whether they're pv or hydronic. I kinda want to say pv, but it would just be a guess, as I'm assuming hydronic is for solar water heaters, correct?
Great, for some reason, Chrome decided not to save anything in the "Recently Closed" file like it always does, so now I have to go through my entire browsing history to see if I can recover all of the important pages I had open. This could take awhile.
Ah, that's better. I can finally relax after this week; it was all pretty busy, but it made sure to end with a really busy bang.
Morning kittens.
Today starts my final week. After Friday I don't have to be back at work until January 2nd. 10 whole days off sounds so good around about now. When I turned in my time card, I had 20 extra hours that I worked, that I won't get paid for. This week, I'm going to try to stick to the 8 hours only rule. I am not going to over work myself right before Christmas.
Morning kittens!
@LZ, I wish I could have done something to help out! Maybe in the future they will let us write up orders in the states, that would be pretty cool! As far as the solor goes, is it for electricity or heating? PV is for electric. If thats what you have, then it is what it is. If you have hydronic panels, they create heat, normally best for a large load, like a swimming pool, or thermal storage, although some do use it to create domestic hot water. If its the latter, then you could bury a large container, like a cistern and heat that with your panels all summer, then in the winter, start circulating it (through a heatpump) and heat your home, basically for free. ;)
@Geist, good for you! That should be a nice re-energizing break! Do not work too hard this week! ;)
Yeah, my panels are electric
Morning kittens.
@LZ, well the good news is they are much more efficient than heating panels, so you've got that going for you! ;) I've got a ton of roof space, if I should come into some extra money after we've finish renovating the rest of the stuff we want to, I'll probably look at doing the same!
I've decided that I won't me cooking anything special for Christmas. Just gonna go to the movies and have Chinese food afterwards.
@Geist: Chinese food on Christmas is sometimes a welcome change. Though, this year we are having steak and mushroom pie(normally it would have been steak and kidney, but since my Grandma moved into a retirement home, she hasn't been able to make it for dinner and my uncle has taken over the Christmas eve dinner responsibilities)
@Geist, that made me think of the scene from A Christmas Story, where the Asian guys were trying to sing Christmas carols. Fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra! ;) I hope you have a good time on Christmas, and know that we'll be thinking of you (and of course all the kittens as well). ;)
@GM, steak and mushroom pie sounds like a great alternative to the original! I remember getting in so much trouble one year when my Grandfather on my mom's side made steak and kidney pie, and I wouldn't eat it. The smell of the cooking kidneys was too much for me. Apparently it was very embarrassing to her; I paid a heavy price. All I got for dinner that night was a beat down. Don't miss those days a bit! ;)
@BaKhan: We would always get to my Grandma and Grandpa's after it was already cooked(just keeping warm in the oven), so we didn't get the in process smell at all. It was a rather delicious(once I actually tried it with the kidney - there was always two, one with kidney and one without). My uncle is saying he will probably do two, one with mushroom and one without(I'm not a fan of the texture of mushrooms, so that would be welcome).
@GM, wow, consideration? Must be nice! ;)
That is nice! Someone usually brings stuffed mushrooms to family gatherings, and gets upset when I don't want to eat any. They always say that the ones they brought are different from other stuffed mushrooms (even the ones they brought the previous year, even though they're exactly the same), and I have to try them. They don't take no for an answer. When I finally give in and discover they're exactly like all the others, they're unapologetic. At least they're not offended; it's always, "Well, at least now you know you don't like them." Yeah, because the hour it took for you to get me to reluctantly try one wasn't a clue there!
@LZ: You could always take one, put it on your plate, and eat everything else then when asked why you didn't touch it, you were just too full for it. Then proceed to devour dessert.
Well, I managed to slink off work after 8 hours. Now if I can do that until Friday, I am all set.
I like GM's idea. I'm going to try that the next time someone tries to make me eat artichokes. Or beans.
@Geist: It's what got it so I didn't have to eat mushrooms much.
@Geist, good for you! Now just rinse and repeat for the rest of the week! ;)
The smell of cooking kidneys was too much? For Christmas every year, my mom makes clam chowder and lobster bisque, and it's amazing, one of my favorite meals ever! Only problem is, to me, lobster cooking is one of the harshest, worst smells ever, so I'd just sit in the family room with the door shut and the outside windows open trying not to throw up! Still, it was so worth it in the end, that bisque is heavenly!
`
I don't think it's so bad to me now, but still, I typically avoid the kitchen on Christmas.
Ooh, GM, great idea! Though I've never been able to eat mushrooms at all, and since I'm not very picky otherwise, I think my parents never really cared since I eat almost everything else, so it's not hard for me to avoid them.
Only problem is when they're in the main dish, and there's not much alternative, then you have to get creative.
Morning kittens. Is it Friday yet? I wanna start my vacay sooooo badly.
Morning kittens!
@Geist, 3 more days, you can do it! Hang in there, you're so close now!
@Zem, hmmm thats weird, especially because lobster tastes like it smells... ;) I find kidney, and all other organ meats for that matter, to have a very repulsive off putting smell. If you've ever smelled cooking kidney's you'd know what I mean! ;)
Morning kittens.
@BaKhan: I came across a magazine at the bookstore that was all about recipes to cook in a cast iron pan and I thought of you. Would you be interested in getting a copy? I purchased one for myself and might cook a few of them in the cast iron pot in inherited from my gran.
As far as organ meats are concerned, I enjoyed my great aunt's fried liver an onions when I was growing up. Haven't had it since she passed away.
@Geist, that sounds lovely! I actually have a couple of cast iron pots as well (not cheap!). I rarely use them, only for making stews and german strudels really. So yeah, I would love something like that! ;) My mom loved fried liver and onicns, but that didn't pass down to me... the smell of liver cooking is no where near as bad as kidneys though! ;)
@BaKhan: I'll pick up a copy for you and bring it the next time I'm up your way.
Liver is suppose to be good for you and will help add more iron to your diet. Lord knows I need more iron in mine since it's always too low and the Red Cross won't let me give blood just for that reason.
Fried liver, with caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and pierogis. One thing that my brother, sister, and I would ask for fairly often growing up.
I've never been a fan of liver, unless it's in Braunschweiger, in which case, I can't get enough liver!
The only liver I've ever tried and liked was pate. Does that count? ;)
@Zem, oh I thought is was something fancy, its liverwurst, and nope, don't care for it. ;)
Nuts, that didn't work ... trying again with punycode ...
http://xn--8j8h.gq
It looks better with the emoji URL, but KS doesn't take emojis in text. This is my latest Internet address. (Yes, that's me in the red suit.)
Well hello CB. Good to see you around these parts.
Just saw the new update. Funny to see them now. Then again, I'm sure Elan wasn't expecting the comments section to turn into a chat box.
A question for those of you ho have smelled kidneys being cooked: Do they smell like what passed through them in life?
... just curious because It's a delicacy to which I have never been exposed.
Hello, Geist.
Funny thing ... I just now translated "Seist de la Muerte Gaito" into English. (Ghost of the dead cat.) Finally, the Oatmeal's drawing makes sense!
OK, ok ... some of us are a little slow on the uptake ...
@CB, as a plumbers son, I have to say they smell much worse than what passed through them! Its a bitter, acrid, off putting, smell. Its actually hard to compare it to any other smell I know honestly. The closest would probably be liver, but you'd have to multiply the things that make it awful by a factor of 10. Have you ever smelled someone sear unseasoned meat in an unseasoned pan, that first wiff that comes off of it? Kinda like that, but stronger, much much stronger... ;)
Well, it's obvious that my efforts to turn my spell checker off have succeeded...
One more try ... Geist de la Muerte Gaito ...
Thanks, BK. Maybe I can find a way to eventually try steak and kidney pie without having to endure the cooking aroma. I'm usually open to trying anything ... once.
@CB, you're a better man than I! I wish you the best of luck, and I've heard its quite delicious from several sources, so it could be good. I'd never know, too much trama! ;)
My dad made us eat cranberry orange relish when we were little. My younger brother threw up at the table. It was many many years before I dared to try it again.
@CB: You are very close. It's suppose to be Ghost of the dead kitten. Cat is gato in Spanish. I have his drawing on my phone. So proud of it.
I wonder where Goldie is. She got the first drawing if I remember correctly.
I wonder if you can cook kidneys sous vide.
Cooking kidney has got to smell better than pigs intestine, otherwise known in the South as chitlins. Man, they smell so bad and I personally don't like to eat them. I probably would have a taste for them if my family had cooked them more often but I hear that cleaning them is time consuming so my gran and her sister didn't make an effort to serve them.
I wonder if you can cook kidneys sous vide
Ewwww. Why would you want to?
can i have a Brazilian Portuguese one? please!!!
@Geist, IDK, I thought it might mitigate the odor problem if the kidneys were sealed into a plastic bag and immersed in water while cooking.
... might be a big surprise waiting for you when you open the bag, though.
Doing a Google search, I see that it has been done though.
@Leandro: I want one in Klingon!
@CB: cooking it that way, I would hope the person some lots of spices or marinated it first. Just plain cooked kidney so vomit inducing.
How about one in Na'vi as well?
Hannibal Lecter cooked kidney in one episode of the series. I think it was in season 2.
@CB, you could probably sous vide anything, but normally that is done to preserve texture and delicate flavour, is it not? You wouldn't have to worry about preserving that flavour... ;)
You could probably marinate the kidneys while cooking them in the bag if you know your way around a spice rack...
Anyways, if I give it a try, I'll probably do it sous vide. It not only preserves texture, but it offers much greater control over the cooking process.
I'd probably only ever get a sous vide for fish. Heard they make fishes taste real good. Even Salmon.
Forgot to mention that I had mulled wine for the first time this weekend. It was barely OK. Definitely won't make me a wine drinker.
... EVEN sammon? ... salmon is one of my favorites!
Sous Vide is also great for cooking steak to perfection. It does need to be seared on a grill to bring out the flavor however.
I've also cooked turkey breast sous vide. It comes out moist and perfect. I remove the skin, crisp that up in the oven, and serve it on the side.