Reddit mentions: The best kitchen utensils & gadgets

Hey friend,

Reading posts like yours always strikes a chord with me -- once upon a time, I was a 17 y/o male weighing in at at least 220 pounds. (I say "at least" because I didn't weigh myself for at least two years after I saw that number back in 2007, and it's entirely possible that I gained more and was too afraid to acknowledge it). Being overweight my entire life, I never thought it would be possible for me to be at a weight that bears any semblance to fitness, but I tip the scales around 145 nowadays :)

I came to the realization that the reason for my weight gain and constant tiredness over the years was from lack of portion control and all the refined carbs I was eating (despite getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night). I just want to share what I've learned from LoseIt over the last year:

Weight loss is 80% diet, 20% exercise. In short, you can't out-train crappy nutrition. Even if you hit the gym fairly regularly, your results will be stunted by what you are fueling your body with. Start taking control over what you eat -- lean meats, eggs, fish, legumes, and VEGGIES should take priority.

If you feel like you're starving yourself, then you're doing it wrong. Diet-wise, lean protein and fiber are your best friends. You'll stay full and be more satisfied than if you ate a bunch of carbs and starch. Lean meats, eggs, nuts, lentils, greek yogurt, quinoa and veggies are staples in my kitchen now. Whatever it is you're eating, though, start logging it all. You're much less likely to want to gorge on a double-cheeseburger or hot fudge sundae if you force yourself to log it and watch it blow up your calorie numbers for the day. MyFitnessPal (website/smartphone app) is a great tool that takes almost all of the guesswork out of food journaling. Of course, you need to tell it how much food you're eating, so I highly recommend making a small but worthwhile investment in a digital kitchen scale and use it in conjunction with a tool like MyFitnessPal in order to provide you with the most accurate results and insight into your personal calorie consumption :D

In the first couple of weeks, you may find it difficult to wean yourself off of certain unhealthy foods that you may have grown accustomed to. Here are a few simple substitutions that you might be able to make to your daily meals:

Breakfast - Instead of cereal, have two eggs and fill the rest of your plate with steamed vegetables. Sprinkle a bit of cheese and salsa over the whole thing. The healthy fats and proteins from the eggs and cheese, coupled with the fiber of the vegetables will keep you full and happy all morning.

Lunch - A better alternative to sandwiches is just to try taking what you would normally make a sandwich with and put it on a salad instead. A big spinach salad with turkey breast or tuna on it saves you a great deal of unnecessary carbs. When it doubt, wrap it in lettuce.

Dinner - Try switching up the traditional "meat & potatoes" meals. The meat can stay, but try giving mashed cauliflower a try. When made properly, it tastes just like the real thing :D

If you are constantly hungry, you may not be getting enough protein, fiber, or healthy fats to keep you satiated -- this ultimately causes that uncontrollable urge to snack. Make sure you're eating a fair amount of lean meats, leafy greens, nuts/legumes. Once you start filling your stomach with things that are satiating, you'll probably find that the urge to snack will subside considerably. In absence of that, try keeping some healthier snacks around the house if possible -- I buy 5-pound bags of baby carrots to munch on constantly :)

In terms of drinks, you should be limited to water, tea, black coffee, and milk. No soda -- even diet. If you're used to drinking soda or other sweet drinks and find that the sweetness is a difficult thing to give up, try cutting up some citrus fruits and putting letting them steep in a pitcher of ice water. The refreshing hint of sweetness is usually enough to satiate your cravings! It also helps you to meet your daily water intake goals, which should be at least 72 oz. per day -- it's very common for the body to misinterpret thirst as hunger. You'll also find that staying hydrated will give you more energy to work out / study, etc.

If you find that you want to make your own meals, nothing is easier than getting a pack of boneless/skinless chicken breasts and brushing them down with a little bit of olive oil and herbs/spices and throwing those bad boys in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes. Serve with a heaping helping of frozen vegetables, and you've got yourself a cheap, filling, nutritious meal :D

> how I should go about starting to run when I have no experience,

There is a great program out there called "Couch-to-5K". It's geared specifically toward beginning runners with no experience who eventually want to work their way up to being able to complete a 5K without stopping. It's very specific, gradual, interval-based training that many Redditors enjoy (so much so that they've created a subreddit just for the program!) Check out [r/c25k](http://www.reddit.com/r/c25k]!

While running and other cardio is decent for getting fit, I would advocate strength/weights/resistance training as soon as you think you're comfortable with it. The extra muscle you'll build not only helps you look better, but it will burn more fat/calories as it sits on your frame.

I've been using the program outlined in the book The New Rules of Lifting. It gives you detailed instructions, pictures, and a 52-week workout schedule. I started noticing amazing progress in both strength and appearance after about 2 weeks, and just began the fifth phase in the series. I've never felt better!

To help monitor your progress, continue to take photos of yourself in various poses and states of undress every few weeks or so -- you'll be happy later that you have them for reference. Because you look at your body every day, it's often difficult to notice small, incremental change. Having the "before" photos handy will definitely allow you to more easily see the progress you're making down the line. I would recommend an official weigh-in once or twice a week. Make sure it's under the same circumstances (first thing in the morning, in the buff, after you've expelled any waste, before a shower, and before you eat/drink anything).

I'm so proud of you for acknowledging that you want to make change and taking the first steps towards making that happen. It doesn't get any easier as time goes on. I went through all of high school obese, and all of college overweight. I always thought I was a reasonably happy person, but after graduating college, losing weight and looking back on the last 6 years of my life, I realized how unhappy I actually was and how much happier I probably would have been. After losing the weight and starting to see my body take on a shape I thought it would never have, I have such incredible confidence, happiness, and exuberance for life that I never imagined possible. I have no doubts that you could easily experience similar results if you stick with it :D

Like I mentioned before, getting healthy should be more like a marathon rather than a sprint -- you're in this for the long haul.

Please keep in touch and don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need any more advice -- diet/exercise tips, meal ideas, a crying shoulder, you name it. I wish for nothing more than to see you succeed.

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”

~ Ernest Hemingway

So go forth and kick ass, friend :D

Cheers,

Dave

edit

Please be fucking careful. Don't be stupid. Take the time to accurately prepare your solution and to diligently track your usage. Don't use too much, be careful what you combine this with, and don't get careless. There are few drugs more susceptible to overuse than cocaine. I can personally say that switching to this method made me eventually get tired of coke, because once you can do it non stop all the time it loses it's appeal and you start to feel a bit like a junkie.

I would highly recommend keeping your solution strength as low as possible and limiting your use to no more than two days per week with at least 3-5 days between sessions, and taking a month or two off every once in a while is always a good idea. You'll spend way less money and will feel better physically, and you will be more able to maintain that sweet spot where you are feeling good but are still mentally sharp.

Typical nasal spray bottles seem to be designed to coat your entire nasal cavity with a widely dispersed mist, which means most of the solution ends up being absorbed by the nasal mucosa and having to travel through the blood vessels in your nasal cavity to the brain. Something that allows you to target (idealy) the olfactory epithelium and or the trigeminal nerves in the nasal cavity will allow faster delivery to the brain and reduced waste. This will also help to limit damage to the nasal mucosa by allowing you to use less solution while delivering more directly to the brain. See:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_administration#Olfactory_transfer
  
• http://www.fiercepharma.com/partnering/3m-takes-on-blood-brain-barrier-impel-neuropharma-nasal-drug-delivery-alliance
  
  Ideally you'd try to find something like Impel NeuroPharma's POD (Precision Olfactory Delivery) device, which is designed to target the spray more effectively to the nerve clusters in the upper nasal cavity. However, it seems to be nearly impossible to source one of these devices online. That being said, there do appear to be at least a couple available devices that might come closer to the POD than standard nasal spray devices:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0725DKD3S/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9PPZH5/
  
  Note that you'll probably want something with a clear bottle, which makes it much easier to see how much solution is left in the bottle and allows you to spot any impurities in your product (cocaine should rapidly dissolve and leave the solution nearly completely clear, while many adulterants will take longer to dissolve or will not dissolve at all, leaving the solution cloudy with particulates at the bottom of the bottle.
  
  I haven't personally tested these devices so I can't say for sure if they are any more effective than a standard spray device, but it looks like they should give you greater control over the dispersion target. If anyone knows where to find one of the specialized delivery devices, please let me know.
  
  Once you have your nasal spray device, you'll probably want some way to consistently prepare your solution. A simple oral syringe will allow you to measure an exact amount of solvent (saline solution):
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BM3MC40/
  
  Saline Solution:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IN5GENU/
  
  A digital milligram (.001g precision) scale will allow you to measure your solute (the powdered, water soluble drug) with reasonable (but not perfect) precision:
  
  Scale:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012TDNAM/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/B06W5VXN53/
  
  A funnel will make it easier to get everything into the bottle and is recommended:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MEFE7YO/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CUQ0ITO/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N2NYC1K/
  
  Once you have all the necessary supplies, unscrew the cap on your nasal spray device and put the funnel into the bottle mouth. Figure out your desired strength for your solution and then measure out the corresponding amount of saline solution and cocaine. The trick with this delivery method is figuring out the correct concentration for your solution depending on how strong you want each spray to be. I've found that 25mg/ml is perfectly sufficient, 50mg / ml is more than enough, and anything stronger is a bit of a waste. In fact, there seem to be diminishing returns anywhere past around 20mg/ml, and in many cases 15 or even 10 mg/ml seems to work just fine.
  
  First pour the cocaine into the funnel (you don't need to pulverize it), and then using your oral syringe squirt the saline solution onto the cocaine in the funnel where it will rapidly dissolve and fall into the bottle. You could mix the solution in the oral syringe or elsewhere, and you could add the saline solution before the cocaine, but then you'll either end up with wasted solution in another container or a funnel that still has some powdered cocaine on it. If you pour the cocaine straight from the scale into the funnel and then use the solution to wash it down, you should end up with very little wasted cocaine and a nearly clean funnel.
  
  I'd recommend to start with a weaker solution and try it out, you can always add more cocaine until you figure out the optimum concentration. If you decide to do this, replace the saline you've used each time you add more cocaine so you can accurately track the strength of your solution at each interval.
  
  At this point you're ready to screw the cap on and use the spray. I'd recommend one pump in each nostril - any more and you'll end up with wasted solution dripping down the back of your throat. However, you can limit waste by laying over the edge of a surface and tilting your head back so that gravity naturally draws the solution towards the olfactory epithelium. In this case two or three sprays per nostril seems to deliver a stronger dose with negligible waste. 30 seconds to one minute seems to be long enough to avoid excessive waste, and 15 seconds may in fact be long enough.
  
  I think that pretty much covers it. Be forewarned that this delivery method makes it much easier to redose, which would probably contribute to an increased risk of addiction and a tendency towards excessive and chronic use. Also, some have said that this method doesn't deliver the same powerful "kick" as snorting powder, which makes sense as you are using much less of the drug per spray than you would if you snorted a line. For an illustration, lay out what would be a typical line for your and weigh it with your scale. The spray devices listed above typically deliver 0.1ml of solution per spray, so if you have a solution with a concentration of 50mg/ml, then you're only getting 5mg of cocaine per spray, as opposed to something like 20mg for even a small line of powder. I haven't personally tried making a high strength solution, but you could try mixing your solution such that each .1ml spray delivers an amount of cocaine equivalent to a typical line of powder. This would also minimize the total number of sprays needed and the total volume of liquid you'd need to spray into your nose, perhaps limiting irritation.
  
  However, I've found that even though the absolute dosage is lower the efficacy is much greater, perhaps due to the added liquid facilitating easier absorption and almost certainly due to the decreased waste from powder dripping down your throat or being dispersed and carried elsewhere by the mucous in the nasal cavity.
  
  As a final note, even though the saline solution will moisturize your nose, I'd still recommend using the plain nasal spray to irrigate and clear your nose periodically or at least at the end of the night, as the solution is quite irritating (though of course much less so than dry powder).
  
  Good luck and be careful!

I'm a little late to this party and having read through some of the conversations already posted here, i've got a couple thoughts/ideas.

-my personal experience-

For me, to lose weight, I have to do all of the following: reduce my carb intake to ~50g per day, 30-40+ minutes of cardio every other day, and 3-4 days of heavy weight training per week. If I skip out on any one of these I'll stall out and just maintain. The scale put me at 13.7% body fat/49% lean muscle this morning just to give an idea of my physique.

-my thoughts-

You mention that you reduced your carbs but largely didn't calculate the rest of your daily intake. Considering weight control is, in a nutshell, calories in vs calories out - I have a few recommendations.

Figure your TDEE using an online tool, I like this one. Use this to help you calculate a deficit. It sounds like you're interested in super low carb so I'll echo other's recommendation of /r/keto. They're a pretty decent community and love to help out. After you've got some macros figured out, buy a food scale. Boom. $13 on amazon. Use this scale to actually measure your foods so you can actually know close to what your actual caloric intake is like.

Don't be afraid of dietary fats. It sounds like you might not have been getting enough during your cutting phase if you were left fatigued and lethargic. Dietary fats are critical components of many body processes as well as rich in energy. This could be a limiting factor in testosterone production as well as other hormones/chemicals/etc.

Why weight lifting is critical to losing fat. I'll keep it super simple, and it'll probably come off like common sense. When the body is faced with a caloric deficit, it has to get energy to function from somewhere. It typically won't rob the organs as a first line of defense. That leaves body fat and body muscle. The body knows that muscle is expensive to maintain and the proteins in it can be used to perform other bodily functions. If the body has no need for maintaining muscle mass it will consume the muscle mass as a priority. If you exercise with heavy weight lifting your body will produce hormones and chemicals that signal your metabolism that the muscle is critical for survival, get the energy from somewhere else...body fat.

Supplementation to help fat loss - People have been losing weight for years just by modifying their diet and exercise. There's no reason (assuming you are a typically functioning human) that you shouldn't be able to get as lean as you want without trying to artificially regulate your systems. There are some supplements that can help especially if you're deficient in some area but that should show up on blood tests. I would recommend putting supplementation out of your mind unless you get a blood test that clearly shows that you're deficient in something.

-what next?-

Consume less calories than your body needs but make sure to get enough protein and fat since they're the most important. Perform heavy weight training several days per week to keep your body in a mode that will prioritize keeping your muscle and using your body fat for energy. You don't have to be trying to get huge in the gym, just make sure you're not curling the 2.5lb dumbbells and calling it a day. Starting Strength is a great program for beginners that would probably fit your bill pretty nicely assuming you have access to a gym. Cardio is great exercise and can really boost your cardio-pulmonary health. Use cardio as a tool to drive up your TDEE and make your caloric deficit more efficient. I know you said you're more interested in looking at the mirror instead of the scale, and I 99% agree that this is the best measure of success. However, a scale that can measure your body fat% would be very useful in measuring progress. You might not see the .5% body fat loss but the scale will tell you. It might not be super accurate to an exact body fat % but after owning this one for a few months, I can say it does a good job of showing my ups and downs.

-as far as supplements go-

daily multi-vitamin - for obvious reasons

daily psyllium husk - start with 5g and that's probably enough. helps with appetite, makes bathroom time effortless, helps with digestion, and overall leaves you feeling good and fresh.

caffeine - dont overdo it but sometimes some caffeine or a preworkout can give you that boost of energy you need to get through something.

whey protein - if you physically have too much difficulty eating enough protein from food, this can be useful. it's not a magic muscle saving serum or anything...just another form of dietary protein.

You and I are probably similar. I had never cooked before spontaneously deciding I was going to cook all of my own food from scratch on my 37th birthday. I also spent HOURS slaving away on often so-so dishes and felt discouraged. I pushed through that initial 2-3 month window of crappiness and now I'm 2.5 years into cooking 6 days a week and it's been life changing. That said, I still don't LIKE cooking, but I don't mind it, and I love the feeling that I finally know what I should be eating.

I think it was J. Kenzi Lopez Alt who said that good food is the result of:

1. Good Recipe
   
2. Good Ingredients
   
3. Good Equipment
   
4. Good Technique
   
   Good recipes: I can't believe there's 41 comments and no one's mentioned Budget Bytes. She is the queen of pragmatic, low cost, fast-enough, from-scratch, healthy weeknight dinners. For your first couple of months of cooking try focusing on just her recipes. They're beginner friendly and very well written.
   
   At least until you develop the sense of what makes recipes good, avoid YouTube, gif recipes, Pintrest, and the obnoxious blogs full of too-well-staged-photos. They're interested in views and shares, not cooking.
   
   Here's some other sites that produce consistently good food:
   
   

• Simply Recipes: Traditional American food
  
• Skinny Taste: Very similar to Budget Bytes, great weeknight meals
  
• Serious Eats: Great food, but tends to be pretty hardcore in ingredient & technique requirements. They probably make the best version of your favorite dish. Save SE for a weekend meal once you're more comfortable cooking.
  
  Here's some confidence building fantastic recipes:
  
  
• Baked Chicken with Artichokes and Tomatoes (Budget Bytes)
  
• Stuffed Pepper Soup (Skinny Taste) (Substitute marjoram for oregano for if you don't want to buy marjoram)
  
• Spicy Tuna Guacamole Bowls (Budget Bytes) (Here's a great guacamole recipe if you want to make that from scratch too)
  
• Greek Chicken Wraps (Budget Bytes)
  
• Greek Turkey and Rice Skillet (Budget Bytes)
  
• Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Tahini Dressing (Budget Bytes) (if you grate the garlic in to the dressing with a microplane you don't NEED to blend the dressing; just whisk it)
  
• Easy Teriyaki-Glazed Salmon, Cucumber, and Avocado Rice Bowls (Serious Eats)
  
• Sweet Crunch Winter Salad (Budget Bytes) (WAY better than it sounds)
  
• Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Avocado (Serious Eats)
  
• Chorizo Sweet Potato Skillet (Budget Bytes)
  
• Chicken in Peanut Sauce (Budget Bytes)
  
• [Skillet Chicken Puttanesca (Simply Recipes)[https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/skillet_chicken_puttanesca/]
  
• Chipotle Chicken Chili (Pioneer Woman)
  
  Good Ingredients: In the beginning I found that cooking was often way more expensive than I'd ever imagined. That was in part because I hadn't built up much of a pantry (oils, vinegars, spices, other condiments), but the main reason was because I was shopping a supermarket. For both cost and quality reasons, each week try finding a new market in your area. In particular, look for ethnic markets frequented by people of the biggest ethnic culture in your area. The asian, mexican, and middle eastern markets in my area have better quality food for quite seriously 50-75% less than a supermarket. The closest supermarket charged $7/lb for prepackaged ground beef. The mexican place nearby charges $3/lb for ground beef they grind themselves.
  
  Speaking of ethnic markets, try to find an ethnic market with a dry goods section where you can scoop out as much of an ingredient as you want into bags for cheap.
  
  If you live in a metropolitan area find a Penzeys. They sell spices that are much higher quality than a supermarket for about 25-50% less than supermarket prices.
  
  You're going to need tons of chicken broth. Until you inevitably start making your own large batches in a pressure cooker a year from now, stick with Better Than Bouillon(https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/BTB_Package_8oz_Roasted_Chicken_Base-2017.png). It's cheaper and better than the crap you get from a can or carton.
  
  Good Equipment: The most important thing is a sharp knife. Here's the $27 knife everyone usually recommends. Even if you already have a knife, it's probably dull if it's not new and you haven't sharpened it; get it sharpened or buy a new one for now. Learn to hone it before or after each use.
  
  Go to a kitchen supply store, Smart & Final, or Amazon and get a couple of 1/4 sheet trays ($4?), ten or so bar towels ($1 each), and a prep bin ($4) so that your prep area looks like this. Also get a bench scraper ($5). The 1/4 sheet trays keep your ingredients organized and ready to go. The prep bin saves you from having to keep a trash can nearby and keeps things tidy. The bench scraper is a time-saving godsend for moving stuff around. A proper prep station alone will probably cut your cooking times by 10-20%.
  
  Good Technique: Once you have an organized prep station and you get your workflow down, the biggest time saver is going to be knife skills. Onions & garlic will be your most commonly chopped items, so watch several videos and make sure that each time you chop one of those it's meaningful practice. To avoid cutting yourself: get a sharp knife, while cutting always consider what would happen if your knife slips, and every time something awkward/unusual happens, take a small pause before you continue cutting.
  
  The art of home cooking by recipe really comes down to heat management. Get an infrared thermometer for $20, they're incredibly valuable when starting out. For the vast majority of sauteing, turn your pan to medium high (just guess) and measure your pan with that thermometer until it's around 300 then pour in whatever oil you're using. Keep checking them temp with the thermometer until that oil is around 330-360 then toss in your meat or vegetables. If you wait a few seconds, slide the food out of the middle of the pan, and check the temp again you'll see it's in low 200's because the food saps the heat out of the pan. Your goal is to keep that heat in the 300's. Note that as the food heats up the pan will get hotter quicker, so as you're learning keep monitoring that pan and get used to the sounds it's making so eventually you'll manage heat through sound & instinct.
  
  The last thing is: use more salt. If you're cooking a recipe that looked great, and got great reviews, and it doesn't seem like you made any big mistakes yet it's still bland, it's because you didn't add enough salt 100% of the time. It took me a while to realize that when I add salt to a dish someone else has made, they had already put a good amount of salt in it. So when salting a dish that makes four portions, you're not going to just shake in some salt from a shaker, you're going to pour in a teaspoon or more.

I was actually starting to draft a little cooking ideas post like this. This is just what I found value in and will ramble because I haven't really edited it down at all. So if anyone reads it and has notes please let me know, it's fairly directionless at the moment. It is also from the perspective of and aimed towards young single people but not exclusive to. I am also well aware a lot of you folks are good cooks or at least have a functional kitchen and I in no way want it to sound like I'm more knowledgeable than anyone with an hour to watch youtube videos.

​

TL:DR Make sure your skills are on point before getting convenience tools as you might not need them, a cast iron or good stainless steel skillet and a good couple of knives can do most things in a kitchen, plan meals before you shop to avoid wastefulness.

​

This post is big, flawed, and broken into two main sections. One is purely skills based, stuff you can totally do for free and can start doing right this moment. That's a big part of minimalism for me, gaining skills and getting good at some things rather than owning and being okay at a ton of things. The second section is more of a buy guide, again all from my experience.

​

First off is to focus less on the equipment and more on the technique. Fundamentally, knife skills, understanding of cook times, heat, and technique, creativity and planning are some terms I like. In addition I have thoughts on tools and ingredients

​

First, learn your knife, do drills, practice good form constantly. When I started in a fast-food-y sandwich shop when I was 16, the manager (who was a line cook for years) suggested I practice things like chopping a carrot as thinly as possible, or celery, or breaking down onion and garlic. Then I got to work with the prep team (which was cool because they taught me Spanish) to learn basic stuff like sauces and cooking meats. The result is a few years later, I have a decent knife. Not as good as a legit cook or anything but enough that I can confidently use a sharp knife to do anything a home cook would ever need to.

​

Cook times. It's way less intimidating to work on food when you know "okay my chicken will take this long, oven takes this long, rice needs this much time", and so on. From a minimalist perspective, this will help you cut down on some tools such as a plug-in type grill, rice cookers, stuff that times or cooks food for you. Learning how to use heat also really improves the versatility of something as simple as a cast iron pan. Technique will allow you to make staple dishes or at least be able to take a guess at how to prepare just about anything, and the most valuable tip for that is look up how to make individual components of dishes rather than just recipes over and over. This becomes relevant in the next portion as well.

​

Creativity. As some people are mentioning, "aspirational groceries" cause clutter and waste in the form of garbage and money. Creativity helps solve this when paired with planning. When shopping, I found it valuable to plan out meals for the week. Buy what you need, make a note of what isn't used, and refine. That's planning. Creativity is ending up with some random ingredients and Macgyvering it together so you don't waste or overspend. That is made much easier by having solid cooking techniques so you have a bit of a starting off point for creativity.

​

Now into the stuff. I personally think a couple things are fundamental. Babish from YouTube has a great List . First off, get a good 7" to 8" Chef knife. I use a Gyuto but that's more because I impulse bought one when I first moved out and had all the money in the world from not having any expenses and was talked into it by a very nice saleswoman at the knife shop in town. Wusthof is a great name in knives and if you can get a hold of an 8" one of those, a bread knife, and maybe a pairing knife (I don't really use mine much but some people do) you will be able to do most things. I'd avoid buying a knife set just because you're more than likely paying for an extra 3 or so knives you won't use, and they're cheap for a reason. But to each their own, it is very convenient to have the steak knives, honing rod, and scissors that most of them include. No judgement here. Plus they're really really affordable.

​

Now as to everything else, I'm not as researched. I think a good cast iron skillet is fantastic from a minimalist perspective as you can do most things that you'd really ever need to do on it, from frying to saute to some baking. Kent Rollins is first off a joy to watch but more importantly uses very limited tools. He does have his specialized "bertha" stove but for the most part it's just him with either open fires or a hot stove cooking in cast iron pans and dutch ovens. If you want to know more, I'd just watch the babish video above, he talks more about why he has what he has, such as this expensive but amazing set of pots and pans. Off the top of my head: baking sheets, a large cutting board, a meat thermometer (safety), measuring cups and spoons, box grater (or one coarse grater and one microplane grater), spatulas, tongs, etc.

​

Like I said this is mostly ranting, and I'm going to research and trim it down for the future, but these are my thoughts at the moment.

1. A good, sharp chef's knife. Nothing fancy, I use a Dexter that I got for like $20 and have it resharpened. You can get a lot nicer, but you don't have to. The first kitchen I ever worked at (20 years ago) used knives almost exactly like this.
   
   
2. A good meat thermometer. I use this one which works similarly to a ThermaPen but without the ridiculous ~$90 cost.
   
   
3. A good cast iron skillet can be pretty versatile. Cast iron holds heat very well, which means that it's great for stuff like searing steaks.
   
   
4. Some cheap, non-stick frying pans. I recommend getting cheap ones because once the coating starts coming off (and it always does at some point, it seems) you're going to throw them away and get new ones. You can spend $300+ like I did once and get high-end stuff like All-Clad or whatever, but even if you're super careful and use only wood and silicone utensils to cook on it, it'll still start peeling its coating, and then All-Clad will say you used metal silverware on it and your warranty is invalid, blah blah blah, and that's more hassle than you need. Just get cheap ones.
   
   
5. Now THIS is where you can spend some legit money. A tri-ply, high quality frying pan without a non-stick coating. These are great for making pan sauces while you cook, etc. I made a chicken, garlic, and olive oil with a red wine vinegar based pan sauce with this pan (well, and some baking dishes) that was incredible. All-Clad is the industry standard but the Tramontina stuff is 1/2 the price or less and built to near the same level of quality.
   
   
6. A nice, enameled Dutch Oven, whether it be from Le Creuset or Tramontina, these are the best for stews, soups, chili...etc. Hold heat forever, well built, and easy to clean.
   
   
7. A good fish spatula, which I almost never use to cook fish. It's actually just the best shape for omelets, eggs, whatever. Flipping anything in a pan with a utensil like this is awesome.
   
   
8. A thick ceramic baking dish for making things like lasagna or casseroles or even just roasting meats/veggies.
   
   
9. Believe it or not, cookie sheets covered with heavy duty aluminum foil are how I do a lot of my oven roasting of small things, like diced veggies or potatoes. They work perfectly and being so large they're able to be spread out so they get roasted on all edges for a little extra flavor. Brussel sprouts & diced bacon in a cast iron skillet to start and then dump them onto this and blast them in the oven at 425 for 15-20 minutes and you'll have a great side dish.
   
   
10. No matter how careful you are, you're going to get something caked on or get a dish so dirty you think it's uncleanable. For that, I recommend Barkeeper's Friend which is an awesome powdered cleaner. Add a little water, use a paper towel and this stuff to make a paste, leave it in the pan for a few minutes, then rinse. I have yet to see this fail. Awesome stuff. Saved some pans.
    
    
    There are lots of other things I use daily:
    
    

• Good kitchen towels
  
• Heavy Duty Aluminum foil
  
• A good dish scrubber for cleanup
  
  etc.
  
  But the point I guess I'm making is that you can get lots of good, cheap stuff to start with.
  

No worries at all, I'm more than happy to help as much as I can. I'm super passionate about tea and love seeing new people want to try it out, especially gongfu!

Because you've expressed interest in having a full gongfu set up, below I'm going to give you a couple examples of starter-packs consisting of a tea table, gaiwan, pitcher, strainer, and tea cups (and a tea pet if you're really feeling like going all out).

Nearly everything I'm going to list below is from Yunnan Sourcing's US-based website, because that way you won't have to wait for China shipping. Although, don't get used to US shipping. The deeper you get into this hobby, the more you're going to be ordering from vendors who ship directly from China, which generally takes anywhere from 10-15 business days. It's best to accept that fact up front and just get used to it--honestly, now I don't even notice. It shows up when it shows up.

Okay, without further ado, here's the full gongfu package that I'd recommend for one person just getting into gongfu.

Tea Table: ~$45.00USD (US Shipping)
https://www.amazon.com/Tasteful-Bamboo-Gongfu-Table-Serving/dp/B00M3Y8LNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503637708&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=gongfu+tea+tray&psc=1

Gaiwan + Teacup: $10.00USD (US Shipping)
http://www.yunnansourcing.us/store/index.php?id_product=1074&controller=product

Cha Hai (Glass Pitcher): $6.50USD (US Shipping)
http://www.yunnansourcing.us/store/index.php?id_product=86&controller=product

Strainer: $3.20USD (US Shipping)
http://www.yunnansourcing.us/store/index.php?id_product=89&controller=product

^That will have all the brewing utensils that you'd need to get started with gongfu (though some would argue you don't need the tea table, just use a cloth or a dish or something, but since you seem interested in the full package, that's what I'd go with...that's actually the table I use now!)

Now...when it comes to tea...

I'd first highly recommend picking up a scale (this one from Amazon is only $9.00USD and works really well: https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-AWS-600-BLK-Nutrition/dp/B000O37TDO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503639369&sr=8-1&keywords=American+weigh+scale

As for strong sweet flavor that doesn't need sugar, I'd recommend starting with oolongs, which are typically very smooth, sweet, floral, and somewhat creamy.

Here are a couple of my personal favorites that are extremely budget-friendly, ship super fast, and are all from Eco-Cha.

Four Seasons Spring Oolong: https://eco-cha.com/collections/all-tea/products/four-seasons-spring-oolong-tea-1

Dong Ding Oolong: https://eco-cha.com/collections/all-tea/products/dong-ding-oolong-tea

Alishan High Mountain Oolong: https://eco-cha.com/collections/all-tea/products/alishan-high-mountain-oolong-tea

If you're feeling adventurous, then I'd definitely pick up some puerh as well. The Basics Puer Tea Sample Set from White2Tea is
one of the best introductions you can ask for. It's $39.99USD for 400g of solid tea (4x100g cakes of Spring, Autumn, Huangpian [large leaf], and 10-year-old tea), and it always comes with a free puerh pick, and ships anywhere in the world for free, which is super nice.


If you purchase everything I listed, you'd spend ~$130.00USD, which would set you up with a tea-set you would grow into, and enough tea to last you roughly 2 months, and that's assuming you drink 10g of tea every day, which is highly unlikely.

If you're on a super tight budget, then I'd recommend ditching the tea table and just getting the gaiwan+teacup, the scale, and the teas. Everything else isn't nearly as important, though if you have the money, it's certainly nice to have the full setup.

Yo bro, I got you!

First Rolling Papers

Second thing for sure is Filters

Now you need a grinder and there's a lot of good ones out there, this is the one I went with a few years back and I still use it all of the time, plus it came with a pollen press but... It's a bit pricey!

I'm gonna give you the rest of my typical setup that are less used by others and just the "little things"

• A hand needle or an long/avg size but THIN screw/nail (anything). This really is a must, what I use is this guy
  
  
• I have an average sized RAW (hemp) tray, however I've noticed I keep using it less and less. You'll be fine without one just use a book or something but it's something to consider.
  *Get yourself a magnifying glass man. One of my all time favorite activities while I'm high with friends or even by myself is to just check out this dank skunk beautiful in front of me y'know? I went a step further and just recently bought a full on microscope.
  
  
• This scale will be just fine give it a nice wipe every once n awhile and it will be fine.
  
  
• HEMP WICK!! you'll want one it really is nice to have a kind of controlled flame. A typical bic lighter is actually making your trees too hot! You burnin away all of that deliciousness bro, gotta get a hemp wick. My preference is humboldt's hemp wick, they have been nothing but amazing for me constantly giving me random fun stuff for free and their product is solid.
  
  
• Smell Proof Bags There's plenty of cheaper options that are probably just as good I just use these and haven't changed.
  
  
• Check this Jar out! You want to be an ent, that's good, that's real good. This jar is the perfect representation of a proud and happy ent, just keep it filled!
  
  Alright so that's the basic shiznit my man. On a side note I'd recommend just giving vaporizers a try if you have the resources. I just recently made the switch to a PAX2 from a grav water pipe. Let me tell you the transition has been beautiful. Anyways, I hope this was helpful. Toke care, pal.

your BP isn't just thin, she's emaciated. you need to put some weight on her, but you need to do so gradually. you also really need to feed her f/t before she gets injured by live prey. if your enclosure is meeting her needs, and you're not causing her stress by handling her unnecessarily, she should eat f/t for you just fine. i guarantee she wasn't eating f/t at petsmart because she was stressed due to poor husbandry.

i'm going to dump a TON of information on you. some of it may be redundant, some of it may be useful. first, three detailed care sheets, a tub setup tutorial, and product recommendations to cover all types of enclosures. then i'll give you a breakdown of how i handled my emaciated BP, simultaneously putting weight on her safely and switching her from mice to rats. you'll fine more generalized feeding tips in the third care sheet. read everything thoroughly, then come back with any questions.

since i don't see any mention of what your enclosure is like, i'll start with this: glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.
  
  now for a suggested feeding regimen. if your BP will genuinely only eat live right now, you can safely start her on appropriately sized rat pinkies/fuzzies/pups. if their eyes haven't opened yet, they won't be able to bite her hard enough to cause injuries. once she fills out a little and can more comfortably skip a few meals, you should start working on switching her to f/t.
  
  at the time of rescue, my BP's weight was 140g, meals were one fuzzy mouse with an estimated weight of 5g, meal schedule was "once every few weeks". here's a breakdown of the meal sizes, schedule, and switch from mice to rats i used. this is all f/t, so dealing with live will be a little different.
  
  
• week 1: settling in.
  
• week 2: one fuzzy mouse, 5g, ~3% of BP's weight.
  
• week 3: two fuzzy mice, total 8g, ~5%.
  
• week 4: one fuzzy mouse, 5g. one rat pinky scented with the mouse, 5g. total 10g, ~7%.
  
• week 5: BP weight 155g. one hopper mouse, 10g. one scented rat pinky, 6g. total 17g, ~10%.
  
• week 6: one adult mouse, 14g. one scented rat pinky, 6g. total 19g, ~13%.
  
• week 7: one fuzzy mouse, 4g. one scented rat pup, 20g. total 24g, ~15%.
  
• week 8: BP weight 160g. one scented rat pup, 24g, ~15%.
  
  i continued scenting her rats for another couple of months, but that was more because it was easy [i have a corn who eats mice] than it being necessary. she was readily eating unscented rats within five months. a couple years later, i usually don't even have to warm up her rats beyond room temperature, though she does require some dangling with the tongs as she won't eat anything she hasn't "killed".

TL;DR warning

Are you willing to invest in some tools? Do you like Five Guys? (skinny burgers) The fastest burger procedure that I know of is Kenji's Ultra-Smash technique, which makes a pair of thin patties in no time. Takes about a minute per burger (two patties with cheese). Details here:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/03/the-food-lab-maximize-flavor-by-ultra-smashin.html

You can also do a regular smash burger, which is thicker (McDonalds-thin), but takes longer (~1.5 minutes per side, about 3 minutes total per burger):

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2012/09/the-burger-lab-smashed-burgers-vs-smashing-burgers.html

The advantage of the ultra-smash is that it's super quick & you can toss a piece of cheese to melt between two patties, so you can pump out a ton of burgers in no time. You will need a few tools, namely:

1. A metal cooking surface
   
2. A hi-temp heat source
   
3. A smashing tool
   
4. A high-quality spatula
   
5. A scraper (if doing ultra-smash)
   
6. A cheap IR temp gun
   
7. A cheap digital kitchen scale
   
   It's not rocket science, but getting a proper setup will let you have a workflow that makes cooking for a crowd a breeze. I have a big extended family, so I cook in bulk a lot, but I also use this for just my immediate family because it's so fast to get setup. There is an up-front investment required, but everything you'll buy will pretty much last forever, so it's worth it if you like to eat burgers!
   
   So the first two things you need are a metal cooking surface & a heat source that can pump out a lot of heat. I don't recommend a regular grill because they simply don't get hot enough; you need 600 to 700F to do this. You can either do a compact setup (a 2-burger surface with a single burner) or invest in a quality flat-top setup (more expensive, but lets you do more burgers at once). The ideal surface to do this on is a Baking Steel, which is very expensive. There are knockoffs for cheaper, but I like BS because they have a Griddle version with grooves to catch the grease:
   
   http://www.bakingsteel.com/
   
   You can also do it with cast iron. Lodge has a griddle for $25:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-LDP3-Double-Reversible-Griddle/dp/B002CMLTXG
   
   If I'm just doing a single regular smash burger at a time, I use a 12" cast-iron pan. $28:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Cast-Iron-Skillet-L10SK3ASHH41B-12-Inch/dp/B00G2XGC88/
   
   If you do get into cast-iron, read up on this seasoning procedure (i.e. the way to keep it smooth & slippery without Teflon). It's a bit of a pain, but it's worth learning because anything you buy in cast-iron can be handed down to your kids because it lasts forever:
   
   http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/
   
   You will want a heavy smashing tool as well. I have this massive 2.5-pound cast-iron press. It fits inside the 12" pan above (but not the 10"). $13:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Update-International-Heavy-Weight-Hamburger-Commercial/dp/B002LDDKZ6
   
   If you plan on doing ultra-smash burgers, you'll need a scraper. This is the one Kenji recommends, but you can probably find something locally: (Home Depot or Lowes)
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Plextool-Wall-Paper-Stripper/dp/B00AU6GQLQ/
   
   Anyway, getting back to the cooking part: you'll need a hi-temp burner. I like Bayou Burners, they sell them on Amazon. I have an SP10: ($50)
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-SP10-High-Pressure-Outdoor/dp/B000291GBQ
   
   I use that with my 12" cast-iron pan for when I'm just doing a few burgers for the family. 15 minutes = 5 burgers. You can also slap a flat surface like a cast-iron griddle or Baking Steel on that puppy. Also comes in a square version (not sure how the BTU's compare). I also have some KAB4 burners that I use with my Baking Steel, among other things. More expensive, but larger shell & burner: (more even heat over the cooking surface)
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-KAB4-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B0009JXYQY/
   
   For cooking more at a time, you can get a cooktop. Blackstone has a 36" cooktop available, but it doesn't get very hot (don't get me wrong, it's an awesome tool, but I've had trouble breaking 500F on mine, which means you're not cooking 1-minute burgers on it, plus the heating is kind of uneven, so you have to work in the hot spots for faster cook times). Also comes in a slightly smaller 28" version (but it's only like $50 less, so it makes more sense to get the full-sized version because you get so much more cooking area). The nice thing with this setup is that for $299 (or a bit less if you shop around at places like Cabela's), you can cook like 20 burgers at a time, it's absolutely insane! I make epic breakfasts on it. Plus it folds up for transport, which is really handy. We use it for all of our family events & holidays:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DYN0438
   
   A better version is from Tejas Smokers. They make camping stove carts that have burners built-in & have griddles available separately. They get super hot, downside is the cost: you can easily spend $700 on a nice setup.
   
   https://tejassmokers.com/Camp-Stove-Carts/23
   
   Oh yeah, Blackstone did just come out with a compact outdoor griddle which can run off those little one-pound green tanks if you want. They go for around $99 ($79 if you have an Ace Hardware near you). I have not tried this, but it gets good reviews. I'd be curious to see what kind of temperatures it can achieve:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Blackstone-Portable-Griddle-Outdoors-Camping/dp/B0195MZHBK
   
   So that's a basic introduction to the cooktops: you need some kind of decently-sized metal surface, a hi-temp burner, a smashing tool, and optionally (but recommended) a scraper. You will also want to get a strong, high-quality spatula. A good one is $32:
   
   http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/07/equipment-the-due-buoi-wide-spatula-my-new-fa.html
   
   Available here:
   
   http://www.duebuoi.it/x/uk_usd/catalog/p/spatulas~805-16x10.html
   
   If you opt for cast-iron, get an infrared temperature gun (doesn't work too well on shiny metal surfaces like steel tho). $17:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-1080-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00DMI632G/
   
   A cheap digital kitchen scale is useful too, for measuring out the proper amount of meat. $14:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Digital-Kitchen-Capacity-Stylish/dp/B003E7AZQA/
   
   This collection of tools ensures that you have the proper workflow: a metal surface to cook on, the ability to bring the surface to a high temperature (and know what that temperature is for precise control), the ability to weigh your meat so you can pre-measure out what you need, the ability to smash the burger down, and also to properly scrape it off. Again, it's not rocket science, but if you have a wussy grill or a crappy surface or weak smashing/scraping tools, you're gonna have a bad time. You just need the right setup to pump burgers out fast!
   
   So on to prep. For ultra-smash, you do a pair of 2-ounce ground beef balls. In the tutorial above, they use a mix of meat for 25% fat. I just grab some regular 80/20 ground plus some salt & pepper. For regular smash burgers, do a single 4-ounce ball (optionally 5 ounces...useful if you have a big cooktop for a bunch of burgers at one time & are only doing a single patty per burger). The nice thing is, there's no special prep required for the meat, so you can make all of your burger balls ahead of time. If you have 10 people & are doing ultra-smash, let's say half of them get 2 burgers, so 15 burgers total, or thirty 2oz balls. If you have 20 people & are doing regular smash, again with half getting an extra burger, that's 30 burgers total or thirty 4 or 5oz balls. So that takes care of prep...adjust as needed. If you're feeding mostly dudes, you'll want to add more seconds (and thirds) to the equation.
   
   There are a variety of buns you can get. Crap buns will make for a crap burger. See if you can find potato buns or brioche buns. Those are pretty soft. Buns aren't overly hard to make, but I have yet to find a decent recipe that takes under 40 minutes, so I usually only doing fancy home-baked buns for my family rather than a crowd. Buying 5 or 10 pounds of ground beef & making smash balls out of them will take you all of ten minutes, but making buns can take forever. Here's a good recipe if you want to try it out tho:
   
   http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/07/light-brioche-burger-buns/
   
   Or this, if you wanna get crazy:
   
   http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/05/fresh-cemita-rolls-mexican-sandwich-burger-bun-bread-food-lab-recipe.html
   
   Or this one, nom nom nom:
   
   http://amazingribs.com/recipes/breads/brioche_hamburger_buns.html
   
   But eh, just hit up Sam's/Coscto/BJ's and buy some hamburger buns in bulk, problem solved. Or find a local bakery that has good rolls. There's a good shootout of buns here:
   
   http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/04/the-burger-lab-whats-the-best-bun-for-my-burger-taste-test.html
   
   (continued)

Impress yourself! Because you are worth it, and you deserve a nice dinner. Make a very simple roast chicken; much easier than you'd expect. You can often find a chicken (at least where I am) for about a dollar a pound, and you'll get a few dinners out of it. Can save the bones to make soup or stock if you like, but for now...

I am a fan of two recipes, but there are 10,000 variations. Neither of these call for butter or oil, or anything exotic. So, it's basically just you and the bird. Roasting pan or cast iron, some way to raise the bird up (roasting rack, or one of those silicon trivets will do it, too), salt, pepper are the themes between both. The second recipe is slightly fancier and also calls for a lemon and some rosemary. You can use dried rosemary.

1. Thomas Keller's roast chicken. Roasting pan, roasting rack, salt, pepper, bird, oven at 450. You can tie up the bird, but I never do. You can take some of the extra steps (fooling with the wishbone), but I never do that either. Takes an 45-90 min depending on the size of the bird. Make a salad or some mashed potatoes (flakes don't suck -- throw in a little garlic if you got it) to go with it.
   
   ---this recipe is simply badass in its simplicity and its ease. Literally bird + salt + pepper + heat.
   
   
2. The Toby Ziegler (from the West Wing) method:
   bird, lemon, salt, rosemary, black pepper, a lemon.
   
   ---Zest the lemon if you have a zester. If you find yourself with a spare $10ish lying around, get a microplane. If you don't, don't worry about it. Cut the (maybe naked) lemon in half. Squeeze some of the lemon juice onto the bird. Get the zest onto the bird if you have it. Rub with some salt. Throw some rosemary on there. Get some rosemary and salt inside the bird, and put the lemon halves inside, starting breast side down. Put on roasting rack, 350 for... whatever the package recommends based on weight. I would hit the bird with some black pepper. Maybe throw a little garlic inside the bird. Not critical.
   
   ---I also tend to put in about 2 cups of liquid into the roasting pan -- usually 2 or 3 to one water to white wine, but if you don't have white wine (I buy cheap white and cheap rose for cooking) it's fine. I tend to flip the bird (haaaaaaaaa) after an hour or so. This is a much slower method.
   
   
3. throw together a simple salad to go with it. Some romaine, some tomato, a cucumber, some balsamic. If you have some fresh herbs around (maybe some basil) throw it right in there with the lettuce. A little feta or parm if you have it.
   
   
4. cranberry sauce is not a bad thing. I've got a recipe I like if you want to do that, but I am happy to buy the Ocean Spray stuff in the can because it tastes good. I don't always get it. It's not exactly health food, though.
   
   -----------------------------
   
   Other thoughts:
   
   
   
5. How to be poor and buy spices anyway: in the US (I'm in the Boston area), there are a good number of discount spice brands. I do not just mean the value brand at the grocery store (as often times those are teeeeerrible). If you have Badilla as a brand (check the Latin foods aisle), this is pretty spectacular, and cheap. Option 2 is find yourself an ethnic grocery store and buy Sadaf or one of those brands; e.g, I have a European grocery store near me (who also sell crazy cheap produce -- trying to help you stretch your budget), and got a large jar of taco seasoning for $2.50. This is versatile, and I've got some evil plans for it. But I mean, it's a brand I've never seen before (Castella), and 10 oz of the stuff. One of those places will probably have bullion cubes/powder, vinegars, and oils pretty cheap, too; I get sunflower oil for like $1.80/liter, which is awesome (if you like sunflower oil, but it's pretty versatile). I literally cut my produce bill in half starting to shop at a little Euro grocery, and my friends who live near this big Latin/African grocery have had similar benefits.
   
   --the bigger grocery stores sell like bulk tins of black pepper. These are often only a couple of dollars, and many times are the cheapest way to get it. If it gets a little weak, use a little more.
   
   
6. I really love Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. There is a new and updated edition that (used) runs about $10 shipped, but the classic big yellow book is about $5 shipped from Amazon. Idea fuel really, and it is how to cook frickin' everything.
   
   
7. learn to appreciate dried beans and their many uses. Cook the hell out of them so they get a good texture. I generally stick to chick peas, navy beans, and some other white beans. Buy the cheapest bags of them you can. These should never be an expensive item.
   
   
8. Do you have a slow cooker? Before you worry I'm saying "go throw $25 out the window," this is a solid yardsale/church rummage sale type of find. And people let them go for $5. A lot. See if you can get a 5-6 qt one. These are a common size. Slow cookers are awesome.
   
   
9. make your own salad dressings. This is kind of fun. A 16 oz glass jar is a great size. I splurged on a couple of those salad dressing jars that have recipes and fill lines on the sides, but the writing comes off. They were about $2 each, though, with screw top lids. But improvise. This is where the cheap spices, oils, and vinegars from the ethnic groceries come in :)
   
   
10. once in a while, have dessert in whatever fashion that looks like for you. Go for a walk after if you want, but as I tell my diabetic mother, "a little handful of french fries is not going to kill you, and neither is the occasional piece of cake." Her sugar is very well-controlled, but the point is don't be an asshole to yourself.
    
    -----------------------------
    
    I hope this helps. PM if you like. I know depression and anxiety all too well, and not wanting to cook is common with that -- and just makes you feel worse.

Welcome! This is a lot of info, but it's all stuff I wish someone would have told me before starting. I hope it helps you!

>How do I start?

Read this, this, and this. This beginner's guide by /u/nothingtoseehere28 is excellent. Make sure to familiarize yourself with everything on the sidebar -->

Then, calculate your macros.

Many people enter these in an app like My Fitness Pal, and then log all the food you eat throughout the day, trying to meet your goals. I use an app called CarbsControl which I like quite a bit.

My experience, and the folk wisdom around here, seems to be that it's crucial in the beginning to log everything you eat and not to guesstimate. I have this $15 food scale, which has been pretty invaluable in keeping track of what I eat.

After a few months of this level of tracking what goes in your body, you'll probably be able to gauge accurately enough to not have to worry about this step anymore. If you find you're plateauing or gaining weight again, start logging again.

Print out that google doc I linked to with all of the keto-friendly foods and their carb counts. Go through your cupboards, fridge, and pantry, and donate or toss anything that isn't on there. Highlight all of your favorite foods from the list, and make a grocery list.

My suggestion here would be to keep your list as simple as humanly possible, not worrying too much about cooking elaborate meals or doing any of the many amazing-looking substitute recipes people link to on here. For instance, my grocery list looks like this:

• Eggs
  
• Bacon
  
• Coffee
  
• Tea
  
• Heavy Whipping Cream
  
• Butter
  
• Spinach
  
• Romaine
  
• Broccoli
  
• Avocado
  
• Tuna
  
• Mayonnaise
  
• Whatever cheese is on sale
  
• Whatever meat is on sale
  
  And my breakfast is almost always: coffee with heavy whipping cream, an egg, 2 slices of bacon and some avocado. My lunch is almost always: tuna salad on spinach with cheese. And my dinner is almost always cooked meat with a vegetable.
  
  > What has helped you stay on track?
  
  The biggest thing for me was making it as easy as possible for myself. This is super personal and you might have to do keto for a bit before you figure it out. For me, it means:
  
  

1. Never having anything in my house that's not on the diet. If non-keto food is in my house, I will TOTALLY eat it. It's so much simpler not to.
   
   
2. Super, super simple meals that I eat pretty much daily. I don't have to think about recipes or groceries, and I don't have to constantly log new foods in CarbsControl or worry about macros or nutrients.
   
   
3. Know your personal pitfalls and have an easy plan to avoid them. I love to snack late at night. That's no good! So my plan is to have something for every situation: if I just want to compulsively eat something, I have celery. If I'm craving something sweet, I drink my favorite tea with warm frothed HWC and some a sprinkle of erythritol. If it's not late at night and I want to snack, it's time for some bulletproof coffee. It's a filling fat bomb that gives you tons of energy.
   
   Other than keeping it as simple as possible, the other thing that keeps me on track is visiting this sub. The pictures and personal stories are always inspiring and you can get answers to almost any problem you're having.
   Good luck!

Red light isn't good, you'll want a heat mat (MAKE SURE you have a thermostat for it or it will get too hot) and possibly a ceramic heat emitter (also needs a thermostat) for air heat. What are the temps and humidity and how do you measure them? Glass tanks usually don't hold humidity well and often aren't good for bps. You need at least 2 good hides, one for each side. They should be snug and enclosed with only one opening, preferably identical, half logs don't work.

Someone should come by with a really good care sheet, read it, it has some great info. I know this might be a lot of information, but having a good setup is important and will save you headaches in the future.

Edit: I found the care sheet. Credit to u/_ataraxia.

Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• the basics and then some
  
• common problems
  
• feeding problems
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. They have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

Background: I was in a similar situation last year, albeit a bit lighter. 5'6" 175lbs, 27 years old, hadn't exercised at all since a weight training class in high school. I'm now a regular solo gym-goer ... still nowhere near being a fitness expert, but I do know some things and I did go through the "noob" phase very recently.

Diet

I can't emphasize enough the importance of good eating habits. In your current situation, losing fat is a major priority, and therefore it is absolutely essential that you adjust your eating habits accordingly. All the exercise your body can handle (at least, in its current state) can't make up for eating at a major calorie surplus every day. (Anecdote: I once lost thirty pounds in four months by maintaining a calorie deficit, and no exercise beyond walking 1mi twice a day.)

Use a TDEE calculator to find out how many calories your body is using, and multiply that number by 0.8 to find out how many you should be eating. Some say subtract 500 instead; you can experiment a bit and figure out what works for you, but the important part is to settle into a healthy and sustainable calorie deficit.

It can be a huge, gigantic, unbelievable pain in the ass to count calories, estimate calories, and deny yourself treats because they have too many calories, but ultimately none of us can escape physics: To lose weight, calories-in must be less than calories-out. It definitely gets easier with time, as what are now strange and inconvenient methods become almost instinctive processes.

Keep a special eye out for liquid calories - it's okay to have some, but make sure they're counted! Coffee with cream and sugar, juice, and alcohol are the three big issues I've seen with people who claim to be counting calories perfectly, setting a healthy deficit, and still not losing weight. It also doesn't help that getting drunk makes it really easy to eat a lot of junk food.

If you don't cook, start cooking. If you do cook, start cooking healthy things with known calorie quantities. A simple $20 kitchen scale is incredibly helpful in putting together meals to target calorie goals.

Exercise

Hiring a personal trainer was incredibly helpful for me. If you can afford it, do it. If you can't afford it, ask if your gym offers any complimentary or discounted "intro" sessions. When I got back into the gym, I had no idea what to do, and I was afraid that whatever I might do, I would get get wrong. Having a professional helping me out made all the difference in getting me started and establishing the right habits. I used to have the same issues you did - not knowing what to do, not being confident that I could do it right, etc. - and I now work out three times a week on my own with full confidence that I'm "doing it right."

You should definitely decide on a routine and stick with it. The getting started section of the wiki has links to some good programs. I highly recommend either Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5. I'm doing SL5x5 now and I really enjoy both the simplicity and the results.

As for needing a spotter: Well, it's helpful, but it's not strictly necessary. Let's use SL as an example. It has five exercises: squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press, row. If you can't make it through a rep of deadlift, row, or OHP, you can just put the weight back down. If you can't make it through a rep of squat, let the bar sit on the rack and crawl out from underneath. If you can't make it through a rep of bench press, considering the low weights you'll be starting with, just lower the bar to your chest, and roll it down and off your body. (I'm mostly parroting the SL5x5 site right now. It describes this all in much better detail.)

It's also worth noting that you'll be starting at very low weights and gradually increasing them. This will help you develop a sense of when to go for one more rep and how to recognize that your body can't handle another one.

As for your girlfriend's ability to spot you: You'd be surprised. Until you get up to really high weights, a spotter won't have to do a ton of work to help you through a rep you can't finish. Let's say you're trying to do a set of five bench presses at 100 lbs. You make it through four reps but are struggling with the fifth one. At that point, you're still probably capable of pressing something like 80-90 lbs, so she'll just have to help you with the last 10-20 lbs. And of course, if you need your spotter to help you finish a rep, that means the set is over.

Best of luck with your fitness journey, and please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

That grinder will possibly give you issues with pour over. V60 is really picky too, and you will probably want a gooseneck kettle to use with it to make it much easier to get a good cup. The potential issue with that grinder (or similarly priced ones, which are all knock-offs of another hand grinder) is that it might give you a really inconsistent grind with a lot of fines, which could cause your pour over brew times to vary wildly and take far too long (ruining your coffee).

How much coffee do you want to make at once? If only one cup, here's what I recommend:

• You can keep that grinder and instead of a pour over (which is pickier about grinder + kettle type), get something like an AeroPress ($30). Also, get a scale too, to weigh out your beans + water in order to get a consistently good cup, every time.
  
  If you want a larger amount of coffee (though you might find making your own coffee with fresh beans gives you more of a kick of caffeine than a cup from McD), then pour over is a good way to go, but will probably require more and better equipment in order for it to not suck. The V60 is the pickiest pour over about grind consistency. I don't make large batches, so maybe someone else can chime in with recommendations for devices that might handle a lower quality grind. But no matter what, a better grinder will improve both your ability to make pour over, and the taste of the coffee. If you want to stick with pour over, here's what I recommend for equipment in order for it to not be hard and get coffee that doesn't suck out of it:
  
  
• Get the same scale I linked above. This is important for consistency; without weighing your coffee and water amount you can easily vary between making strong or weak coffee from day to day. It'll suck and be confusing. Scales are awesome and make everything easy.
  
• Get a good-enough grinder, at the very least. When it comes to coffee, the best grinder you can afford is the way to go, it'll make your coffee taste better and with pour over you'll be able to be better at making your coffee. For me, bare minimum is the Baratza Encore. For the same price point but better grind, see if you can get a Feldgrind. Or pre-order the Aergrind for a great deal. A Lido or Helor are good options too.
  
• A gooseneck kettle will be important too. V60 is very difficult without one if you want good coffee. Other pour overs you may be able to handle without needing a gooseneck, but it makes anything easier if you have the free cash flow. A good inexpensive one is the Hario Buono.
  
  And I would recommend going with white/bleached filters instead of the natural/brown ones. The nat/brown ones always have a strong paper taste you can't really get rid of.
  
  

I was in a similar place to you, I had been lifting, but just sort of doing stuff I learned in high school football. Uncontrolled diet. Then my wife and I started talking seriously about having a kid and I realize I needed to turn it around. Especially at 35, I'll be in my 50s when my son is a teenager, I need to be able to keep up with him.

Biggest thing: get your diet under control. Almost all contemporary studies show that exercise has almost no impact on your waistline. It's all about calories in (and calories out, but one hour of working out for me burns about 300 calories, which is about one slice of pizza from 7-11. It's way easier to not eat that slice of pizza).

I personally used MyFitnessPal, but any calorie tracker that has the food you eat regularly in its database will do. The app will guide you after you tell it the basics: how much you weight, how many pounds per week you want to move and your level of activity. I'd also recommend a food scale so you can actually portion out your food properly. I personally used an Etekcity, but honestly anything accurate will work.

After that, find an exercise routine you will do. Not the most efficient one. Not the one that supposed adds the most muscle mass or burns the most fat. The best exercise routine is the one you will actually do. If you find it too much of a chore and easy to talk yourself out of, you'll never do it. For me, it was heavy powerlifting. So I started really program lifting, not just going through some routines from a high school football coach that I half remember.

I started on Stronglifts 5x5, which I would recommend for any lifting beginner because it's only five exercises, less than hour a day only three days a week. The maker of the program has super in depth form guides and a ridiculously easy to use app to track your progress that automatically tells you what weight to use as you progress. That said, I wasn't that much of a novice, and wish I had found Greyskull LP a little earlier on. I switched to Greyskull after about six months on Stronglifts. I prefer Greyskull because there is less emphasis on leg routines and the AMAP sets are fun. But Greyskull dines't have a snazzy app or very detailed how to guides, so while it is a linear program designed for noob gains, if you're not at least a little proficient in lifting, it might be too difficult to figure out. I used the iOS app Strong and customized it for Greyskull because of the lack of official app.

Now I'm on 5-3-1, which I am really, really enjoying. But it is really slow, I wouldn't recommend it to beginners just because you can progress so fast as a noob lifter. A linear program like Greyskull or Stronglifts is better. I've heard good things about Starting Strength as well, but can't personally vouch for it.

I went from a 215 lbs guy at 5'8" with a body fat percentage I don't even want to think about to 165 lbs with calculated 1RMs in the 1,000 lbs club in a year and a half. The weight came off stupid fast with MyFitnessPal, I shed twenty pounds in two months no problem because I honestly didn't realize how much garbage I was shoveling into me. Now I'm tracking my protein intake and shedding more fat as I pack on the muscle, I'm down to 12% body fat and feel really good. My kid is only 14 months old right now, but he already walks over three miles a day and it feels good that I can keep up with him, bend down, pick him up, wrestle, and just play around. It's worth it.

You can do it. I have a career, I am the primary caretaker on my dude (because I work from home) and I still hit the gym four times a week and just keep using MyFitnessPal to track that protein. If I can do it, anyone can. Good luck!

> favorite

> easy

>really cheap

Sure. Both pho and ramen do require you to have some pantry essentials on hand, so there's an up-front cost involving a trip to the best Asian market you can access, but like any kitchen essential, once you have it it's there & you'll quickly learn what you burn through quickly and what sits on the shelf for months at a time. We're talking maybe $50 to be able to make a pretty endless supply of soups that generally cost ~$15 at a restaurant, so it's a good deal.

I prefer chicken pho (pho ga) because it tastes better to me than beef pho (pho bo), it's much easier and it's much cheaper. So it fits your bill.

For pho ga there are only two pantry items you really need:

• fish sauce — something like this or this, NOT something like this or this. Those last two links are awful US supermarket brands
  
  
• yellow rock sugar
  
  The recipe is pretty idiot-proof. Other than charring the onion and ginger until they're blackened—this is an essential step—and using enough rock sugar to give the broth some sweetness, the most important step is to blanch the chicken parts so your broth isn't cloudy. The steps for that are in the recipe.
  
  [Pho ga from Andrea Ngyuen.] (https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2007/06/chicken_pho_noo.html) Andrea's The Pho Cookbook is very good, but a whole book on pho is a little redundant IMO (Mai Pham is another Vietnamese chef who wrote the outstanding Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table if you're interested in a more comprehensive book on Viet cuisine; her pho ga recipe is virtually identical to Andrea's).
  
  For ramen I don't prefer chicken over the traditional pork, and TBH there's a much wider, denser spectrum of ramen out there than there is of pho—but chicken will still be the easier and cheaper option, and it's still fucking good. I've actually had a pot of chicken ramen broth going on my stove since last night, so I'll share that recipe here.
  
  The pantry staples for ramen are more complicated, so I'll just list them and you can see what's available in your area and what you might want to order online. They are:
  
  
• konbu (a variety of seaweed; thick, rectangular strips of kelp)
  
  
• mirin (rice wine used for cooking)
  
  
• sake (also rice wine, but generally served as a beverage)
  
  
• white soy sauce
  
  
• usukuchi soy sauce (a light soy sauce)
  
  
• niboshi
  
  
• katsuobushi
  
  That list might look intimidating. Don't let it be. Konbu, niboshi and katsuobushi are just dehydrated seafood & fish that will store in your pantry forever. Mirin and sake are just booze and the other two are just soy sauce. Easy.
  
  Now, ramen is a LOT more time-intensive than pho but don't let that scare you off. It takes 8–10 hours, but really only 1–2 of those are active depending on how fast you prep the ramen's seasoning ("tare"). Like I said, I put my chicken ramen (chicken paitan) on the stove last night before going to bed, and I'm just finishing off the last hour of it this morning while I type this. And after you soak the initial tare ingredients in the fridge—you can do that overnight while your broth simmers, too—then completing it only takes about 15 minutes. Comparatively, pho ga takes about two hours start to finish. But other than clock-watching, both of these recipes are so easy that any novice can tackle them.
  
  Both /r/pho and /r/ramen are a little circlejerk-y when it comes to just posting photos of bowls of soup (TBF I guess there's only so much you can actually say about either), but /r/ramen has a very good contributor/mod in /u/Ramen_Lord whose sidebar tour of ramen recipes will make homemade ramen feel very accessible to the American cook.
  
  Here is that entry for chicken paitan ramen, the thing that's going in my kitchen at this moment:. The recipe itself is in this comment.
  
  Enjoy, and feel free to ask any further questions! I do recommend buying an inexpensive kitchen scale as the one piece of equipment other than a pot, spoon and knife that you really want to have for soupmaking. Something less than $20 will do. Otherwise an immersion blender is a very, very handy tool to have around the house but it's in no way necessary. Have fun!

I know you said no to utensils, but I think these are possible exceptions:

Microplane grater - Best grater ever. Amazing for garlic, ginger, hard spices, cheese, citrus zest, chocolate shavings, etc. etc. I have one, and would be happy to have another just because they're so useful.

Victorinox tomato/steak/utility knife - This knife is marketed in three different ways because they're just so damn handy. I'd just go for whichever is cheapest, they're all the same. Incredible knife for little jobs that always seems supernaturally sharp. Cuts cleanly through even the ripest tomatoes, sails through thick-skinned limes, dices ginger like no other, slices garlic paper-thin, neat and tidy (and un-squished) sushi rolls, bagels, etc. etc. I have 3 and would be happy to have another. I've given plenty of these as gifts and they're always appreciated.

Silicone spatula/spoonula - Pretty much every other cooking utensil has grown dusty and unused since I got my silicone spoonula. More heat-resistant than plastic or wooden alternatives, so nothing bad happens when you leave it resting on the pan. Insanely easy to clean. Amazing for getting every last bit of sauce/icing/batter/etc. Best thing ever for cooking omelets or scrambled eggs. I wash mine immediately after use every time because I know I'll be using it again soon. I would happily replace every wooden spoon and plastic spatula in my kitchen with one of these. Then I'd have 6, and I would be very happy.

SilPats. Best thing to put on your baking sheet, ever. Also provides a great work-surface for sticky doughs/batters, melted chocolate, caramel, etc. You don't really need multiples of these I suppose, but I certainly wouldn't complain.

My favorite thing about coffee as a "hobby" is that, like some have said, it's a hobby that isn't just a waste of money. Fresh beans are a huge 1st step, they really just have tons of flavors that change almost as you work through the bag, and sometimes I feel like the first sip of a french press is different than the middle, etc. For me the different methods I use just work better for different beans, I'm still figuring that out myself. I prefer to french press african beans, pour over on more typically "harsh" beans, and I'm still dialing in aeropress, but I feel like it takes a lot out of the coffee so it seems to work best if I'm like "hmm I'm not sure I like this bean", aeropress... oh nevermind it's great.

You could buy:

Good grinder ~$140

Scale $15

Kettle $25

And three interesting and different types of brewers:

Aeropress ~$30

V60 ~$20

French Press ~$20

That's all the gear for now, you're SET until you become a crazy coffee nut, but for me 90% of the coffee I make is in one of those 3 methods. I have a moka pot, and they're cool too. But that's $250 for gear, and you could probably save a bit with different grinder options but plan to drop the biggest amount of that.

Add in $20 for some high quality beans (S&W is great and their reddit discount is on this page somewhere) and you're around $270 to be brewing great coffee a few different ways. Now you have 4+ different coffees, 3 ways to make it, and the equipment to make sure you're doing it "right".

Okay that's a lot and I hate this "if you buy a cup of coffee a day" crap, but let's just say you drink work swill most of the time, but get a cup of coffee out 3x a week. At $3/cup maybe you tip a quarter each time, you pay off this stuff in 6 months and these things pretty much last forever.

The point is, yes, some of the costs of entry (specifically the grinder) can be a little daunting, and sometimes we get carried away, but overall, the cost of making great coffee at home is significantly less than going out. You're actually getting BETTER coffee too, trying different ways to make it, and enjoying yourself. Wow, okay rambling there. Good luck!

Here's u/ataraxia's classic link dump I found on a other post. Although the informstion is written for bps (most common snake people have trouble with it seems- mostly due to the humedity) but the suggestions could definitely help you for the humedity aspect needed for your boa.


You should definitely read it through.

i'm going to dump a bunch of helpful links on you. the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

Well my other post is getting downvoted to oblivion for some reason so here's the main post from that thread:

As I mentioned in my previous post (here: http://www.reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/214lbh/im_thinking_about_selling_my_extraunneeded_coffee/ ), I've recently upgraded both my kettle and my scale and since both are still in really good condition, I thought I'd offer them for sale at a decent price here on r/coffee.

I'd prefer they go to someone who wouldn't be able to afford purchasing these items new as a way to give back to the r/coffee community who have helped me so much on my coffee journey over the last few years. Obviously I have no way to verify so I'm going on the honor system here but if you're just looking for a good deal and trying to be frugal, please don't attempt to buy these from me. These are both great products and well worth their price new if you can afford them.

With that said, here's detail on the two items I'm selling:

Bonavita 1.0L Electric Kettle

• Just under 2 years old - Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005YR0GDA
  
• I paid $49.74 but it is currently listed at $59.99 - Asking $30
  
  
  American Weigh Scales AMW-SC-2KG Digital Pocket Scale
  
  
• Less than 3 months old - Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RF3XJ2
  
• I paid $27.67 but it's currently listed at $16.99 - Asking $10
  
  Shipping within the US = $5 per item
  
  
  Some additional information:
  
  Photos: http://imgur.com/a/2mIRB
  
  Videos of both items showing that they are both in working order:
  
  
• AWS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQvyJqH65d8
  
• Bonavita - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc-vKMv-ZrQ (please note the thermometer is not included)
  
  Notes:
  
  
• The AWS scale includes the original box and all the items originally shipped with it. Does not include batteries (I use rechargeables, sorry) but it does have the AC plug which can be used in place of batteries.
  
  
• The Bonavita scale does NOT include the original box or paperwork but does include an aftermarket silicone flow reducer (this can be easily removed if not wanted). It includes all the original hardware. There is some light scale in the bottom of the kettle (see photo above) but I've only ever used filtered water in the kettle so it shouldn't pose any issues.
  
  
• Both items are in excellent working order and I have had no problems with either. With that said, caveat emptor! The kettle is 2 years old and I have no idea what their life expectancy is. Only guarantee is that items are as described and will be in working order upon arrival.
  
  
• I replaced both items only because I found really good deals on upgrades to a Bonavita Variable Temp Kettle and a Bonavita Scale (both thanks to r/coffee!) otherwise I'd still happily be using these myself.
  
  Sale Info:
  
  Sale to be completed through Paypal and payment must be made before the items ship. As to picking the "winning" recipient(s); if you are interested in either/both of these items, please PM me which items you're interested in and what country you live in (commenting in this thread won't count). I'll use a RNG to pick both "winners" by the end of the week and update the post accordingly. If for any reason that person can't take possession of the item, I'll RNG another person. Hopefully that sounds fair to everyone. :)
  
  I've tried to answer all the questions I could think that you'd want to ask but if I missed anything please let me know and I'll answer as best I can. Thanks!

Finally, a contest I feel like I can contribute well to! I cook all the time and have amassed quite a few recipes I can share. I eat mostly paleo, so a lot of the recipes that I use don't have any form of wheat/grain in them, but others do. I'll leave you with a couple.


Chopped Greek Salad This is one of my all-time favorites for the summer. I head to the farmer's market, grab up everything that I need, and though it takes some prep work it keeps well for a few days in the fridge and makes for a great lunch. You can add some grilled chicken and feta if you're feeling saucy.


Black Bean Quesadillas I make these literally once a month, in a huge batch, and freeze them. They are awesome for throwing in a lunchbox as well, and are vegetarian. All good stuff, and if you use low-fat cheese you're winning at life. I usually serve these with some guac I buy at the grocery store for some healthy fats, as well as some grilled asparagus.


Oven Fajitas Another one from Budget Bytes! Her stuff is so good and it's really good on your wallet. I like to make a bunch of this up, and either serve it in tortillas or on top of romaine lettuce for a salad.


BONUS: Zoodles! I discovered the Vegetable Spiralizer or Vegetti a few months ago and I'm living for the noodle replacement. This recipe is so good! I added it as a bonus because you may not have one, but I totally recommend it! Use the zoodles in place of any noodle in a dish...just make sure to cook em up in olive oil or something real quick for a few minutes so they're softish.



Third thing.



Thanks for the contest!

I highly recommend you read the below information. Guaranteed that you'll be completely redoing your set up after reading all of this.

Credit: u/_ataraxia

The first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. Read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry, due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. Wood enclosures can also be suitable, if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. I'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.
  
  If you set up a good enclosure, and the temperatures and humidity are correct with no special treatment, the most work you need to do is feed every 1-2 weeks, spot clean the substrate and clean the water dish as needed [once or twice a week], and do a full enclosure cleaning every 1-6 months.

Oh my god... it's like my dreams. all wrapped up into one contest!!

1. Wow, that is a really hard question. I'm kind of a movie nut buuut if hard pressed, I would have to say my absolute FAVORITE that I could rewatch over and over and still get swept up in time and time again would have to be The Dark Knight. Which is kinda weird for me since I was never really into the whole "superhero" "action" movies thing, but I can't explain it. I just love it :)
   
   
2. Honestly, I would like to win for myself. I'm a huge lover of r/MUA but my own makeup repetoire doesn't go much further than mascara! I absolutely love to try new things and new products so this would be fab. I actually just made a post about 2 weeks ago asking for help about how to make a basic haul soo... this really did come at a perfect time :) I would really like to... Sprout up and take the challenge.... of learning to makeup... (anything? hahaha)
   
   
3. Non-makeup entry under $5: Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer This baby is the bee's knees. The reviews really make me wanna give it a whirl. Makeup entry under $5: Lipstick! I stole this daring little lipstick for my list yesterday from /u/adragonisnoslave... it's just perfect!
   
   
4. Sprout & Bubble! (is this cheating? :P)

Wow I'm sure you're hookah knowledge will come into play at some point. That's more than I got. At least you're familiar with identifying flavor profiles and knowing what ingredients compliment each other.

I have no past history of flavor mixing except some basic cooking skills. What's worse, I'm really only into tobacco flavors, at least for now. So ya, we all know bananas and strawberries go well together, throw in some pineapple or orange and you got a great smoothie. Transferred to ejuice logic that means you just gotta experiment with percentages. Not saying it's easy, but nevertheless, common knowledge lets us know what flavors might work. But tobacco? I mean, I've had some luck with 3 recipe mixes but I see these 7-10 ingredient recipes for tobacco on e-liquid.com and wonder how the f anyone could decide on what goes where lol.

Here's a tutorial for e-liquid calculator in case you buggered it.

For the VG/PG problem, check and check again that you're entering the correct values into the calculator. Also, your flavors are most likely PG base. On e-liquid calculator, PG is set by default for the flavors so that shouldn't be a problem. But if you're using a different calculator, it might be the reason. Your nic is also probably PG based.

But if you enter everything into the calculator properly this shouldn't be happening.

Also, do yourself a massive favor and start mixing by weight! It's FAR more accurate and has the added benefit of being way easier to clean up.

Here is the scale most mixers use. It's only 26 bucks! Will save you so much trouble in the long run.

And I think I linked this to you already, but when you're scale arrives, this tutorial will explain all. Very simple and quick and clean once you get the hang of it.

As far as I can tell, you won't need algebra thanks to our handy e-calculator. Although, math knowledge def won't hurt. If you're using a box mod of any kind and building your own coils, some math is advised. re: Ohms law and calculations for battery safety. I have lots of handy resources on that if you're in need :)

Another handy trick with mixing single flavor recipes to start.. Provided that they are all the same PG/VG ratio and same nic content, you can go ahead and combine the individual 'single flavor mixes' after they've steeped to further test how a combo might taste. That would give you a decent idea of how a 2 flavor recipe would taste. *Not sure if I wrote that thought clearly lol.

E-liquid recipe sharing is a big thing in the DIY community and it's f-ing amazing. When you browse e-liquid-recipes.com, be sure to sort by rating cuz those are recipes that several users have tried. So 5 or 4 star recipes are generally a safe bet I'm guessing.

Once you sign up to the site go to my page and follow me. I have no followers so I'll know it's you and follow you back :)

Def keep in touch. I can't wait to not be a noob lmao.

That's actually a really decent breakdown to hit. I would be eating the 3 servings of 4 ozs of chicken, or 100 grams to be even more specific (I recommend a Digital food Scale (this is the one I have). 100 grams of chicken breast contains 43 grams of protein, so 3-100 gram servings is an aggressive amount even.

Once at this level, focus on getting to the right amount of calories, and fat content. Eggs are a great way in a low-fat diet to be eating good fats, in each egg there are about 5 grams of fat, so 2-3 in the morning is a great way to start the day. Milk is also a great way to get good fats, and it's cheap, and both of the above items have enough protein to put you well over your protein goals.

What I would do is go to the grocery store and dollar general, and start writing down some prices and nutrition facts, it'll be a lot of work at first, but an excel file on your computer, or a google doc on your phone is a great tool for eating healthy and cheap. Stay away from the highly processed foods, even granola bars have tons of preservatives, and a list of ingredients that rival the constitution. Make your own if you want, it's super easy to do with some brown sugar and butter together in a pan and pouring over a sheet pan of almonds, pumpkin seeds (SUPER CHEAP), oats, dried cranberries or raisins, puffed millet (like rice crispies). Mix it together, and bake at 350 until it all hardens together, let cool and cut. It's super easy to make your own granola bars, and they won't have all the crud in them. The nuts will help you to reach your fat goals, some protein, and then the sugar and oats will help with carbs. (Can also use honey, agave, or just sugar and water together. The oats will release starch if using sugar and water which will help to bind it in the oven, but still don't use a lot of water, more sugar, just enough to make a light syrup)

Use the document you create to either meal prep, or organize your meals for the day/week or even month.

TBH I don't even monitor my protein intake anymore, because I definitely eat more than enough with the amount of chicken, my protein shakes, my homemade protein bars (1/2 cup protein powder [unflavored or flavored], 1/2 cup ground/blended oats, 1/4 cup milk, chocolate for coating it. Combine all the dry ingredients and then add the milk, it will be a thick texture, but don't add more milk, it needs to have a consistency to mold into bars, and I coat in a think coating of chocolate so that it all holds together. This makes about 4 bars and costs about 2.50 depending on how much the protein powder costs, and how much chocolate you coat it in) the nuts, eggs, broccoli, spinach, lentils or quinoa, peas, all of these things have significant amounts of protein. I only monitor my calorie intake, and then my fat intake, if those are on, I am typically over my protein goal slightly, and under in carbs, but I also have studied nutrition a lot, so eating cheap is both easier and harder because I want what I can't afford when I'm in the grocery store. Have the discipline, put in the work, and stick to your budget, and this'll be no problem for you. I hope some of these suggestions are helpful, I'll say eating on this budget doesn't mean a lot of variety, but just keep in mind the health benefits. You'll get really good at cooking chicken!

I am a bot programmed to automatically provide the following content by /u/_Ataraxia when summoned. Link to the most recent version of this content here

The first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions. Let /u/_Ataraxia know if any of the links don't work.

Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

Ball Python Care Guides

• the basics and then some
  
• common problems
  
• feeding problems
  
  Set-up Recommendations
  
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. some popular brands include animal plastics [most recommended], boaphile plastics [i personally have these and like them], reptile basics, and vision cages, though you'll find many more with a quick google search. many people will use a tub at first and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter[CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as pro products [most recommended] or reptile basics.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.
  
  Copypasta version 7/24/2018 (c) /u/_Ataraxia
  
  I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

I'll throw my vote in for a sharpening stone. If he doesn't already have a nice sharpening set, maybe consider getting him something like a nice diamond sharpening stone; I've seen them for $50 or less.

Tools are always nice. Here are some suggestions to think about:
~ microplane grater
~ Japanese mandolines can be fun to have around.
~ Fish spatulas can be a handy tool.
~ Does he have a good quality peeler? Everyone has a "normal" peeler, but I like to have a good quality horizontal peeler, like one of these, to use sometimes.
~ Does he do a lot of baking? If so, maybe some silicone baking mats for his baking sheets, or maybe some parchment paper.
~ Does he like to use fresh citrus juice very much? Does he have a citrus reamer?
~ Does he like to use fresh garlic? Maybe a garlic press?
~ Silicone spatulas?
~ Does he have a pepper grinder for fresh ground pepper?
~ Does he have a set of mise en place bowls or something to use to keep his stuff organized when he's working?
~ Does he have a scale? You can find plenty of options for home-use digital scales that can weigh up to 11 or 12 pounds, and use either pounds, or grams (if he's doing anything metric.)
~ Something like a good quality cast iron pan can be a lifetime investment, because if they're well cared for, he'll be able to pass it on to his grandkids someday.
~ A dutch oven will always be useful to serious home cooks. The enameled cast iron type are very popular, but they come in many different sizes and shapes, so keep that in mind when picking one out.
~ Knives are always nice. Paring knife, utility knife, serrated slicer, etc.

Those are just a few suggestions that popped into mind. Good luck, I hope you find something nice for him.

Yeah just look into the solution and make sure it's clear.

Also make sure you're measuring your weight of substance and how much solution you're gonna use. I recommend the AWS Gemini scale. It's not accurate at super low ranges (hence the need for volumetric solutions), so you weigh out how much you're gonna use before hand. I like to weigh the bag before (full) and after (making solution) to compare how accurate the measurement was (obviously both could be off but they're usually within +/- 5mg which isn't much at this scale. (no pun intended lol).

A cardstock type paper is really good for weighing the powder with a crease down the middle, or what I use: cheap chinese wax weigh papers because the powder doesnt stick to them at all, and they're cheap and disposable. pour the powder into the vial (don't spill!) (here's a list of a bunch of bottles, it's hard to find what you exactly need and they usually come in big packs). My bottles actually came with a little aluminum funnel which doesn't work too good cuz the powder gets stuck to it, so I just kinda crease the paper and pour it into the vial opening very slowly being sure not to spill. Do it over a piece of paper or something if y ou're worried about spilling, since you've already measured it you can just take that paper and pour the "spilled" product into the botttle.

I don't have the full set of these but one of these like this with one scoop end and one flat end is really useful for the flat end to get into corners of baggies and whatnot, so I'd recommend something like this as a a scoop:

My vials are 60ml but I like to have extra space to shake the solution (important) so I only put 50ml at once to leave room for shaking. So say for 10mg/ml of etiz I would do 500mg etiz + 50ml PG. (1ml = 10mg, personal preference). If I was doing flualp I would do 100mg flualp 50ml PG. (personal preference of 2mg/ml since I usually dose between 0.6mg (0.3ml) and like 1.8mg (0.9ml).

To measure the PG you're gonna either need a graduated cylinder or, what I use which is probably slightly less accurate but there of course is a small margin for error as long as you know about the concentration, I use a 10ml syringe to fill the vial. 5 10ml pumps = 50ml.

For dosing lots of people will tell you to count the drops and that "there are 20 drops in 1ml no matter what" which is completely untrue, the only way to know exactly how much you're taking is using oral syringes. They're super cheapa if you can stand to wait a month from china, but you get like 20 (which is kinda required because after a while the lines start to fade on them. each tick is a 0.1ml so a full syringe is 1ml so if you have a 10mg/ml solution a full syringe is 10mg of etizolam, so if you only need 2mg or something it cuts down on the amount of PG you have to ingest. Lots of sites that sell premade solutions overcharge insanely for how little work it is to make yourself, and on top of that give you weak ass solutions like 2mg/ml (of etiz) or 4mg/ml (not even divisible by 10 so it gets confusing trying to dose that!) which make you intake way more PG than necessary. (It is food safe but it's pretty gross and some people can have adverse reactions).

Anyways...

There's lots of threads out there about this too if you need a full on step by step guide just google "etizolam solution" (most common one, it's the same for every substance, you just might want different concentrations for different strengths of drug). I tend to try and make my solutions as potent as possible so I don't have to eat an unnecessary amount of PG, or spend as much time making solutions!

Good luck and sorry for being judgemental earlier, glad you're at least willing to learn and I'm sure your friend was okay, just blew my mind knowing how I reacted to .250mg of flualp with no tolerance, lol.

Also you caught me on a pretty stimmy day so enjoy the fully cited guide, I don't think I missed anything. I don't necessarily use or endorse any of the specific products I linked just used them as examples of things you'd need; except the AWS Gemini 20, which is a must if you're weighing powders.

Sorry for the stim rant but I hope I helped out. Edited to add 1ml syringe dosing information.

I think to best answer this request, we'll need a bit more info. Are you ok with a manual grinder, or do you prefer an electric grinder? Do you want a drip brewer or a pour over set up? Are you looking to get into espresso? And, what is your actual budget in your local currency?

And now for a guess at what might work for you...

A [Melitta Plastic Pour Over Dripper](https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Ready-Single-Coffee-Brewer/dp/B0014CVEH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527536804&sr=8-1&keywords=mellita) $5 to $6 (a lot of grocery stores carry these in stock)

A box of #2 Cone filters at your local grocery store $2

If you want an automatic drip brewer, and you are making smaller amounts for just you, the [Bonavita 5 cup](https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1500TS-Carafe-Coffee-Stainless/dp/B00SK5IXPQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537674&sr=8-4&keywords=bonavita+brewer) is wroth a look. it runs about $66. I have the 8 cup for the wife and I and we love it.

Filters can be purchased, again, at your local grocery store for about $2.

[Brewista SmartPour Kettle w. Thermometer](https://www.amazon.com/Brewista-Variable-Temperature-Kettle-BKV12S02NA/dp/B01CFBBUVY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537033&sr=8-1&keywords=brewista%2Bsmart%2Bpour&th=1) $40. There are cheaper ones, but I personally have this one and have loved it.

[Scale](https://www.amazon.com/Jennings-CJ-4000-Compact-Digital-Adapter/dp/B004C3CAB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537139&sr=8-1&keywords=Jennings+CJ4000) This is a must. $30

[Bratza Encore](https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1527537371&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=baratza+encore&psc=1&smid=A302OQK4GZWXCC) Grinder is the default recommendation around here, and for good reason. It's high quality, and easily serviceable. New they run $139, but you can save $40 and pick up a [refurb](https://www.baratza.com/product/encore-refurb/) (still with the 1 year warrantee) for $99 direct from Baratza.

If you want a cheaper option, and don't mind a manual hand grinder, there are a few options, but the [Hario Skerton Pro](https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Grinder-MMCS-2B/dp/B01MXJI90S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537536&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+skerton+pro) is about the lowest cost / still decent quality grinders, grinder that most would recommend. It runs about $60, and personally, I'd spend the extra $30 on an Encore refurb.

Happy Mug Beans are a pretty great option. I really enjoy the Big Foot Espresso blend (despite it's name) as a pour over, and even like it in my drip brewer. The Inspirational Artist Blend is a great option too. But really just try them out and see what you like. Their bags (for 1lbs of whole beans) run $11 - $13

Hope that helps.

When I first got into DIY 2 years ago, my first goal was to craft a green tea recipe from scratch. I've probably put more study into green teas than any other type of flavor, but this was the verdict in the end:

• FW Green Tea is pure garbage
  
• FE Green Tea was decent, but had some strange off-notes
  
• FLV Eisai Tea is perfection
  
  After a ton of experimentation, I came up with this recipe: Shinto
  
  If you're planning on creating a new green tea recipe, stay at or below 1% FLV Eisai Tea. It is very strong.
  
  --On your question when it comes to flavor retailers, one of the very best is bullcityflavors.com. They stock nearly everything and at very competitive prices. If you ever can't find a particular flavor you're looking for, there, check ecigexpress or the flavor manufacturer's own website.
  
  --On nicotine: the most cost-effective and simple to use mix is 100mg/ml nicotine in a 100% PG base. You'll find this mix on most nicotine retailer's sites. Nicotine does not mix well in VG, so you end up with a lot of hotspots if you get it in a VG base. The best nicotine comes from Carolina Xtracts, period. Second best is Liquid Nicotine Wholesalers.
  
  --Stop mixing your flavors at 10% or some arbitrary number, or you're going to end up with a lot of shitty mixes. Every flavor has a particular percentage that works best, either by itself or in a particular recipe. FW Blueberry, for example, is great at 6%, but if you put 6% FLV Eisai Tea in a bottle you would probably throw up.
  
  On that note, the greatest thing that changed everything about how I mixed was getting a scale. A huge amount of people on this sub are currently using this scale.
  
  The next best thing was finding the best recipe calculator available, which is EjuiceMeUp. Free, offline software that simply works.

Congrats on starting the process to learn to cook! What are some simple dishes you and your dad find tasty that you would like to learn to cook? I would start there. Get one of them nailed this week, another one next week, double up the following week. The first meals I learned to prepare were: grilled cheese sandwich with a fried egg, sheet pan roasted chicken thighs with potatoes and Greek seasoning, spaghetti with a sauce made from balsamic roasted roma tomatoes and red peppers, eggplant parmesan, chili con carne (this one is great because it lasts for days), blended soups with crusty bread and salad. If you'd like any of these simple recipes, message me and I'll DM them.

If you and your dad enjoy salads, learning the art of the simple salad is a great trick to add more veggies into your life. Learn to make a simple vinaigrette as the bottled stuff is trash. My fav is fresh lemon juice, fresh chopped garlic, a big pinch of of salt, good olive oil, a drop of maple syrup (you can sub a pinch of sugar) and a bit of mustard. Shake up in a mason jar with a lid (you can use an old pickle jar or anything else.) You can play with the ratios to your liking but usually it's 1/3 acid to 2/3 oil. Buy a box of salad greens and dress with your homemade dressing (which can keep in the fridge for a while in mason jar.) Add additional veggies and other toppings later like croutons and cheese, but honestly I just prefer dressed greens as a side to all my meals.

One trick is to get a sheet pan and some foil if you don't have one in your house. You can make a variety of healthy dishes and cleanup is a breeze. Here is a link for some quick and easy sheet pan recipes.

Another trick: get a large box of kosher salt and never look back. Use that to season while cooking and season finish dishes. Table salt is terrible. Last trick: taste as you go. Never wait until right before serving to taste your meal. This helps you season and also helps you learn seasoning skills as you go.

I would also say at the beginning, it's fine to use partially prepared foods as a starting off place. For example, in college I would buy pre-cooked pizza crust and add my own toppings (sauce, mozzarella, veggies). I would also buy pre-made pasta sauce and add to it by sauteeing first onions, then other veg like peppers and summer squash and then tossing it with pasta I cooked and parmesan on top (don't get the stuff in the green can, get a block of good parm and a microplane grater). A good one to try this with is jarred sundried tomato pesto (pro-tip! With all of your pasta, reserve some of your pasta water and splash it back in at the end spoonful by spoonful, makes a creamy and unified sauce.)

Here is a list from Bon Appetit for meals everyone should know how to cook. Most are quite simple.

Not sure if you'd also like to prepare lunch and breakfast, but for lunch, simple sandwiches are easy and healthy: get a loaf of bread, condiments you like, deli meat, sliced cheese, and various veg like lettuce/tomatoes. For breakfast, scrambled eggs on toast, oatmeal, and pancakes (use a mix at first) are a great place to start.

Sturdy step stool ($40) - not the rickety tubular kitchen chair ones, I mean one where you can stand on the top. a Buy it for Life item, not inexpensive, but safe. https://www.amazon.com/Louisville-Ladder-AS3002-6966014-2-Foot/dp/B00182TWL2

Leatherman multi tool (around $50), which i keep in the junk bowl because I can never find a screwdriver fast enough. Pricey new, less expensive when you buy it second hand or in a pawn shop. they don't really break, but you do have to clean and oil them once a year. https://www.amazon.com/LEATHERMAN-Wingman-Multitool-Stainless-Steel/dp/B005DI0XM4/

Cordless drill (under $50), mine basically has the screw driver bit in it 90% of the time. the rest of the time I drill lots of pilot holes. pay attention to the battery... if you can get one with a battery that is shared by other tools in the line, then it is easily replaceable and if you buy another tool in that line you can swap batteries. I like to have 1 battery in the charger and one in the device. https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-Cordless-Driver-BDCDD12C/dp/B0111N8L7I/

Spirit, bubble or torpedo level. (under $10) the Hanging kit usually contains just the wires and hooks, but you need a small spirit level for hanging pictures and shelves evenly. doesn't matter the brand they all work the same https://www.amazon.com/WilFiks-Leveling-Resistant-Different-Visibility/dp/B07M62GJYP/

Small tool boxes vary in quality. I don't know if this is for you or someone else. But don't buy anything unless it's a NAME BRAND, cheap metal tools bend and can break with too much torque. Even the Stanley line that Walmart sells isn't fabulous, but it's better than a nameless brand. I don't like SETS of tools, but you need to start someplace, buy GOOD tools one at a time, I love finding $$$ tools at thrift stores. https://www.amazon.com/STANLEY-94-248-Piece-Homeowners-Tool/dp/B000UHMITE/(i bought a cheap socket set 4 years ago to replace my stolen ones and they already have rust)

Bucket organizer. (around $15) If you buy a SET of tools, take the plastic blow molded container and put it in the recycling. You will never bother putting the tools back in and when you get more tools they won't fit. Bucket Organizers are pockets that fit around a 5 gallon bucket. You shove your tools into the pockets and everything else in the middle. And keep it in the bottom of your closet and carry it to where you need the tools. https://www.amazon.com/Bucket-Boss-10030-Bucketeer-BTO/dp/B00GK4TOWK

Tack Hammer. (under $15) You won't need a big 22 oz hammer, but a smaller 16 oz one with a normal handled and then a Tack hammer, these have a narrow head and sometimes are magnetic and hold the nail in place. Tack hammers are easier to use for hanging things exactly where you want them. https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-54-304-5-Ounce-Magnetic-Hammer/dp/B00002X1XD

Stud finder.(under $20) uses a battery, and lets you know where the studs are behind drywall. BEST PURCHASE EVER. https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Stud-Finder-Wall-Detector/dp/B07VLDTVFQ/ any brand will work fine.

Digital Infared Thermometer (under $20) Non-contact Digital Laser Infrared Thermometer Temperature Gun - ALSO BEST PURCHASE EVER... works in the kitchen for food and oven temp, fridge temp, and for locating drafts and cold spots around doors and windows. https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-1080-Non-Contact-Thermometer/dp/B00DMI632G

Toilet Plunger - the sort with the extra bit on the end. https://www.amazon.com/Get-Bats-Out-Plunger-Bathroom/dp/B00ODD5MD0 you do NOT want to be waiting around for someone to unblock your toilet. It may be disgusting but scoop out some of what's in the toilet before you start plunging, it's less disgusting than having to mop it off the floor. You want the plunger that makes a seal around the bottom.

BUCKET. (under $10) mine is constantly in use, i keep it in the tub and toss wet things into it. I have gone through EVERY TYPE on offer...I was so sick of plastic buckets, that warped and stained, where the handles ripped out. But the BEST and cheapest one I have ever found is a flat back duraflex bucket for watering horses. Not kidding. Made of a hard polyethylene these things are designed to be flung around and stepped on by 2000 lb animals. https://www.amazon.com/LITTLE-GIANT-Flat-Back-Dura-Flex-Plastic/dp/B000HHLHPS/ these are cheap if you buy them in a feed store, but even with the shipping on Amazon it is WELL WORTH the money. You will need a bucket when you empty the back of the toilet tank to change the flushing flapper or gasket, and you will need it when you empty the commode itself, if you have to change out the wax seal underneath.

Blanket hangers. (6 for $27) yeah this is obscure, but when I moved I lost a LOT of storage space. These saved my sanity. I use them to hang up quilts and sleeping bags in the back of the closet OFF SEASON. I also use them to hang blankets, sheets curtains and stuff once they come out of the laundry aren't quite dry. I didn't even know there was such a thing before now I wouldn't give them up. https://www.amazon.com/Stock-Your-Home-Comforter-Organization/dp/B00EUG51JU

Flashlight. ($30-50) I've written about these before. Until I bought a GOOD one, I had no idea how bad the others were. Cheap flashlights are great to have scattered about in the cellar, or in the junk drawer. but if you really want TO SEE, get a great flashlight. I gifted myself one for christmas one year and I love it. It hangs by the door and if I am going to be out very late or the weather is bad, I shove it in my bag. It will also illuminate Well past the end of the porch and into the yard if I hear a noise. https://www.amazon.com/Pelican-Carded-SabreLite-Flashlight-Yellow/dp/B01CKAIYV4 any very good brand will do, but I found Maglites to be dangerously useless.

Hello and welcome! Please look through the Sub Guidelines, the Kratom 101, and this important Guide To Phrasing. Headshops definitely charge premium prices. I know you will be able to find better value here but your account is too new and does not have enough sub-related karma to make postings. You are welcome to join in any ongoing discussions. We look forward to getting to know you.

Thank you and please let us know if you have any other questions.

*****

In addition to that Daily Vendor List here is a list of [Current Sales and Discount Codes](https://www.reddit.com/r/kratom/comments/5q5n3t/deals_steals_0125_youll_feel_like_you_picked_a/


There are a handful of more popular quality vendors. All of the vendors on that sales posting are top rated trustworthy vendors. You can't go wrong with any of them. Canopy Botanicals is another great one they are just not having a sale right now so they are not listed in the deals posting. Most of those vendors sell samplers or smaller quantities like ounces. If you need more help picking out what is right for you, contact this guy and he will get you started by customizing a sampler with 5 different ounces for $25 including shipping.

As far as what would be closest to headshop "Maeng Da," that is hard to say. Products sold at headshops are often labeled with advertising in mind and the name of the product is not always an accurate descriptor of the actual product itself. With something called "Maeng Da" that doesn't even come into play yet since they is a very broad term that literally means "pimp grade" and has come to be attached to just about any strain a vendor wants to denote as kind of premium. There are countless 'Maeng Da" strains. Your best course of action is to try a handful of different strains and keep notes - dosages, effects, pros & cons, etc. If that sounds daunting, Krajournal is a very easy to use tool for doing so. (It is best to use a scale for measuring dosages). You can narrow things down from there.

Finding what works can take some time, patience, and trial and error but it can be worth it. Many times people starting out think that it is not 'working' at first. Some of that is about managing expectations.

There is a lot of good information here. Familiarize yourself with more of the content already here and narrow down strains based on what effects you are looking for. There is a section in the Kratom 101 that explains strains in general. Here are two other great things to read:

• Don't Know What Kratom Is? Read This!
  '
  
• The Kratom Literacy Project
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

First of all. It's very good you recognize that you need help in learning how to care for the snake.

Second, here is a big link dump created by another regular user u/_ataraxia all credit for this goes to her.

the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

u/ataraxia has amazing information for ball pythons. You should definitely read it through. Glass tanks are not ideal for Bps, so this should help. Here is her normal dump of information I took from another post.

i'm going to dump a bunch of helpful links on you. the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

To answer your question, the strength of your coffee is mostly influenced by how much coffee you're using versus how much water. For a strong cup with your Keurig, go with the setting with the smallest amount of water. The Keurig is by no means the "best" method to make coffee, but it will make coffee. If you decide to get a manual brewer (French press, Aeropress, Kalita Wave, etc.) the brew time has some leeway, but I'd recommend just using more coffee than trying to push the recommended brew time too far. Coffee can/should be strong without being bitter, and keeping the water and coffee together too long will create bitterness.


What follows is everything you need to know about making great coffee. Warning, this may be overwhelming:

1. Freshly ground coffee is going to taste better. Consider coffee like bread. A loaf left on the counter will get stale faster if you slice it up. Freshly roasted is better, but it might be more expensive/harder for you to find and you might not want to dive that deep yet.
   
2. Conical burr grinders are better than blade grinders. The problem is that a decent automatic burr grinder is going to be ~$100 and that's a steep price for someone just getting into coffee. Many people will recommend the mini mill, Skerton, or something along those lines that is hand-crank. (Good non-name brand options: 1 and 2) Those are your best bet. Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, you can get an automatic blade grinder if you might have an issue with manual grinding/don't want to drop a lot of money. I will mention that darker roasts are easier to grind manually so there's less worry for your wrist. The problem with blade grinders is you get a bunch of differently sized bits, which makes it more difficult to get consistency and figure out a grind size/brew time you like.
   
3. Each method of brewing calls for a differently sized grind. This is pretty important. If it's too small, you'll get a bitter cup. If it's too big, you'll get a sour cup. The same goes for brew time. Too long will make a bitter cup, and too short will make a sour cup. However, there's some leeway on both of these to your taste.
   
4. There are a bunch of ways to make coffee that change how it tastes. Methods that involve filtering through paper make a cleaner cup, but you lose most of the oils in the coffee. Metal filters leave in these oils, but can also leave a lot of sediment/mud in the bottom of your cup. You might drink this if you drink that last sip, and it isn't really nice.
   
5. Weighing your coffee is much more accurate if you want to make a consistent cup. A tablespoon of a darker roast might be 5 grams while a tablespoon of a lighter roast might be 7 grams.
   
6. You'll need something to boil water in. If you have a kettle, great. If you don't, you can use a pan or you can buy a kettle. It doesn't need to be a fancy/expensive gooseneck-style one (1 and 2), but you might want one of those if you get into pourover methods.
   
   I would recommend a French press (1 2 3 4) or Aeropress for someone just getting into coffee. They're much more forgiving than pour-over methods, meaning you're less likely to make a bitter cup. They each have their own drawbacks, too. An Aeropress is easier to clean up, but can only make one cup at a time. A French press takes more time to clean, but can make about 3 cups at a time. (By cups I mean a standard 12-ounce mug.) Definitely get a grinder, too (see above). A scale (1 and 2) is optional but recommended. For beans, seek out a local roaster/coffee shop, but there are tons of online options available, too.
   
   Welcome to the wonderful (and sometimes crazy) world of coffee!

I haven't tried Dewberry Cream or Strawberry Milk, but there are MYRIAD versions of fruit+cream DIY recipes out there, and most don't suck! (LOL!!)

Here's my recommendations for starting-The fact that you've got Amazon Prime helps in the shipping costs! First, head over to the DIY site of your choice. There's a TON of info over in the sidebar at /r/DIY_e_Juice! Here's the beginner's guide to get you started. If you'd like the TL;DR version, here it is:

• Go to Amazon, buy these. SCALE, VG (I prefer to buy it by the gallon, but since you're first starting it's your choice), PG
  
  
• While you're at Amazon, you might want to pick up some bottles. I really like LDPE bottles because they are easy for me to squeeze. If those are the kind you are used to, I recommend 510 Central Their bottles are sturdy, yet squeezable, hold up to multiple washes, available in sizes ranging from 10 ml to 120 ml and are Prime eligible. I really like their 60 ml-enough juice to get you through a few days, yet pocket or bag friendly. Smaller bottles are great for trying new recipes-I like 30 ml bottles for that. It gives you enough juice to decide whether you like it or not without leaving completely jonesing for more! If glass or PET bottles are more your speed, there should be some listed under the "Frequently Bought Together" slides of any of the above linked items.
  
  
• While not absolutely necessary, I recommend getting two condiment style bottles for dispensing the VG and PG into whatever bottle style you choose. I actually bought mine at Michael's in their cake/candy decorating isle. They were cheaper there, and they're even less expensive at WalMart.
  
  Once you've gotten these items ordered, go have a look at some recipes either at /r/DIY_e_Juice, alltheflavors.com or e-liquid-recipes.com Here's a Unicorn Milk clone that seems right up your alley. find two or three more recipes that sound good and don't take a whole helluva lot of flavor concentrates, then order up the concentrates for those recipes only. It's tempting to buy a slew of concentrates that sound good. Some might be winners, some less so. The thing you don't want is a bunch of concentrates that you never do anything with!(This was the mistake I made-I now have a bunch of concentrates I don't use and are going bad) When you order concentrates, stick with the small bottles to start. This will allow you to make plenty of juice while you're getting your feet wet.
  
  
• For getting concentrates, I really like Bull City Flavors, Nicotine River, and Ecig Express. I've used Gremlin DIY as well and they've got some great prices but their bottles tend to leak after a while. Don't get concentrates from Amazon, though! Some of the ones that are listed on the site aren't meant for vaping and it can be extremely difficult to discern what's what.
  
  Sorry it took so long to answer you-I think I've covered everything. If I haven't, shoot me a PM and I'll apologize profusely while covering whatever base I missed!

What exactly do you mean by 'healthy?'

Is it about calorie reduction or getting more nutrients? Or both?

A very simple, tasty one is roasted cauliflower. Cauliflower really benefits from browning. Preferably roasting. Just wash and dry it (thoroughly), cut into equally sized pieces, whether it be bite size or "steaks," toss in olive oil, salt & pepper (and garlic if you want), spread evenly on a roasting pan, but don't crowd it too much, and roast in the oven on the middle rack or higher at about 425-450F until brown... even nearly black in a few places. It's so simple and delicious.

It makes a great soup too, just blend it with either veg or chicken stock and either some fresh parsley or thyme.

Another veg that does well with char is broccoli. Steam, blanch (heavily salt your blanching or steaming liquid) or microwave (if you must) the cut broccoli stalks until about half done, drain and dry. Toss in olive oil, salt, minced garlic and chili flakes and grill on very high heat or broil until slightly charred. You won't believe how good it is.

Some great books for veg dishes are:

Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Tender by Nigel Slater (this one has a great chocolate beet cake)

The Art Of Simple Food II by Alice Waters (So many simple, classic veg preparations in this one.)

--

Regarding Mac & Cheese, here is page from Modernist Cuisine at Home:

http://i.imgur.com/E4dd4lQ.jpg

It involves using Sodium Citrate. Calm down! Don't be afraid. It's a type of salt derived from citrus fruits. If you like to cook with cheese this stuff will be your best friend. The only issue is you don't need very much of it, so you will need an accurate scale that can handle very small weights, but they're not that expensive and it'll pay for itself quickly in the amount you'll likely save in cheese costs, because.....

What it does is it helps emulsify the fats and solids of cheese when it melts and it can be used with just about every type of cheese that can melt, so that means you can use it to emulsify multiple types of cheeses at the same time. Why this matters for you? If you're trying to reduce calories you can mix your favorite cheeses with some lower calorie cheeses (like drained cottage cheese) and still end up with a really creamy sauce without having to add cream or butter. This stuff doesn't make Pasta & Cheese "healthy" but it does help you reduce the caloric value of a cheese dish without sacrificing texture... in fact it improves it.

Check it out: http://youtu.be/gOLgLi5ZJOY

Sourcing everything in your first order from the same vendor will save on shipping costs.

I don't know your budget, but I recommend getting the AWS-LB501 Digital Scale from Amazon, currently $35 USD. This way, you never have to touch pipettes, syringes, beakers, cylinders, etc. and just pour everything into the bottle you'll end up carrying the juice in. You can easily exceed $35 buying all that other mixing crap so just start off mixing by weight using the scale. Super easy.

Bottles: Get whatever size you like to buy in store. I like 30mL bottles but that's because I'm constantly switching flavors (which you might start doing too once you see how fun DIY is!). Having said that, I'd also recommend getting a set of 10mL "tester" bottles. This lets you try out recipes and experiment without wasting too much flavoring / nic / VG / PG.

Also as /u/chewymidget saidbuy flavorings for specific, well reviewed recipes instead of random flavorings. I didn't do this when I started out and regret it. This helps make the initial mixing experience more enjoyable since you'll be making good juice right off the bat.

Here's a quick list: ###

• Digital scale
  
• Assorted size bottles (10mL and something else like 30mL or 60mL, depending on preference)
  
• I use condiment bottles for my VG/PG because honestly it's pretty damn difficult to pour from a half gallon bottle into a tiny 30mL bottle ;-)
  
• 120mL of nicotine at 100mg/mL concentration suspended in PG (you can go smaller, 120mL will last you a while but I think it's a good starting size). I see no point to VG or mixed VG/PG nicotine. PG is what all your flavorings are suspended in.
  
• 1 qt PG
  
• Half gallon of VG (this is your biggest consumable so don't be afraid to get an entire gallon)
  
• Enough flavorings to mix three recipes you find that appeal to you and are highly reviewed / rated by the community
  
• Paper towel. Lots and lots of paper towel. Maybe even stock in whatever company sells Bounty
  
• Masking tape or cheap mailing labels for your bottles
  
  I hope this helps out. Good luck and above all else, have fun with it!

I don't have time to make sure it's comprehensive and everything but I can throw some stuff together real quick:


Knives

You really only need 2, a chef's knife and serrated knife. A pairing knife is occasionally useful but rarely necessary. If you really like sharp knives, buy a whetstone and learn to sharpen, cheap knives can get just as sharp as expensive ones.

• https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B008M5U1C2
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Update-International-KP-05-German-Offset/dp/B0029SMITC/
  
• If you want a pairing knife, just buy an ultra cheap one, it's not something that really needs to be sharp
  
• Here's a cheap and decent whetstone if you want to learn to sharpen knives. Def recommend doing that, there's a million Youtube vids about it, not that hard really https://www.amazon.com/Sharpening-Whetstone-Non-Slip-Sharpener-Waterstone/dp/B074YJRL7T
  
  ​
  
  Pots and Pans
  
  You need four or five things here. I'd say your mainly looking for a large saute pan, a stock pot, and a sauce pan. If you cook eggs you can grab a non-stick saute pan too. Don't use non stick pans for things that don't stick to pans. They wear out fast and they're garbage when they lose their coating. Oh and a sheet pan.
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Finish-Aluminum-Frying-Commercial/dp/B002AGY7OW/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=aluminum+saute+pan&qid=1563996953&s=home-garden&sr=1-3
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Cooks-Standard-12-Quart-Stainless-Stockpot/dp/B01M7RNBZA/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-719-16-Classic-Stainless-Saucepan/dp/B00008CM69/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=sauce+pot&qid=1563997129&s=home-garden&sr=1-3
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Cooks-Standard-02569-Nonstick-Anodized/dp/B079ZLDG14/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/New-Star-Foodservice-36831-Commercial/dp/B009LA10OA/
  
  ​
  
  Other Shit
  
  
• Possibly the most useful cooking thing ever https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Commercial-Products-FG1962000000-Silicone/dp/B0000CFO2S
  
• Cheese grater, garlic press, zester all in one https://www.amazon.com/Microplane-40020-Classic-Zester-Grater/dp/B00004S7V8
  
• A wooden spoon, like any wooden spoon
  
• A spoon with holes in it, you probably have one already
  
• A sturdy metal spatula, like this https://www.amazon.com/Winco-TN719-Hamburger-Turner-6-Inch/dp/B001VZAKGM (fucking lol at calling that a "harmburger turner")
  
• Any type of cutting board is fine as it long as it's not glass or marble or something (those are probably the best example of conning rich people with an actively horrible product)
  
• This is better than any colander out there and has other uses too https://www.amazon.com/New-Star-Foodservice-34127-Perforations/dp/B009LLIJCA
  
• Some kitchen scissors, any are fine but these are nice https://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Chen-51-0621-Unlimited-6-25-Inch/dp/B0009XYW9
  
• Any knife steel, a cheap one like this is fine https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Knife-Sharpening-Rod/dp/B07J1TZ4DK/
  
• A ladle and a whisk, you probably already have them
  
• A cheap immersion blender is a great alternative to ridiculously expensive food processors/blenders
  
  ​
  
  This is just suggestions if you don't have the stuff already, I think the real bottom line is that the stuff you already have is likely fine, and being a good cook is about knowledge and technique and putting effort into tasty food for people you care about, not gear.

Reposting the famous u/ _ataraxia info:

Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• the basics and then some
  
• common problems
  
• feeding problems
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. They have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

Sounds like you were getting outdated or flat-out incorrect information and those 'experienced snake owners' are likewise misinformed. There are very few snakes that legitimately have evolved to thrive on sand-based substrate (irony being the Sand Boa is not one of them; they live in sandy soil which is very different composition than straight sand). The Ball Python is native to the svannah/jungles of Sub-Saharan Africa. Its dirt, soil, and burrows. Not a majority or even significant amount of sand.

Additionally, if I extrapolate correctly from this singular picture, your BP is also in a glass enclosure and has a log-style hide. The former makes keeping humidity in the 55~80% range a difficult exercise, and the latter, is a stressor as BPs do best with a hide that has a single-entrance or is cave-like; the more points of contact, the better, and a single entrance means they can feel safer.

I'm going to steal _ataraxia's ball python dump and toss it below:

i'm going to dump a bunch of links to get you on the right track. the first three links are detailed care sheets, the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

I would start with the sidebar links http://www.rollsafe.org/ and https://www.erowid.org as your primary source of reading. Now to your specific questions.

1. I would recommend 100-125mg for you and 125-150mg for your bf. https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-0-01g-Digital-Scale/dp/B0012LOQUQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1474001857&sr=1-2&keywords=milligram+scale is a common one most people use.
   
   
2. I would just take it in a gel capsule, will take 30 - 60 mins for it to kick in depending on individual. I would recommend taking the pill inside the festival so you can time it with the sets you want to see. Nothing worse than taking it right before and getting stuck in security line for 1 hr and start coming up.
   
   
3. Just have an open mind, words cannot describe the feeling and you will know what i mean after this weekend. A few notes below to help you on your first time.
   
   Eat a light lunch and skip dinner. Having a full stomach not only will mess with timing but could also make you not peak at all.
   
   Remember to drink water but ALSO REMEMBER TO PEE!! MDMA is a vascular constrictor and you won't know when you want/need to pee. So make sure you pee a few times if its a long festival. Use the buddy system as in you go in port-a-potty first he waits right outside then he goes and you wait.
   
   Its common to throw up or feel overwhelmed during the come up (30-60 mins after dropping), don't worry you will feel better after throwing up and still have a great roll.
   
   During the come up/peak some people like to move others like to sit, try different things to better understand how your own body reacts to it.
   
   *There is alot of advice on supplements the 3 key ones i recommend is magnesium pre (helps with jaw clenching) and 5-htp + green tea extract post to restore serotonin. Gum also helps so bring a back in, menthol cigs are amazing when your roll. (I only smoke when i roll)
   
   Have fun and enjoy, pm me if you have any specific questions.

Does your Silvia have a PID installed?

As far as gear goes, here are my recommendations:

Grinder: Baratza Vario - refurb if you can get it from Baratza's website.

Tamper: I like Clive Coffee's Tampers. They're around the same price as a Reg Barber, but I like the way they feel and look a lot more. Here's a link.

Knockbox: Rattleware has some good ones, but basically any knockbox will do.

Milk Pitcher: 12 oz. Rattleware for Capps and smaller drinks. If you're going to be making lattes, then you'll want a 20 oz. pitcher.

Beans: If you've got any good quality, local coffee shops in your area, then try their stuff. See what you like and what you don't. If there isn't much available locally, then there are plenty of online retailers. I've recently been buying from Sterling Coffee Roasters in Portland, OR because they offer free shipping and have great coffee. But like I said there are tons of choices for beans.

Scale: Definitely get a scale. Weighing each dose is probably the best way to pull consistent shots day after day. It's easy - just put portafilter on scale to zero before you grind into the portafilter. Then grind into portafilter and weigh when it looks close. I would start with 19 gram doses if I were you. I like this scale from AWS..

Get a thermometer - any good insta-read thermometer will do.

Get a stiff bristled brush for cleaning the group head, like this one.

Get some Cafiza for back flushing the group head every few weeks.

Get some Dezcal for descaling the boiler a couple of times per year.

Get a bottomless portafilter at some point.

You may want to look into purchasing one of the VST portafilter baskets. The ones that come with the Silvia are not very good.

Honestly, my real advice would be to take back the machine, get cash or store credit, and put that money towards a Breville Dual Boiler 920XL. The Breville comes with a 2 year warranty, and includes quality baskets, milk pitcher, tamper, and water filter. It's about double the price of the Silvia, but it has so many more features that it's more than worth it. I bought a Silvia as my first machine and it took me only a few months before I decided to upgrade. It's a fun little machine, but it's extremely outdated and way over priced for what you're getting.

I've been working on eating healthier and working out since October, but more seriously since about Feb. I feel like I've already come a long way but I'm not content yet, I really want to build more muscle and get rid of a bit more fat. One thing I feel would make my life way easier is a food scale so I can better keep track of what I'm eating, or some resistance bands cause I think they'd really help round out my workouts.

Thanks for holding a contest and also good luck with your fitness journey! It's definitely fulfilling taking your health in your hands, it's not something you can just wish for and have happen, any changes you see are 100% from hard work and I think that's a super rewarding feeling.

I'm calling on u/MrA1Sauce because that's an amazing username and I'm obsessed with A1 sauce. It's 300x better than HP sauce, and I always make the same tacky joke when I see it in a restaurant. 'It's called A1 because it's the best. If it wasn't the best it'd be called B2 sauce'. My friends hate me for that joke, idgaf. A14lyfe.

I recommend not starting with a kit. There are many many posts on this topic in this sub, but I'll just give you a quick run down on what I did (or would do if I were to start today).

Grab this scale

Get bottles like these for test batches and these.

Find 3 - 5 recipes that are popular in this sub and order all the necessary flavors for those recipes. Order from either ecig express, gremlin, or bull city vapor (go to the verified vendor list in the sidebar for more info and coupon codes) because they sell flavors that are perfect for use with a scale. Visit the monthly recipe threads to find the popular ones and the ones you think you would like. Doing this will give you a pretty good number of flavors to work with in the future and it'll give you a better idea of what to buy next time you want more flavors.

I get my pg and vg from essential depot, but if you think a gallon or more of each is too much for your first order then just get some from amazon in smaller quantities.

Download this calculator.

That's pretty much all you'll need to start. I know it's not as convenient as ordering all from one site, but you will learn that in DIY you rarely ever are able to order everything you need from one single site.

Edit: Nicotine duh! I get the Nude Armor v2 from nude nicotine in 50vg/50pg 100mg/mL. I have not ordered nicotine from anywhere else and I've never had problems with nude nic. Their shipping might be a little slow, but the nicotine has been flawless. Feel free to check out nicotine from vapers tek, vape clarity, or carolina extract. They're all highly recommended round here.