Don't waste $100 on a knife at this point. After you've been cooking for awhile, and if you really really really want to become a knife geek, then you'll have a better idea of what you want in a knife.

My only knife for about 30 years has been the Dexter chinese cleaver - a misnomer if there ever was one. It's not really a cleaver, it's known as a "vegetable knife" in China.

You can get it on Amazon for about $36

http://www.amazon.com/Dexter-Russell-Dexter-Russell-Chinese-Cleaver/dp/B0015DG3FM/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1369673283&sr=1-1&keywords=dexter+russell+chinese+cleaver

Or you can save even more and get a cheap Chinese knife from the WokShop - some people swear these are great knives despite being under $10. My worry buying something like this sight unseen is you can't tell if it's a nice thin blade appropriate for use as a general purpose knife or a heavy thick blade that's not much good for anything. But I've heard people say they like them, so maybe it'd be worth trying. They are carbon steel so do not ever leave them wet. No matter what you do they will stain, so if that bothers you, stick with the Dexter Russell - it's high carbon stainless.

http://www.wokshop.com/HTML/products/cleavers/carbon-steel-cleaver.html

I know, it doesn't match our western idea of what a knife should be, but it is the easiest and safest to use knife I've ever used. Google Martin Yan on youtube and watch how he uses it for everything from boning chicken to peeling garlic.

If you are more comfortable with European type knives, try a Victorinox/Forschner. They're fairly cheap but pretty good knives. For example:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=victorinox+forschner+knife

I use this sharpener:

http://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-Steel-Knife-Sharpener-Red/dp/B001P81EVU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369669489&sr=8-2&keywords=kyocera+knife+sharpener

Which for some reason has become godawful expensive on Amazon - no longer eligible for free shipping adds $7 to the price - you might do better finding it someplace else.

Knife geeks will shudder and scream at the above but unless you're interested in buying a $200 knife sharpening set and a multi-hundred $ knife, simple and easy to use is best. You can always step up your game later, if you want to. You could try crock sticks also - I had a set but I didn't really like using them. Knife geeks don't cry quite so hard when they see someone sharpening their (affordable) knives on crock sticks.

The important difference between really cheap pans and better pans is weight. A thin metal fry pan just doesn't cook as well as a heavier one. The heavier pans hold heat better, they conduct heat better, and they are less likely to develop hot spots. I'm afraid my favorite pans are REALLY expensive but you might want to look for a lifetime guarantee nonstick fry/saute pan (skillet) or 2, at least 12". If you have an 8" saute pan, a 12" saute or fry pan, and a 14" fry pan (the difference is the fry pans have higher sides) you'll have all your bases covered.

You might want to consider a wok - carbon steel give the best price/performance ratio, check out the wokshop above for those.

I like this stock pot:

http://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Straining-Stockpot/dp/B0002HAEKW/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1369669846&sr=1-2&keywords=8+qt+stock+pot+with+strainer

It's a good deal and you will use it a lot. I use it every time I make soup, as well as for pasta.

Sets are always cheaper than buying individual pans. Cookware geeks recommend against buying sets because of the lack of choice, but in your situation, a good low-priced set is your best bet. Save your money for expensive stuff for after you have got the cooking thing down and know what you're most likely to actually use the most.

T-Fal makes "Ultimate Hard Anodized" and "Professional" - either of these are fine, both are "metal utensil safe" - though I wouldn't use metal utensils anyway just to be on the safe side. The Professional series is only available by the piece.

Amazon carries both. Don't get confused between the Ultimate Hard Anodized and the Signature Hard Anodized; the Ultimate are the heavier duty pans.

I'm partial to T-Fal for cheaper pans because my son owns a T-Fal sauce pan that is a good 8 or 10 years old and it's still in service. And that's the CHEAP T-Fal, not the good T-Fal I'm pointing you at. So I'm confident of the quality. Scanpans are my favorite nonstick pan but those are crazy expensive and if a $35 12" T-Fal skillet will last you 8 or 10 years, I'm not sure the $180 for a single 12" open stock Scanpan frying pan can really be justified for you at this point.

If you buy open stock (eg by the piece) be sure to get lids too. You may have to buy them separately. I much prefer glass lids. I like the Nordicware lids like this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YVHXRK/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The 8" lid fits my 8" Scanpan saute pan like it was made for it, but not all lids that say 8" or whatever are going to fit a pan that's labeled 8" (or whatever). You have to measure the inner diameter of the particular pan, then contact the manufacturer via e-mail and ask them to tell you the ID and OD of the lid you want. The ID is the diameter of the INNER ring that will fit down into the pan, and the OD is the diameter of the entire lid including the outer lip that will rest on the edge of the pan. The ID has to be smaller than the diameter of your pan and the OD has to be larger. Unless you can take your pan to a brick and mortar and try them out, this is the only way to make sure the 12" lid you buy will really fit the 12" pan you own!

And finally, I strongly recommend going ahead and getting the Borner V-Slicer, model 1001 aka "V-Slicer Plus" (the newer models aren't as good in my opinion, the rails are higher and they leave more waste):

http://www.amazon.com/Swissmar-Borner-V-1001-V-Slicer-Mandoline/dp/B0000632QE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1369673508&sr=1-1&keywords=borner+v-slicer

It'll slice onions faster than you can peel them. The small julienne blade will make matchstick size whatever you put through it. I use the separate julienne slicer (standalone) to make hash browns. I would recommend buying the separate blades and extra blade inserts at Simply Good Stuff because Amazon doesn't carry most of them. The V-slicer set itself is only about $3 more there.

http://www.simplygoodstuff.com/search.asp?keyword=borner&q=borner&sa2.x=12&sa2.y=8

Avoid the Hash Brown Grater and the Twin Grater - they're both all plastic and aren't worth spit. All the other graters and slicers have metal blades.

USE THE SAFETY GRIP. It's really easy to use. Don't push down on it AT ALL, it will cause it to bind. Just slide it back and forth.

You may need to experiment with how you orient it at first, but since I've gotten used to using it I can pretty much use it pointing about any which way. At first it seemed to be easier if I pointed it away from me so you would slice back and forth. It probably depends on the position that is least likely to make you want to apply downward pressure. Once you overcome your natural tendency to think you have to push down on it, positioning won't matter that much.

I wish I had bought one of these 40 years ago, its that handy. Look for extra blade inserts at Simply Good stuff for stuff like Texas fries, the standalone julienne grater (not a V-slicer insert) for super fine shreds, wavy cutter and curly julienne cutter if you want to get fancy. Sometimes they have extra V-slicer holders which you can use to store the extra V-Slicer inserts but you have to call and ask. You do not want to toss those puppies in a drawer, they are super sharp and will cut a finger off before you know it.

I really love this tool. At my age and in the wretched physical shape that I'm in, it makes it POSSIBLE for me to cook, forget just "easier", LOL!

Generally, you don't want to buy a set (this applies to most consumer goods) as they usually are compiled of subpar or superfluous items, aimed for the uninformed beginner who just want to get started, but instead pick good stuff yourself.

• I'd say buy a shaker from one of the places mentioned here - buy a 'Tin on Tin' Boston shaker. Cobbler shakers need to be kinda expensive before they're good, while Boston shakers are great, even if the machining isn't ultra precise. They are also simpler to work with and clean.
  
  
• Downside is that you are going to need a strainer for a boston shaker as well. The one I see recommended the most is the OXO Hawthorne strainer (Link) - which I own as well, it's great and cheap. Most other hawthorne strainers are fine too, as long as they are big enough to cover the shaker, and won't fall in.
  
  
• If he doesn't have one already, I would also get him a fine strainer. This one you can buy from any kitchenware store / amazon, and it doesn't need to be fancy.
  
  
• He will probably also need a measuring device. If he likes showmanship, get him some jiggers from one of the cocktail sites, or if he's more practical, get an OXO Clear measuring cup (Link). I would reccomend the latter to any home bartender. For a compromise between the two, there's also the slightly fancier steel measuring cup (Link) or the OXO Stainless double jigger (Link).
  
  
• Finally, I'd also recommend some kind of juicer, as most drinks contain some kind of acid, usually citrus. Personally, I like the Chef'n'FreshForce Citrus Juicer (Link), but others are available.
  
  With a Shaker, a Strainer, (a Fine Strainer), (a Juicer), and a Jigger, you can make pretty much any shaken drink. If you want, you can look into a muddler as well. I'd recommend staying away from buying anything expensive. Best deal is buying a french rolling pin and chopping it into two muddlers (Link).
  __
  
  Even though shaken drinks are the majority, most of my favourites are still stirred drinks. If you want you can splurge on a mixing glass from one of the cocktail sites which are pretty but really expensive, or you can check IKEA. Their VARDAGEN or BENUNGE cups are pretty perfect for this (Link). He'll also need a cocktail spoon for stirring. Either buy one from the cocktail sites (Avoid those with the red tip), or find a neat pair of chopsticks. The chopsticks are untraditional, especially in the west, but are functionally as good or better as a spoon for most use cases.
  
  __
  
  Apart from gear to make cocktails, one thing which is always nice to get, is glasses for serving them in. I don't know if this applies to your dad, but some fancy stemmed glasses are always cool to get.
  
  
  
  If you're in Europe, check out Cocktailkingdom.co.uk or Cocktailian.de. Otherwise, Amazon is great (remember to check .co.uk and .de for better deals). I bought my shaker and cocktail spoon from Homestia.com, and am happy with them; good quality, great price, and arrived in a fancy box. The only downside is that I think they ship from China, so it might not arrive prior to christmas.

First, I'd like to invite you to join r/loseit, Reddit's weight-loss sub! You'll find a very supportive group of people there. We have a daily question thread there where literally any questions you have can be answered, and a fantastic beginner's guide linked in the sidebar that you should definitely read.

You don't need a gym right now, and in fact 80-90% of your weight loss will come from diet, not exercise. So your first step, I think, should be to create an account with MyFitnessPal (download the app or use their website) and begin logging every. single. thing. you eat or drink. Don't worry about weight loss, don't worry about meeting calorie goals, just log everything for a week so that you can get an idea of your baseline intake and begin to get used to logging (it's annoying at first. It quickly becomes second nature.).

Then, go to Sail Rabbit and enter your information (don't worry about the body fat percentage if you don't know it). I like Sail Rabbit because it has finer-grained levels of activity to choose from, with different levels of "sedentary" that you can pick to match what your lifestyle is like. You may want to then adjust your goals in MyFitnessPal to what Sail Rabbit calculates for you (though, MFP does pretty good on it's own once you plunk in how much you want to lose, so you can absolutely use their recommendations). I'd aim for a 1 or 1 1/4 lb loss per week. That should be a gentle enough reduction from your regular intake that with some smart decisions like buying lower calorie bread or replacing some starches with non-starchy vegetables you shouldn't feel like you're suddenly starving. Making sustainable choices should be your goal here; don't replace rice with cauliflower rice if you hate cauliflower and figure you'll go back to eating rice later, because that's not a sustainable lifestyle change for you (it wasn't for me. I do eat cauliflower rice, but I also eat regular rice, just in smaller quantities).

Now you'll have a calorie goal for each day, which you can sort of think of as a bank account. You'll have something like 1800 calories to "spend" each day on food and drink, and you can decide if you're going to do that or "save up" 100 calories Monday through Friday so that you can use that extra 500 on Saturday for an extra slice of pizza or whatever. If you want to make things easy on yourself and use pre-packaged things with set calories, go for it, just drink a lot of water because they're usually high in sodium. Consider purchasing a food scale (I use this one) so that you can be more accurate with your measurements of things, particularly when you're cooking and also prepackaged stuff (you'll see on nutritional labels that servings will be listed as something like "3/4 cup (54g)"; when you weigh your servings via grams, you'll have a better idea of how much you're eating and exactly how small something calorically-dense like a serving of peanut butter really is).

If you'd like to start exercising at home (It's what I do and it's actually personally done wonders for my anxiety levels. Remember, it's not for weight loss, it's for building strength and muscle, increasing cardio health, and giving you energy.), there are a million exercise videos on YouTube. I started with Leslie Sansone walking videos which are, admittedly, kinda cheesy, but also gentle for beginners. That channel has some of her entire videos available, from 1-mile to 3-mile walks. Jessica Smith also does walking videos and is a little less high-energy chatty than Leslie is. She even has a Fit in 15 series of 15 minute workouts (that link's to the first one) that focus on different body parts and a variety of different types of workouts, like barre, chair yoga, etc. If videos aren't your thing, Darebee has a bunch of free workouts and programs; this is their Foundation Light, which is for people recovering from injury, who have joint issues, or who are severely overweight. I'd recommend starting out trying to exercise at least 15 minutes a day twice a week and then increasing time and eventually days from there as you get used to it. I do NOT recommend throwing yourself all-in at a 5 or 6-day a week program because if you're like me, you'll either get hurt or burn out really quickly. Just because something is a "30-day challenge!" doesn't mean it has to be done in 30 consecutive days.

Whether you want to weigh yourself daily or weekly or monthly depends strongly on your personal feelings toward the scale and your weight. If you DO want to log it daily, I like the Happy Scale app. Get a tape measure and take measurements. Write them down so you can get giddy when you start to lose inches but don't see much movement in the scale (seriously, it happens and it's weird and annoying). If you can stand it, also take pictures in swimwear or underwear from the side, front, and back, so you have reference photos from your beginning. Yes, it feels awkward, but when you feel like you're not getting anywhere and compare later photos to your first ones so you can see the differences that have occurred, you'll be glad you did it.

Good luck! It's a lot of work, but it is so worth it!

I like the cheese platter you might also add some different types of crackers. the two will cleanse your pallet.

For the wines

Merlot is a middle of the road wine, not sharp not sweet good for almost any meat or main dish. would also go well with some Mexican foods

Cabernet is sharp and strong, good for the red sauces Italian foods and dishes strong flavors.

Pinot Noir: is a very nice wine between the mellow Merlot and the sharp cabernet. it is a little sweet and just a tad stronger than the Merlot. It would actually pair with a dessert if need be.

Chardonnay: there is Oaked and unbaked chardonnays. the Oaked uses the Large bulb open topped glass to allow some of that smoky oak to dissipate. the un-oaked are much easier to drink for most. I like Josh brand chardonnay it's smooth and just a slight sweetness to it. very very smooth.

Also, just in the last few years. I learned that the glass really does make a huge difference. for white wine such as an un-oaked chardonnay these are wonderful!

[White wine Chardonnay glasses]
(https://www.amazon.com/Riedel-VINUM-Viognier-Chardonnay-Glasses/dp/B000P1SA5G/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1487125952&sr=1-7&keywords=reidel+chardonnay+wine+glasses)

for red wines these work wonderfully I have these
[red wine]
(https://www.amazon.com/Riedel-Extreme-Cabernet-Merlot-Glasses/dp/B001D1WUZ8/ref=sr_1_8?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1487125759&sr=1-8&keywords=reidel+wine+glasses)


Pinot Gris: dryish sweetish would work well for appetizers, desserts, seafood etc.

Pinot Grigio: sweet soft flavor, would be great for desserts and appetizers. would also pair well with chicken and fish dishes

sauvignon Blanc: fresh fruity but not too sweet. great for seafoods, chicken, appitizers, desserts, chicken, etc...

Moscato: sugary sweet. way too sweet for me! more a wine for those that don't really like wine or to drink wine.

now for your cheese, I would maybe pick a few bottle to sample stay with one color maybe red...

a mixture of cheeses and crackers would be wonderful to sample the different flavors of wines. It can really help you to learn which wines you like. and don't like. you can get rubber corks you can vacuum into the bottle that will keep it fresh

like these: this is what I use
[Vacuvin wine stopper]
(https://www.amazon.com/Vacu-Vin-Vacuum-Bottle-Stoppers/dp/B000GA3KCE/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1487125168&sr=1-7&keywords=wine+stopper)

I like your appetizer idea. that sounds yummy..

the blue cheese butter you an make way ahead I freeze mine wrapped in plastic wrap. when I want to use it, I pull from the freezer slice a few tablespoon off and set on a plate to warm. I let it warm to room temp that way when I put it on the hot steak it melts YUMMYY!

I think she is a Very lucky girl to have someone want to work this hard to make a very special dinner and evening for her.

wine, cheese crackers and some soft music!! oh yah!

I'm going assume that you are in a moving out of your parents' house-type situation, so you have clothes, a personal computer, and personal toiletries (shampoo, razor, toothpaste, etc.) already

Bedroom: (Total: $195)

• Mattress ($100): I can sleep on anything, so I'd start cheap, but this would be the first thing I'd replace
  
• Sheets ($10)
  
• Heated mattress pad ($30): Instead of investing in a lot of cheap blankets, a heated mattress pad will get you through the coldest of nights
  
• Blankets ($30): 1 wool blanket from Goodwill, 1 fleece blanket from Walmart
  
• Pillow ($15)
  
• Lamp ($10): Maybe this is just me, but I love reading before bed, so lamps are useful!
  
  Living room: (Total $640)
  
  
• Couch/Futon ($400): my sister got an AWESOME, over-sized couch for $500 8 years ago from a discount place, and the thing looks good as new. Getting a great deal on a couch can take a couple of months, but I think it's totally worth it. Okay, maybe you don't have time to wait and you need someone to hold visitors for a while. I'd get something like this
  
• Coffee table ($20): Walmart, Goodwill, Craigslist, etc
  
• TV ($200) + TV stand ($20): I'd hold off on buying a TV if you have a computer/large smartphone. Maybe you can't hold off, so you get a cheapo 32" TV If this thing lasts you 5 years I'd count you as lucky. Get a TV stand used.
  
  Bathroom: (Total:$67)
  
  
• Toilet plunger + brush ($10): First thing you should buy for your apartment
  
• Toilet paper ($10)
  
• Shower curtain + Liner: ($15)
  
• 2 towels ($20)
  
• liquid hand soap ($2)
  
• Rug ($10): Honestly I hate those terryloop/shag rugs that they sell for use in the bathroom and I use a cheapo weaved rug. I can't seem to find these on Walmart however, but they're like $5 in my country's Walmart equivolent
  
  Kitchen: (Total: $430 + $200 reserved for future + $200 in food = $830)
  
  
• Most places in the US include a fridge and oven. Microwave is iffy, so I'll say you have to buy that (although, you could definitely hold off on a microwave/water kettle, I just find them so convenient)
  
• Microwave ($50)
  
• Electric water kettle ($15)
  
• 1 large pot, 1 sauce pan, 1 large frying pan, 1 small frying pan, 4 plates... fuck it. Everything for $60. Take $200 and gradually replace key pieces at Goodwill/Garage sales/etc. over time
  
• Can opener ($9): Yes, there's a canopener in the set, but honestly, a bad canopener is more frustrating for me than a bad knife.
  
• Microwave-safe sealed containers ($16)
  
• Pyrex/Corning-like baking dishes ($30): can usually be found for cheap at Goodwill
  
• Baking pans ($25)
  
• Mixing bowl set with lids ($15)
  
• Dish drying rack ($10)
  
• Sponge and soap ($5)
  
• Dish towels ($15): get something absorbent here
  
• Oven mitt/pot holders ($15)
  
• Hot pads ($5)
  
• Wine key ($10): You might not have wine glasses, but you have mugs! Keep it classy. This is also a beer bottle opener. I bought a cheap $15 set of wine glasses a couple of years ago and they're still going strong. If you like wine/having friends over, a set of cheap wine glasses would be good to have, but I'm not going to include them in this list.
  
• Food basics ($200): Spices, oil, cocoa, flour, rice, pasta, etc.
  
  Cleaning supplies: ($103)
  
  
• Really depends on the place, but lets say you don't have carpet.
  
• Broom and dust pan ($10)
  
• Mop and bucket ($20)
  
• Gallon of bleach ($4)
  
• air freshener ($2)
  
• 3 garbage pails (Kitchen, bedroom, bathroom) ($15)
  
• Rubber gloves ($5)
  
• Laundry detergent ($10)
  
• Glass/window cleaner ($2)
  
• toilet bowl cleaner ($5)
  
• multi-purpose cleaner ($5)
  
• microfiber washclothes ($10)
  
• Paper towels ($5)
  
  Total: $1835
  
  Leaving you with $165 for your first week's of food!
  

Alright then. Well first thing I'll say is, most canned food sucks balls, but some that don't include:

Beef stew, beenie weenies, and of course, corned beef hash.

Skip the hot dogs and go for Italian sausages. Don't get those confused with smoked sausages, while good, they're not as good as italian's.

You can cook those just like a hot dog, although they take a little longer. Hotdogs are precooked, these are raw pork. So ensure they're well done :-D

Another method is to cook these in a pan with diced tomatoes, peppers, onions, herbs etc.

One of my favorite camping recipes is chicken. You can cook it just like a baked potato. So at least one day before camping go buy a whole chicken (at least one..) and some heavy duty tinfoil.

Come home, slice the chicken in half long ways. You'll need a nice sturdy knife for that since you gotta cut through the bone. Lay down a big piece of tin foil and put half the chicken on it. Season to your liking.

You can go simple and just add salt, pepper and butter. You can add vegetables like corn, peas, carrots, onions, etc. You can do BBQ sauce and hot peppers or mix up some home made salsa (slice up tomato, onion, pepper, and salt) for it as well.

You can add garlic, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, taragon or whatever for extra flavor.

Once you're done seasoning just wrap the tinfoil up then add 2 or 3 more wraps. Really seal it up good so the juices don't leak out. Then toss it in the freezer. This way when you take it camping, it's already frozen and you don't necessarily have to have ice to keep it cool, by the time it's dinner time it'll be partially thawed and ready to cook.

So you just get a good fire going, let it burn down a bit so it's not roaring flames but has enough hot coals to last for awhile and toss the chicken in, turn it occasionally. After an hour or so check it with a meat thermometer.

With any meats, it's a good idea to use a meat thermometer to ensure it's cooked properly.

Some other foods include fish fillets, hamburgers, steak, pork chops and so on. Pretty much any meat :-D

Just bring an old flying pan that's about had it or pick up a cheap used one at your local resale store and just toss it when the trip is over.

Get a fire going, throw a grill over top and put the pan on top of that. Add a little cooking oil or spray and cook away.

• favorite grocery-shelf items - Cottage cheese, 4% fat small curd. Salty cheesy deliciousness that is surprisingly low in calories and high in protein. We taste tested a bunch and found that we liked the cheap store brand the best.
  
• workout clothing - I've found Athleta really has the best quality, not see-through, work out leggings. The Be Free Knickers with side pockets have been amazing for tennis
  
• every day clothing - GoodWill/Salvation Army/Savers/etc Thrift stores really are amazing. Now that I've started shopping there I don't think I'll ever stop. Last weekend I found a pair of NYDJ jeans for $8 that I had been willing to pay over $100 for in the store.
  
• blog with great healthy recipes - SkinnyTaste has the best selection of healthy recipes I've found so far.
  
• smartphone app - The LoseIt! app is great. The LoseIt! website is also fantastic.
  
• Wearable - I have enjoyed my Jawbone Up2 and the associated app is also very well done.
  
• travel essentials - I travel quite often for work and I have invested in a small food scale and plastic storage containers that go with me on every trip.
  
• Other items - Favorite water bottle; Super awesome food scale I use every day at home; I have tons of these glass food storage containers with snap lids from BBB for food prepping

I started getting into coffee nearly a year and a half ago, and here is what I did to start:

I bought

• A Hario V60 02 Pour-Over Dripper ~$20, with filters, ~$30
  
  
• A Hario Buono Gooseneck Kettle ~$50
  
  
• A Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder ~$150
  
  
• A scale ~$25
  
  
• Freshly, locally roasted whole beans ~$10/lb. Dark roasts tend to be less acidic, sweeter, and have less caffeine (when brewed correctly); light roasts are the opposite: acidic, fruity, and more caffeine.
  
  Now, bear in mind that I knew that I loved coffee before I invested all this money into it; you should obviously really consider your situation and really get into "good" coffee before splurging on all of this equipment. I now have a French press, a moka pot, and am going to invest in an Aeropress soon, but I still prefer the pour-over method to any other coffee that I've had, thus why I recommend you go that route. It can take some definite getting used to and has a bit of a learning curve, but it is easily worth the effort (tutorial videos will help immensely.
  
  Keep in mind, you needn't buy exactly what I did. Shop around, see what you like and what is in your price range. I will say this, however: if you do go the pour-over method, go for the V60 or the Chemex, they are both easily the best on the market, and the same goes for the Buono kettle, though if necessary you can purchase a different kettle, just so long as it is a gooseneck (which is required to finely control the flow of water).
  
  Many other people will tell you to go with a French press. This is good advice as it has a very slight learning curve in comparison to pretty much every other method (besides maybe the Aeropress, depending on who you talk to): it is literally grinding the coffee coarsely and letting it sit in water for X-amount of time. It also does not take filters, is easy to clean, and is a relatively cheap initial investment (~$20). I like the Brazil model that Bodum makes.
  
  No matter which method you choose to brew with, there are three things that you should not underestimate the importance of (and thus should not skimp on):
  
  
• Freshly ground and roasted beans are a must. The fresher, the better.
  
• A blade grinder will always do a worse job of grinding than a burr grinder. It is worth it to spend the extra cash for a burr grinder right off the bat, as, if you get at all serious about coffee, you will eventually purchase one anyway, rendering your blade grinder useless and a waste of money in hindsight. Blade grinders make it nigh impossible to control how fine or coarse the grind is, which is one of the biggest variables in coffee brewing. There are absolutely cheaper models out there than the one that I linked to, especially if you get a manual one rather than the electric one that I own.
  
  
• A scale is essential. Coffee brewing is very much an exact science. Making sure the ratio of water to coffee is exact and being able to fine tune down to the gram/milliliter can create some of the biggest deviances between batches next to grind size. This cannot be overstated.
  
  Best of luck. There's a lot of good knowledge on this sub, on this sub's How to Coffee: A Primer, and on the Internet in general. Check it all out, pick your path, and enjoy the ride!

I'm going to copy/paste a comment I made to someone else in fps trying to lose weight.

>Protips from someone 6 months into the F2F thang and 40 pounds down, pretty damn amazing since I am a lazy sot who doesn't exercise:

>Helps a LOT if you make a week's worth of salad every, say, Sunday (got it ready for the week then). One of those big square disposable Glad boxes is what we do. Certain things in salad go bad quicker (cucumbers, tomatoes, bean sprouts) so they get their own little separate boxes and replenished on Wednesday, they're added to the salad you're about to eat.

>Learn to love lighter salad dressings, better yet, to make your own. Lemon vinaigrette? or how about Asian? or, to stave off your sweet tooth, here's orange-raspberry. All quick and easy.

>This fills up your fridge considerably so you can't be packing it full of junk.

>Other stuff we do: freezer contains no sweets apart from lemon sorbet. Too sour to gobble. Dat palate cleanser. Freezer does contain frozen fish and individually packed frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts, and about 10 different kinds of frozen veggies (canned are too damn salty), plus a bunch of leftovers.

>Another of our rules: avoid instafood. Nothing that comes out of a can, box, bag, or requires a microwave. Okay, so we cook with chilis in adobo sauce which comes out of a can youallknowwhatImeangetoffmytits.

>To keep from going nuts, we each get one small bag of chips each Saturday. Any small treat will do, but don't go buying a whole damn cake or anything. Single serving only. Don't keep that shit in the house. If it's there, you're gonna make it harder on yourself.

>Snacks are typically homemade beef jerky, dried apples, nuts of various descriptions, unflavored rice cakes, precut-up carrots, celery, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, watermelon (more room in fridge gone, ta-da; seriously, all we can typically fit is a pitcher of Crystal Light lemonade and whatever's for dinner).

>Homemade dried stuff is the bomb, yo, and easy, ask for a dehydrator for your wedding. That's the one we have. I swear it's running constantly. Bitch to clean, but they all are, and this one at least is QUIET. One of the nifty ideas in the manual was drying a bunch of veggies, then stuffing them and hot water or broth into a thermos in the morning before leaving for work. Lunchtime, you've got veggie soup.

>(if you do get one, feel free to PM me for tips on this if you want, such as "ignore what cut of meat they recommend for jerky, brisket's cheaper and works better" and "get a mandolin to slice fruit")

>Bringing healthy meals and snacks to work instead of going out to lunch or hitting up Ye Olde Vending Machine is a must.

>Got healthy meals you know how to make and you both love? Make a BUNCH and freeze in single-serve containers. No excuse for "oh gods, so tired after work, just get fast food" NOPE. Also, slowcookers can be your friend with that "too tired to cook" thing.

>EDIT: tip I got from someone else here: if you need to break a soda addiction cough, try getting flavored seltzer water. Same size cans, carbonation, tastes like diet Sprite (at least the lemon-lime flavor does) but zero calories etc. Worked like a charm once I got used to it.

>If all this seems condescending, I'm truly sorry. Just passing along painful lessons learned.

>TL;DR: part of beating your own fatlogic is tricking it with healthy foods.

>You're going to make it!

Back to OP: There are plenty of things you don't have to spend a ton of time cooking. That being said, use the freezer, bro. We spend a considerable amount of time on Sundays stocking up for the week.

One wonderful thing to get yourself is one of those George Foreman grills. Can cook all manner of stuff on them, extremely quickly. Throw a boneless, skinless piece of chicken on there, close the lid, it's done in like 5 minutes. This is actually one of our weekend cookfest things: marinade a bunch of chicken Saturday, grill it on Sunday, individual baggies and into the freezer you go. They're not all that expensive, either. Plenty of other things you can do with it.

You don't have to stick with just salads, but eat at least one per day that doesn't have croutons, cheese, bacon, or ranch dressing on it. Eat one big enough to fill you up.

Also check /r/Frugal and /r/EatCheapAndHealthy for further ideas.

Butterball.com has tons of info on turkeys. Get a probe thermometer with an alarm, put the probe between thigh and breast and set to 170F. I dry the turkey with paper towels and coat with melted butter and Adobo, if you can't find Adobo, kosher salt will do. I don't measure, but don't go too heavy on the salt. Get a silicone roasting rack too which lifts the turkey above the liquids in the pan. Add celery, onion and carrots chopped up to the bottom and add some chicken broth. Put the turkey breast down, this allows juices to go thru the breast and juice it up. Brining is a pain and unnecessary to me, I've done it and don't get any big difference. Be sure to have the turkey rest or all the juice will come out , you cover with foil on the counter and make the gravy will waiting.

You don't stuff the bird because you have to overcook the turkey to cook the stuffing. Dressing on the side is just as good. If you can't find premade stuffing bread, just bake some stale bread till it is dried, online you can find details. I use a wok, but a good skillet will do. I weigh some ingredients, because what is a large onion? I use bouillon, but you can use broth.

A saucier pan has rounded corners for easier mixing, but a regular sauce pan is okay. You can use only poultry drippings if you have more. You strain the pan dripping and then reduce by half for better flavor. You should get a fat separator cup to get rid of the fat.

I've made a lot of turkeys and tried many things and this is my way of getting a great turkey. As to looks, I don't care what a turkey looks like when done, I am going to eat it, not have a photo session with it!!! LOL! As for carving, any good knife will work for the breast and a boning knife is great for the legs and thighs. Wings you eat off the bone.

~<DRESSING - GOOD OLD COUNTRY-BASIC >~

1-12oz bag-6C herbed dry stuffing bread.........4 oz crushed Ritz crackers.......6 oz bulk breakfast sausage.......8 oz ground pork......4 large stalks celery, chopped......1 large onion-212g, chopped......1 1/2 cup chicken bouillon......1/2 cup water.......1 tsp salt.......1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.......1 1/2 Tbsp dried sage or 6g fresh........1 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley or 6g fresh......1 Tbsp poultry seasoning.......2 eggs, beaten......1 stick-8 Tbsp butter........2 large loaf pans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

PREPARE INGREDIENTS - Put everything in separate bowls:

Chop celery.

Weigh out onion and chop.

Grind crackers.

Put herbed bread in 12 qt container along with ground crackers.

Beat eggs and add to bread mixture, stir.

Grind parsley and sage.

Put parsley and sage into small bowl, add poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, mix.

Saute sausage and pork in large wok.

Add browned meat to container and mix.

Add butter to wok and when it melts add celery and onion with sage, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper mixture..

Sauté until transparent, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over bread mixture and stir.

Add bouillon slowly to bread mixture, stir.

If needed add water.

Pour stuffing into a greased pans. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until thermometer reads 165F.

https://www.amazon.ca/Polder-362-90-Digital-Oven-Thermometer/dp/B0000CF5MT

https://www.amazon.ca/Sundlight-Silicone-Roasting-Microwave-Bakeware/dp/B07VC3FXYG

​

~~~~~< GRAVY - POULTRY >~~~~~

3 Tbsp butter.....1/4 tsp sage.....1/4 tsp sage.....3 tsp flour.......1 cup poultry broth or bouillon.......1/2 cup saved poultry drippings(opt)..............Salt and Pepper to taste........2 tsp wine or 2 tsp cup cider and 1/4 tsp cider vinegar or 1/4 tsp lemon juice

Set heat to 3 and in saucier pan melt butter, add spices.

Keep cooking butter till it is popping, you want water to boil off about 5 minutes.

Slowly add flour. Cook until brown, 10-20 minutes.

Add wine or cider mixture, stir.

Add poultry drippings and stir.

Add stock a little at a time till you get the right consistency. Should stick to bottom of spoon.

https://www.amazon.ca/OXO-Good-Grips-Fat-Separator/dp/B0002YTGIQ

I usually split my briskets between the point and the flat.

You dont have to do that. However I always put the temp prob in the smallest cut of meat. When its done move the probe to the next largest.

Fat melts at a specific temperature. I get cooking steaks to a feel however unless you cook the same size and cut regularly getting it right isn’t going to happen.

I was a line cook for years. Cooking to feel is easy when you make 30 steaks a day. Really hard when you cook a few briskets a month. And if you are wrong, getting a brisket back to temp is a bitch.

Tp20 is a cheap remote probe available on amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GE77QT0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_theeAbZ6JXVWA

but almost any will do fine. Having multiples could help a lot. Alternatively if you are confident in your built in smoker thermometer you could use the second grill temp probe in another piece of meat.

As for trimming or separating aaron franklin from Austin, TX, an award winning bbqer, has shared quite a few of his processes on youtube and at bbq university. The audience in the second video is made up of bbq restaurant owners and competitive bbqers looking to up their game. Im sure there are a few hobbiest in the bunch but not a lot at the price of it.


Trimming
https://youtu.be/VmTzdMHu5KU

Brisket Camp 2015
https://youtu.be/yaMgt1Altys

Best of luck! Im sure it will turn out great!

Game of Thrones:

Someone probably already suggested this, but the GOT coloring book is pretty damn sweet

They also have a book to learn Dothraki

ohh! and this GOT letter opener is super neat, even though it's super random, but if you're anything like me, random is good

Blue Stuffs (right now I'm trying not to sing Eiffel 64):

These lights are pretty damn cool and they're remote control operated

If you're into baking, I HIGHLY recommend these spatulas. They work super well for their price

These headphones are kick ass. They're wireless and don't get tangled up all the time

History:

US president rubber ducks, 'cuz why not???

Drunk History Season 1 and 2. My favorite show ever

If world history is more of your thing, they have paintable terroctta soilder models which are pretty neat

Also thank you for this contest. I discovered some pretty cool shit.

1. That's great. I know I can't leave them so long they cultivate bacteria or anything but was wondering if starting with cold leaves/tea ware would present any significant drawbacks. If waiting two hours is okay and considering how quickly they steep, it's a possible grandpa style replacement for work tea.
   
   
2. Thanks that gives me a good idea to go on for now. I do intend to buy a scale. Looking on amazon and can't decide. This one seems like the best option of the ones I've found so far.
   
   
3. Kind of raises some other questions. Am I really supposed to be drinking the tea from those tiny cups? I have been going straight from the pitcher (~4oz) and pouring straight into my tall teacups I had before (~8oz)
   
   Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

Just an FYI, you responded to a random person that was just asking about the ferts. You might want to post the second half of your comment to the OP. You've got some good and useful info in there that they might want to know about!

Also, amazon sells some mini teaspoons that make dry dosing 1/64 teaspoons really simple. I prefer the flexibility of dry dosing, but others may prefer liquid so your info is definitely really useful.

Thanks for the link to Stingray PAR! I was pretty off with my estimate (and 65g height!), so its good to have the real info. People are always asking about the Stingray and that video is perfect for giving some real and trustworthy PAR values!

I used an electric smoker until the heating element burnt out. You can smoke good meat on it but I definitely prefer my charcoal smoker with wood chunks. Find a decent quality lump charcoal to use. I order fogo from Amazon but it is a bit pricey, avoid the cowboy brand... It is the only lump charcoal I've thrown away for bad flavor. This is a good resource for lump charcoal reviews, even if the web site looks like it is from 1992.

Get some decent temperature probes, one you can put on a small clip and attach to your grill and another to get internal temp of meat. Something like this.

A cheap boning knife like this is great for trimming meat. If you plan on doing brisket I'd consider it a necessity for fat trimming.

Get kosher salt and use it liberally on your meats. I usually try to rub everything a day before I cook it with salt, like a dry brine. If not a day at least a few hours.

Use hickory or oak to start out. They are really good for all around smoking and have great flavor.

An electric charcoal starter is also handy if you are going to cook frequently.

Franklin's YouTube channel is a great resource for smoking.

I think amazingribs.com is a good resource for when you are looking to cook a meat you've never cooked before.

It’s really not hard but once you try it, you won’t go back. The biggest key is to not overcook eggs.

My version is a little different. I trust /u/J_Kenji_Lopez-Alt and Serious Eats on all things related to the science of cooking. For that reason, I will salt my eggs first.

The Approach:

1. Salt and beat your eggs first
   
2. Heat a good chunk of butter up until it brows over medium high heat
   
3. Turn down heat to medium, add in eggs
   
4. Continuously stir your eggs, doing your best to prevent the eggs from sticking to your pan
   
5. If you feel they’re sticking faster than you can keep up with, pull the pan away from the heat. Catch up on your stirring and back on the heat
   
6. Once they’re about done (you want them formed but a little runny), turn off the heat and add a spoon of sour cream
   
7. Add chives (if you’d like) and plate immediately
   
   I’d recommend giving this a try before you introduce other ingredients in. But overall its simple, just requires attention, and produces amazing results. Also, if you cook eggs a lot, buy a cheaper non stick. The kevlar coating will eventually wear off, so it doesn’t make sense to buy expensive non-stick pans. A $15-25 pan is all you need, think of it as being a 1-2 year disposable. And no, your cast iron is not AS good. It may be good, but its properties do not scientifally match the non-stick.
   
   I love my Farberware 8” for 1-4 eggs. Anymore and you’ll want to size up to the 10”. And don’t heat to high or use metal utensils, it will strip the coating and you’ll have to replace more often. Silicone spatula is ideal.

I have the Swissmar Borner V-1001 V-Slicer Plus Mandoline 5 Piece Set. I purchased it in May 2013 for $31.95. Now its going for $49.99. I'd pay $50 for it, but I'm also not convinced that for $50 its the best value. I will say that its still sharp (and I'm a horrible person who runs it through the dishwasher gasp). I use it at least 1x per week, if not 3-5x per week on average. Note: IT. IS. SHARP. Use the guide and/or cutting gloves. I have nicked myself more than once (read: more often than I'd like to admit, I guess I'm just a slow learner).

If I were to purchase another, I think I'd look for one that stores better. All of the pieces hook together and it has like a holder, but it doesn't necessarily stay together very well, nor does it lay down very well. If I were to get another I'd look for one that stores a bit nicer. Some have like a catch compartment as well that's pretty nice.

I'd search for a Bartenders Kit - something like this - to get a good sense of what equipment you might want for the types of drinks you'll be making. I definitely wouldn't buy one of those kits because they're almost always crap, but just for reference.

Basics that I have in my bar are:

• mixing tins (I like the full-metal ones, others prefer the Boston Shakers w/ the glass)
  
• a stainless bar strainer
  
• a layering spoon/tool (yes, I have the turtle)
  
• a long cocktail spoon for stirring drinks
  
• some cocktail rimmers for rimming margaritas, lemon drops, etc.
  
• some jiggers for your higher-end stuff and pour-spouts for the basic stuff
  
• and a wine key + decanter + aerator if you're into wine (plus a vacuum pump for bottles you don't finish off right away).
  
  I just included the links for reference - you'll probably want to search a little for the highest-quality tools, because you really don't want flimsy stuff.
  
  For glassware, I like to just pick out unique stuff that I find in my travels, but I have all the basics - rocks glasses, highball glasses, long-stem martini glasses, margarita glasses, pint glasses, Guinness glasses, a couple of snifters, and a Chimay glass.
  
  For the booze it's kind of up to you, but just think about what liquor types a bar has in its speed-well for your base, and then just add higher-end, unique stuff from there. I always have a nice vodka, rum, tequila, gin, bourbon, irish whiskey, cognac, and brandy in the cabinet.
  
  Then I have the popular mixers/liquers - Grand Marnier (skip the Triple Sec and get the good stuff), Bailey's, Kahlua, Amaretto, Limoncello, Frangelico, Chambord, White/Dark Creme de Cacao, Blue Curacao, Sweet/Dry Vermouth, sour mix and simple syrup, soda + tonic, juices, Fireball, various Schnapps, etc.
  
  And then from there I just gradually collect bottles of high-end stuff that will get sipped slowly and dress the bar up a bit. Just picked up a bottle of Kraken that has one of the cooler labels I've ever seen (and tastes pretty damn good, too).
  
  Have fun!

Keyring

1. Kingston DT108 - solid flash drive, been using this one for years, never failed me. Looking for a larger capacity replacement, something that preferably lines up with the keys better?
   
2. NITE IZE S-biner - pretty cool, fun to mess with.
   
3. Utili-key - love the idea, but the knife is not as useful as I hoped. Looks cool on the ring though. Would appreciate suggestions on replacing it.
   
   iPhone 5 leather wallet case - SPORT - Just got this one yesterday, nice construction, great feel, haven't quite broken it in yet though. It's a neat concept, the phone is magnetically attached to the wallet. I recommend you check it out!

1. I am thankful for my friends and family who stick by me through thick and thin! They are my rock.
   
2. I am thankful for the Grateful Dead for always always having a song for my mood no matter what. They have given me more cold chills than icecream.
   
3. I am thankful to live in the wonderful USofA drone strikes and NSA and ALL! It's still a pretty good land of opportunity.
   
4. I am thankful that I got to fulfil my dream of moving and living in Brazil. Even though it was only 3 months they may very well have been the most fantastic 3 months of my life. I met some lifelong friends and know Im on the right path to enlightenment. (Hint: do what makes you happy)
   
5. Last but not least I am thankful to have my health and a job even in this land of opportunity there is oppression, sickness, homelessness, and poverty beyond measure and I am just glad I get to wake up under a roof with food in the fridge and coffee in my pot. for that AMEN! and awesomesauce
   I am actually really in need of a [meat thermometer] (http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Classic-Instant-Read-Pocket-Thermometer/dp/B00004XSC4/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp)
   Great contest! Good luck everyone!
   
   

Just to add to warwatch who had most of what was on my list:

• bathroom floor mats
  
• measuring cup (this kind and this kind; Pyrex is good for the former but any old set will do for the latter)
  
• dish brush (like here, way better than a sponge)
  
• whisk
  
• tongs
  
• tupperware containers
  
• grater
  
• coasters
  
• ramekins
  
• meat thermometer (I got this one about 4 months ago and it's been pretty good; no more "is this what cooked pork/chicken/meat looks like?")
  
• silicone spatula
  
• pot holders, oven mitts
  
• Various sizes of wall hooks. Useful for hanging things on the wall that would otherwise be leaning or on top of something (broom, mop, linter, hair dryer, depending on your cabinets you can even hang pot lids on the walls of the cabinets)
  
• paper towel holder
  
• shower/bath organizer - depending on how you are set up, you can use a shower caddy to hold most of your things; my showerhead and the pipe leading to it from the wall is angled in a way so that isn't possible but I've had this for about 1.5 years and it has been great.
  
• if you have a cabinet in the bathroom, something like these small drawers may be useful for organization.
  
  Some of this depends on how much cooking you are planning to do, but it's all pretty essential in my experience.

I use a Primo Escali scale. I've had it for 5 or 6 years now (purchased it for following European recipes, and have repurposed it for food tracking more recently). It's held up great, no fuss, and the batteries last a really long time. I do think I paid a lot less than the $30 it is currently listed for on Amazon though.

Don't know anything about a Bullet Journal. A lot of people here use MyFitnessPal - personally, I prefer SparkPeople (lets you set a calorie range rather than a single daily target, easy to save favorite foods and groups of foods, easy to enter your own recipes, syncs with Fitbit, but has some social media and advertising aspects integrated with it that can be off-putting).

My boyfriend is on his own for food making choices, so I'm no help to you there! lol

And as for food containers, I prefer glass to plastic for its ability to be microwaved without staining or leaching. Wide mouth 2 cup mason jars work really well for soups/stews/chili, and since they are designed to be airtight they don't leak at all. And they are cheap! You do have to remove the lid to microwave, though.

For larger meals (salads, meat and veggie leftovers, etc) Pyrex and Rubbermaid sell glass containers with plastic lids in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. They're a bit more expensive than the canning jars but glass holds up well so it's worth the investment, IMHO.

Good luck!

Depends on the alchohol and if you like sweet or dry drinks. The beautiful thing about cheap alcohol is that it's perfect for cocktails. Never mix good alcohol with cheap mixers. Using a good Rye whiskey with coke or ginger ale is a waste, but mixing it with Absinthe, Peychaud's bitters, a sugar cube and shaken over ice will yield my favorite cocktail a Rye Sazerac.

Here's my suggests for the basics

Vodka: Moscow Mule
Ingredients: 4 oz Ginger beer, 1 1/2 oz Vodka, 1/6 oz Lime juice, and mint to taste. It's important to either muddle the mint or to slap it against tour hand a few times to get those oils to come out and flavor the cocktail.

Rum: Dark and Stormy
Ingredients: 2 ounces Gosling's or Myers's dark rum, 5 ounces ginger beer, Lime wedge.

Tequila: Classic Margarita
Ingredients: 2 ounces tequila, 1 ounce triple sec (orange schnapps mixer 15% alchohol), 1 lime, add simple syrup to taste. Salted rim or splash of OJ optional.

Whiskey or Bourbon: Old Fashioned
Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Bourbon or whiskey,
  
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters,
  
• 1 Sugar cube, orange slice and a cocktail cherry.
  
  Muddle cherry orange and sugar cube with the dashes of bitters. Pour whiskey over top.
  
  Gin: don't buy cheap gin....gin isn't like vodka. Gin has a different flavor depending g on the brand. My favorite brand Hendricks had notes of cucumber and rose tips in it and is amazing in a variety of drinks.
  
  Best recipe I can do for gin: Tom Collins
  Ingredients: 2 ounces gin, .75 ounce lemon juice, and .5 ounce simple. Pour over ice and stir.
  
  Another option is to just use lemonade. Never shake gin and you'll bruise the juniper in the spirit and really take away from the liquor.
  Get yourself one of these a shaker and a cocktail book. Start experimenting.
  
  
  
  This channel has some decent drink receipts if you're looking for some.
  
  
  
  Prost!

Personally, I think this cocktail would be better up than on the rocks, but that's really your call.

I would definitely batch everything except the citrus and then do 2.5 oz of batch and .5 oz of citrus juice to order. If you're concerned about keeping up with volume, you might want to invest in some OXO measuring cup jiggers like these. If you look very closely inside the jigger, there's a dimple near the pour spout--that marks 3 oz. So you can measure .5 lemon and then just fill to the dimple with batch. It's less accurate, but it's fine for high-volume settings and it's much faster than jiggering with a Japanese or American jigger.

Anyway, it seems like you have a pretty good handle on things! Best of luck and let me know if I can help!

I can help you out! A phin is my daily cup, so I've got my particular model dialed in pretty well. Also, I have some foodservice experience so I can sort of estimate how you could make this work.

I use 16g-17g of freshly-ground beans in this 11oz phin. I use water between 200F-205F, splash in just enough to cover the grounds -- so that no "standing water" is visible" -- and wait 30s. Then I fill the phin and cover it. Grind size is the 5th setting on a Bodum Bistro burr grinder. I can make 4 phins in my kitchen in about 5 minutes, and then 3 minutes of cleanup, so assuming the people at your festival line up in an orderly fashion and you've got a very good process... You need a way to boil water, a set of 24-50 phins, and a team of 3-6 people to divide up the tasks:

• Boil 3 liters of water
  
• Measure out 16g parcels of pre-ground coffee into 8 x 11oz phins stacked on cups
  
• Pour hot water onto coffee to soak, then pour again to brew
  
• Take phins from pouring station to serving area; place alongside ice glass
  
• Recover, wash, and dry the used phins; discard coffee grounds
  
  To do 900 liters like this will require a dedicated team of 3-6 people; they will be producing no more than 2 servings per minute, even at peak demand.
  
  

  If you're trying to make that many liters, you need to forget the idea of a phin.
  

  
  You have plenty of time to work ahead, so I would suggest buying some large 10-gallon coolers and some large nut milk bags and going for cold brew. Use this table to figure out your ratio. For each 10-gallon cooler you'll want to fill a nut milk bag with 60+ oz. of coffee beans, ground moderately fine, and let it sit for ~24 hours before removing the nut milk bags. If you're willing to accept some shrinkage, you can taste the coffee each hour after ~20 hours have passed and figure out when it's perfect. The key is to remove the nut milk bag once the brew is strong enough.
  
  Cold brew can sit refrigerated for almost a week without going bad. You're going to need 24 of those 10-gallon coolers, though, and 24 nut milk bags... and that means minimum 90 pounds of coffee beans.
  
  

• 24 Coolers @$50 = $1,200
  
• 24 Nut milk bags @$9 = $216
  
• 100lb. coffee @$12/lb. = $1,200
  
• Foodservice-size pouches of sweetened condensed milk = ???
  
• Truck rental to move 240 gallons of coffee and coolers = ?
  
  This is going to be much less expensive than trying to buy several hundred phins (!) and boiling 240 gallons of water on-site / on-demand. You probably can sell back the coolers, or get a good resale price for them on the open market, when you're done with them.
  
  Each cup is going to cost you $1.50 or more to produce -- not counting the labor and assuming nearly-free water -- so sell it at a fair price.

Seitan is gonna look something like this: https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/baked-seitan-log-448521

The basic idea is to get the balance of wet and dry ingredients. obviously your wheat gluten is core, but you can decide to add yeast if you'd like. If it's too wet, like you put in a bit too much water, or if it's not wet enough, you'll end up with either something too squishy/soggy or too dry and hard. It takes some practice haha! But mainly it's mixing your seitan with your dry ingredients, getting your wet ingredients (veg broth, soy sauce, oil), mixing them up and creating a little log that you wrap tightly in foil. It usually takes 1hr and 30 min to cook thouroughly at around 325 degrees.

If you want tofu with firmness and bite you need to not only buy extra firm tofu but also get yourself a tofu press https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Tofu-Press-Removes-Texture/dp/B007LLGMG2/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_79_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Y4MPDVBB53D9KYQQDGYS . Some people also freeze the tofu after pressing to get the desired firmness but I have never tried it. But usually you take the block out and press it for maybe 15 min, every 5 mins or so coming back and tightening the clamp more until you get most of the water out. If you try and press it down all at once, you will end up breaking the block. Only after getting the water out do you cut it up. At this point you can choose to freeze it but I just eat it this way and it's usually fine for me.


For TVP you don't make it but you buy it. It's just vegetable protein that you can buy in a bag. Bob's red mill and other companies make it but the best experience I've had is with this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XP68NLH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . It's a lot of tvp so beware. I usually use this for spaghetti balognese or making meatballs and maybe burgers. Just use it how you would use ground beef in any of your favorite recipes.


I don't have "real" recipes because I usually just use basic store bought pasta sauce or asian sauces. I get pretty simple with my cooking because it's hard enough as it is to eat healthy and I don't like spending more time than I need to. Hope this helps!

• An old posh Englishman would drink tea (In the Kitchen)
  
  
• The world watching me read porn in a non-eBook sense would probably be a bit awkward... it's like reading 50 shades on the bus (Books)
  
  
• This could probably be oddly phallic (< $5ish)
  
  
• jQuery pocket reference book. Pretty geeky.
  
  
• I guess Pokemon can be geeky, especially when it's a strategy guide (Books)
  
  
• This would help me be a super awesome baker (and look super cute in my kitchen. Who doesn't have the goal of having a cute kitchen? Also, this is in A girl can dream)
  
  
• Clif bars so I can eat! (In the Kitchen)
  
  Wooo that was fun!

Heres the deal with the weber smoker:


If you aren't filling up that top grate with 3 racks of ribs, or even filling the bottom grate there is honestly no point in using it unless you just want a fun hobby thing to do.

If you only want to do 1-2 racks of ribs, go grab a weber 22 inch kettle off craigslist. I got mine for 20 bucks.


It's ROI for charcoal use and time is very high compared to other smokers. Here are some tips that have gotten me lots of rave reviews on bbq using ONLY this smoker:

1. Always cook as much as you can.
   
2. Temp sweet spot is around 225-250
   
3. DO NOT TRUST THE LID THERMOMETER. It is always cold/off by 20 degrees minimum.
   
4. Get a good remote thermometer. The thermopro here is a good one to start with.
   
5. Consider getting a bbq controller. Its like CHEATING with a cook. I have the BBQ IQ130 (bluetooth), but the 120 on amazon here is amazing.
   
6. You can fill both the top and bottom grates with food. The max I have done is 2 small 14 lbs briskets on the bottom, and 3 pork butts on the top. Get a heavy duty table to use to set your stuff on when you need to wrap and rotate meat during a cook.
   
7. FILL THE WATER PAN UP, PERIOD. It acts as a buffer and helps control temp and keep it regulated. I fill with cold water. Every 2-3 hours on a cook I have a hose I carefully put in it, fill it up, and it keeps temps where they need to be.
   
8. Once every 4-5 cooks, do a HIGH HEAT BURNOUT with WOOD to get all the random flaky shit off it.
   
   The weber is a great backyard cooker. Many people win LOTS of competitions with them. It will serve you for MANY, MANY years if maintained well.
   

What is your favorite food?

Grilled Cheese is easy. Skillet to medium-high. 2 pieces of bread, a pat of butter, and a few slices of cheese. Half of the butter in the skillet with the bread on top. Layer the cheese on top of the bread and cover with remaining piece of bread. Cover (very important to melt the cheese). Cook until bottom of bread is starting to blacken, spread butter on other piece of bread and flip. Cook til starting to blacken or cheese is melting like crazy. Remove and serve.

Also, I suggest my easy lunch special. 1 medium sized chuck roast. Rub a modicum of kosher salt on it the night before. Preheat oven to 225F. When hot lay roast naked on the rack with a drip tray below. Let cook for 4 hours. Remove and wrap in foil. Return to rack for another 4 hours. Remove and wait 15mins before unwrapping. If you want to be awesome puncture the wrap and drain the juice into a cup before removing from foil. To make the lunches with this start a whole diced yellow onion in a skillet w/ some butter on medium-low. Sweat the onions for 5 mins then add diced green pepper. Throw on some Ms. Dash and a bit of soy sauce and skillet for a bit. While this is cooking take your leftover roast and chop into bite sized pieces. Throw onto a separate skillet on medium/medium-high. If you saved the juice throw it in there as well. If you removed the fat from the juice it'll be even better. Skillet until reheated, you are not cooking this meat. When it's done and the veggies are done, mix and skillet on medium for a bit to mingle the flavors. Now, this part is done. You are going to be pairing it with either Rice or Couscous. Couscous is easier unless you have a rice cooker. Either way, layer your lunches rice first then veggies/meat on top. Easy to microwave, tasty too.

Hey, I'm a drinky ex-mormon myself. Welcome to the other side! A couple of my sisters asked me for similar advice when they were first trying out alcohol and they seemed to like sweet wines and low-octane, sweeter drinks best. Maybe try out some fresh fruit blender drinks.

As for equipment, most of what you need may already be in your kitchen. I get the most use out of my hand-held citrus press, my peeler and my OXO angled jigger. Shakers are fun-looking and could be a good gift, but I rarely use mine. Glassware is always a fun gift!

I hope this helps! Good luck!

If you are interested in incorporating more tofu, I'd highly recommend getting a tofu press. Like this or this. It's laughable how expensive they are but if you are the slightest bit handy, you could definitely make one. They save SO many paper towels and are just all around super effective at making tofu far easier to cook.

Edit to add: if you're not handy, something like the ones I linked really are worth the splurge if you eat a lot of tofu and can feasibly afford one.

Not sure where yours is from, but from the title of the listing it sounds like it's made of Chinesium. Mine looks exactly the same but was made in Italy, it's held up great for 10 years. Return yours if you can and go for the $60 Marcato model.

If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, their roller attachment is also legit good, plus it will save your arms. Downside is it's way more of an investment to get all the attachments. I personally really love the extruder.

Hey! I bought it on Amazon during Cyber Monday, but it's still cheaper than the original price! It works lovely: Marcato Atlas Wellness 150 Pasta Maker.

I bought it at $50, but it's currently $70 which is still a great price for such great quality

Sundry list: Kindle.

It's for my dad. His birthday and father's day are the same day. It's a combo gift. He's been through a lot, health-wise, and he's finally at a place he can relax. We both love reading and bond over books better than anything else. I'm one of 4 kids and reading was the thing we had together while I was growing up, that nobody else shared. It was really special.

Books list: Mr. Mercedes

Stephen King and I have a long relationship. I've got Dark Tower tattoos, even. I have read everything he's written that I could get my hands on. This comes out in June. I own all of his books in hardcover. My den is basically a shrine to Uncle Steve.

Home Improvement list: Recessed Light Can Converters

I bought a house last year. It's got sunken eyeball lighting in the kitchen. They really, really creep me out. I know it's irrational. But I plan to put mini pendent lights in instead. o_O

Kitchen and Noms list: Instant Read Pocket Thermometer

I recently bought a bread machine. It's great and I use it every day, almost. Some of the breads require water at an exact temperature. I need a thermometer that starts at zero for this.

Pets and Wildlife list: Feliway

I have a ten-year-old neurotic cat who takes his pants off when he's anxious. This helps keep him decent. ;)

My son's birthday list: Wooden Pantry Products

The boy turns 2 in May. He has a play kitchen, but no play food yet. (He did have some cardboard boxes that came with the set, but he ate them in true baby form.) This set of wood pantry items will hold up and also be fun for stacking.

Add-ons list: iRobot Scooba Hard Floor Cleaner

Because a bot's got to eat, too.

Thanks for the contest!^ifitisacontest^probably

In addition to the great advice here, if you're looking to seriously get into baking, make sure you have the right tools. At a minimum, you're going to want a spatula (this kind, not a flipper/turner), a good-size mixing bowl (preferably multiple in different sizes), a baking/cooking sheet, and a good whisk. If you can spring for more, get a hand-mixer or best of all, a stand mixer will save you an incredible amount of time and effort. There's nothing more frustrating then spending a ton of time mixing something by hand, only to have it not come out right in the end. I've found that with electronic mixing, that frustration diminishes somewhat since it didn't take me 20 minutes and a sore arm to get egg whites to stiff peaks.

A bit more specialized, but useful if you end up baking a lot of these types of things: a pastry blender for pie crusts, a bread knife for bread and cake trimming, offset spatula & pastry tips if you're doing a lot of cake decorating. DON'T get a pastry bag; ziplock bags with the tip snipped off work just great and the cleanup is way easier. Also, of course, whatever baking vessels are appropriate for what you want to make (cake pan, pie tin, muffin tin, etc.)

A random specific recommendation: if/when you decide to make pie crusts by hand (highly recommended; totally worth it), I swear by this recipe (and subsequent tips for rolling out the crust). The recipe is simplicity itself, doesn't use shortening or lard (which gross me out for some reason), and has an incredible taste and texture.

It just takes a little practice and building up confidence... while getting to eat way better BBQ than you get at most restaurants and way more fresh.

If you don't already have one, you really need to get a digital thermometer like this one.

And I highly recommend this book for some great recipes - smoked meatloaf was really good. The mac n' cheese recipe is ridiculous.. family/coworkers know me for it. It has a lot of other great tips for the WSM too.

Welcome to the club, it's such a delicious hobby.

I only recommend Cocktail Kingdom or Barfly tools to pros who use them hard and can justify spending the money. I have stainless tools, of lesser quality, that I've used hard for 30 years. They still work as good as they did when new. I suppose a good analogy is automobiles. You can buy yourself a Toyota. It's affordable, reliable and does pretty much everything most of us ask of it. You can also get yourself a new BMW or Benz. Are the German cars nicer? Sure! But you pay for the luxury. The only things "Cocktail Kingdom" that I own are weighted tins that I purchased soon after they were released (many years ago). But I was Manhattan based and Cocktail Kingdom was the only brick and mortar store that actually carried weighted tins. Today, we have more options.

I know at least 6 pros who are very happy with this set @ <$40. You get the weighted tins, which is the biggest change in modern bartending. You also get a lifetime guarantee and Prime shipping. If you want one, you'll need to add a heavy-bottomed mixing glass for stirred cocktails, a Y-peeler and perhaps an OXO jigger and microplane. I suggest you save yourself some cash and put it towards ingredients. Otherwise, Barfly sells a decent kit for $171 that you'll still have to add to. Cocktail Kingdom is even more expensive.

TL/DR: The fancy tools aren't necessary at all. If you want the Cadillac of bar gear, however, go for it.

I LOVE the L-Ascorbic acid powder. Once you learn how to use it, it's a versatile, stable product that will last a long time. I'm currently mixing it with Hada Labo Premium. Here is how I measure for precision:

The scoop it comes with is far too large, so I bought these tiny measuring spoons: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009X1P9S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The smallest spoon is called "Drop" and it is equivalent to 1/64th of a teaspoon. I measure one level spoon of this and tap it into the palm of my hand. Next, I mix 4 drops of Hada Labo into the palm of my hand (**handy trick--one drop carefully dispersed from the bottle is equivalent to the "drop" measuring spoon). Use the spoon to mix it all up. The powder dissolves completely so there is no grittiness, leaving a perfect 20% strength, 3.0 PH Vitamin C serum in your hand. I test with these strips: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DTH14XZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This works out to be enough for my face, neck, décolletage, and the backs of my hands. Voila!

I've only felt a kava hangover once so far, and it was with a tudei variety I bought from a botanical vendor. Where did you get your kava from? If your vendor didn't supply reliable info regarding the source and variety of your kava, then I'd recommend trying the Waka (warning: very pungent) or Fu'u from Bula Kava House, or any variety of kava from Gourment Hawaiian Kava.

If your kava is good, the next thing I'd suggest is trying the traditional hand-straining prep, rather than blending and straining like you're doing right now. You might be consuming too much plant material with your current prep method, which I've found to increase the possibility of short-term nausea. I'm hand-kneading my kava with this nut milk bag that I bought on Amazon. It feels very durable compared to the previous three strainer bags I've burned through already, and it's large enough to make big batches of kava if you wanted to. I usually add about 2 Tbsp of kava to my strainer bag for every cup of lukewarm water I use, then knead vigorously for ten minutes. You know you have a potent batch when your kava has an oily sheen on the surface, similar to an oil spill on asphalt.

My normal kava night involves 6 Tbsp kava and 3 cups of water, which should be around 4-5 shells. I usually drink my first 3 shells within 30 min, then drink each remaining shell in 15 min intervals. This will leave me feeling pretty good for 3 hours or so, at which point I will be perfectly relaxed for sleep. This always leaves me feeling refreshed in the morning with no nausea whatsoever.

Good luck!

so, the dosing is tricky but it doesn't have to be perfect. 60-100mg is ideal depending on body weight, stim sensitivity, etc.

these little guys are perfect.

Try out a smidge sitting around the house and see how you feel. Adjust accordingly. Add a second smidge for gym time or if you're feeling ballsy, toss a pinch into your preworkout concoction. 1-2 200mg caffeine tablets to finish it off and prepare to leap buildings. If you like the tingle from Jack3d, you can get some Beta Alinine, but I don't find it purposeful beyond that neat little tingle feeling. Citruline Malate can be added for enhanced "pump", but again I don't find it necessary, when preloading on carbs can have the same effect.

I made an amazing strawberry melomel with orange blossom honey and backsweetened it with lactose, and it came out fucking amazing, like drinking a strawberry shortcake, but it was like 18% ABV.

I started in my big primary container with a must made from 64 pounds of pureed strawberries and 15 pounds of honey, with 7 gallons of water. It was actually super thick when it started off, almost milkshake consistency, but the yeast chewed through all that sugar and left me with an awesome brew.

After primary, I siphoned it into nut bags designed to make almond milk from ground almonds and pressed that in my apple press to strain most of the solids. I have 10 of those bags, but it still took forever, and was by far the messiest of my brews. I ended up with like 8 gallons of mead that further racked into a single 6.5 gallon carboy.

I use Certain Dri and it has drastically improved my situation. As you said, it prevents you from sweating; my problem was that I would sweat a lot and it would get all swampy under there and I believe it was that wetness that made it smell because it definitely smelled bad. Once I started using Certain Dri the sweat problem went away almost immediately. I still use a normal deodorant during the day though (you only apply Certain Dri at night) and between the two of them there is no more odor or sweat. Hooray!

Another two tips that may help: drink lots of water! Also, there is evidence that some metals can help remove odors from the skin. I bought (this)[https://www.amazon.com/Amco-8402-Rub-Away-Bar/dp/B000F8JUJY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492008535&sr=8-1&keywords=metal+bar+soap] and use it in the shower under my arms on occasion. It is made for chefs to wash their hands with to remove onion/garlic smells but it works well for the pits too! Best of luck conquering the odor! You can do it! :)

Shopping list:

One yellow onion, two if you love onions

Head of celery

Seven or eight carrots

Package of wild rice

A bunch of spices, if you for some reason don't own spices

Powdered chicken bullion

The Thanksgiving turkey carcass that you froze, of course

Your turkey pan drippings

A "nut bag" or "mash bag". You can get a nut bag on Amazon here, or you can go to your local homebrew shop and ask for a mash bag. It takes the place of cheesecloth, and it's totally worth the investment.

Stock prep:

Put the mash bag in your slow cooker.

Thaw that turkey carcass. When it's room-temperature, hand-separate the meat from the bone. Stick the meat in a plastic bag in the fridge, and put the bones in the mash bag you put in the slow cooker. Stick the drippings in the mash bag, too.

Quarter an onion, separate out the layers, and toss all four quarters into the bag. Cut four of the carrots and four of the celery sticks longways and shove those in there somewhere too.

Add a 1/4 teaspoon of sage, a 1/4 of thyme, a 1/4 of rosemary, a dash of parsley, four or five good grinds of pepper, a teaspoon of salt, and two bay leaves. I purposely under-salted because that is something that can be done at the table to taste.

Toss a teaspoon of bullion on top.

Fold the bag up and try to tuck it underneath itself. Make sure it's easy to remove from a bunch of hot liquid in the morning, though!

Fill the crock pot about half an inch from "full" with cold water.

Turn it on Low, then go to sleep.

Good morning!

Go into the kitchen. It will smell like Turkey Mecca, but be patient! Put a towel down and, being careful not to spill a bunch of crap everywhere, lift the bag out of the slow cooker and transfer it to a plastic bag. Move the plastic bag to the garage while you wait for it to stop steaming, then compost the bones and vegetables or else give them to Fido.

Peel the rest of the carrots and slice them into coins. Same with the remaining celery: wash it and cut it into pieces. If you LOVE onion, you can cut up a whole damn onion and add it, otherwise stick to half or a quarter. Add everything to the delicious-ass broth, then walk away for two hours.

When that two hours is up, and when the entire house smells like God has blessed you with the Eternal Turkey Soup, come back and get out that bag of turkey meat. Make sure it's bite-sized pieces, then add the entire horse-honkin' thing into the slowcooker.

Set a timer for 1h30m, then reread The Name of the Wind for a couple minutes.

Finally, make your wild rice on the stove. This stuff is actually really good, but any will do. Make two cups of it, and cook it on the "light" side, because it'll suck up some soup too.

(You can also add a box of fusilli to the slowcooker about 40 minutes before you want to eat if you want Turkey Noodle Soup, but I promise you, the rice is worth your time.)

When the rice is done, dump it wholesale into the soup. Click the little knob to "Off".

It's ready.

Say a quick prayer, because this soup will make you feel like you've been touched by the turkey angel.

Edit: two pictures - the bag inside our crockpot, and the morning addition of turkey

• Bench scrapers. I use them for both picking up chopped up bits and for clean up. Nothing cleans a countertop better than a bench scraper.
  
• Microplane. For a long time I didn't have a micro plan and anytime I needed to grate anything I had to use my box grater. Also, it's great for ginger and garlic.
  
• Vacuseal. Goodbye freezer burn. Also, it's great for leftovers since you can just reheat your leftovers in a pot of boiling water. Better than microwave or even the oven.
  
• Wine sealer. Something to seal up bottles of wine. I use:
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GA3KCE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  It works pretty well and makes wine last a lot longer.
  
• Prep dishes. Little dishes for herbs, liquids, etc. I probably use like 5 of these each time I cook.
  
• Strong gloves. If I'm cooking something that is annoying to touch(garlic, chicken, eggs, chilis) I put on gloves. I like a tight fitting glove.

the tare function is pretty much universal on digital scales, so that one is easy.

the small profile can be cumbersome when weighing things in large bowls, but some scales have a display that you can pull out to better be able to read it in those situations

the accuracy want is where you are going to have the toughest. the more precise the scale is, the lower the maximum weight the scale will support. a scale that is only accurate to the gram will have a higher maximum weight than one that is accurate to the 0.1 gram.

so to address that, I would recommend 2 scales, one for large bulk weighing (like weighing out meats), and one for the finer weighing of things (like weighing out ketoade ingredients). These are the two that I personally use, but I am sure you could find others that have similar properties (and I dont remember paying anywhere near $30 for the Oxo scale, might have better luck in stores rather than online).

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-1157100-Digital-Scale-Black/dp/B0020L6T7K/ref=sr_1_29?keywords=digital+kitchen+scale&qid=1574649853&sr=8-29

https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Signature-AWS-1KG-SIL-Digital/dp/B003STEJ4S/ref=sr_1_67?keywords=digital+kitchen+scale&qid=1574649976&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_three_browse-bin%3A7932983011&rnid=7932982011&s=kitchen&sr=1-67

Get the new one. The vintage stuff is cool, but make your own vintage stuff.

The point of getting vintage stuff now is that a lot of it is considered high quality. In this case, you have access to the same quality new. The bonus is that you support American folks making your high quality materials. The resale market adds little to the people pressing these things out.

EZ DUZ IT has multiple colors too.

Black

Red

Blue

White

Edit: The black EZ DUZ IT will not help you acheive laser fusion. Thanks /u/PsykoDemun

Thirded on the American Weigh, I bought that after initially purchasing an OXO Good Grips 5lb scale and have been far more satisfied with the AW SC-2kg. The 0.1g resolution is so* much nicer and I was having issues with the OXO changing its mind about how much things weighed (+/- a couple of grams, it was annoying).

The SC-2kg is surprisingly tiny when you first get it, but it's still large enough for the bin from my Baratza Maestro or my Chemex (8 cup I think?). As adrooo said, the blue LED is quite brilliant and very easy to read.

If you have access to a stovetop, try searing the chicken on medium/med-high heat for 2 mins~ a side then transfer it to the oven for 10-15 mins til cooked through. The sear is delicious and really beats the pants off plain baked breasts. I suggest a meat thermometer to help with not drying the hell out of your dinner! You can go stupid simple or a little more complex. I have both of these thermometers and use them both often.

I also highly recommend this recipe for bone in chicken.. I've done legs, breasts and wings (on grill and the oven) and it comes out fantastic.

Wings are really cheap and are damned good. Chicken breasts get boring and expensive! Wings, I do at 425 degrees for 20 mins, flip them, then do 15 mins more. If you want a good buffalo wing recipe, these are great.

You can try different things for marinades/rubs. Lemon pepper, Tony Chachere's, Adobo (or just buy Goya brand...it's salty as hell. though), etc. Marinades are fun too. Salad dressings, bbq sauce, apricot preserves, Trader Joe's Soykiaki, and so on. Just remember that if there's a lot of sugar in them, you're probably going to have sticking/burning issues. Best bet is to cook the chicken to 5 mins before done and then brushing on bbq sauce/sticky marinade. Also, if there's any acid in your marinade (vinegar, citrus), don't marinate for more than a couple hours or the acid will "cook" the chicken. Poultry ceviche isn't good eats!

My diet is very protein heavy and I just can't make a decent steak to save my life. I get sick of eggs & tuna so I've made chicken LOTS of different ways and have changed it up a lot so I don't get bored. I hope this helps! Sorry it's long. heh

TL;DR -- Vary your seasonings, buy a thermometer and get a good sear. Links and suggestions provided.

I was unaware that the water might cause mold. I know that I do sometimes need it for the butter though, as it helps thin out the mix, which allows it to stir better.

If I do a 6C butter to 8Oz flower, it tends to get too thick to properly stir and I'm too lazy to grind everything into a fine powder beforehand. It's not as necessary with coconut oil though, as it seems to thin out better once it's heated. I've read both ways on the subject and for me the main reason is to help thin it.

I took a look at those presses and I like them. However, I also have a fruit press that will squeeze everything out pretty well.

The nut bags have been 'my' game changer. The ones I use will take on fairly warm oil and you can close them at the top. This allows me to squeeze as much out, then give it a shake to rearrange the stuff and then squeeze again. Plus you can hang it for a while longer to allow gravity to help out as well.
Bags: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KLT6X9W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

temperature probes are your best friend! also, juices that run clear is usually a good indication of a cooked chicken.

Something similar to this Thermometer

we have about 4 in our kitchen at any given time.. you can get more expensive ones that are digital and awesome, but i usually always fall back on my supply of these.. 165 is the suggested safe zone for poultry. always stick it in the thickest part of the breast, but be sure to not go all the way into the chest cavity.. I've done it a lot lol.. and or into the thickest part of the thigh..

Pink chicken doesn't mean raw.. as long as the temperature is properly at it's mark and the juices run clear you should be fine!

You look wonderful today, did you do something new to your hair?

You should get this can opener is made of good thick steel, it's heavy in the hand and I have never had a problem opening a can with one. Bonus, it has a bottle opener on it.

And this is an excellent liquid measuring cup.

You may also want some of the following:

Hand soap for the kitchen and bathroom sinks, hand towels.
You need basic first aid stuff, like adhesive bandages (band-aids) and rubbing alcohol, good tweezers. Include basic pain meds, stuff for an upset stomach, allergy meds, or any prescription medications you need.

Sponges and scrub brushes. If you want to use a swifter type thing, I'd like to recommend this I have used it to clean offices and it works. The handle is pretty heavy duty and you can make or buy extra cleaning cloths, then you just put them in the washer.

Oh a colander, I will admit I picked that one because it's cute.

I love my rice cooker I use it to steam vegetables or cook rice at least once a week. I have the larger version but that one would probably work, or the larger one.

I could use one of the following: Notebook or Scissors or a Book.

I'm a bit behind schedule from my "back in 30." You may notice in my assembled ingredients pic the plastic graduated shot recycled from some long-ago bottle cough syrup. I fell back to that because in assembling that picture I fumbled my nice glass graduated shot and shattered it on the floor, necessitating a thorough sweeping. Now I finally have the impetus to order one of these. Also that glass shot, got from some thrift store, inexplicably had teaspoons graduated at 4 per tablespoon...

As you may recall from the book the parentheticals are direct quotes and he wasn't lying about the orange juice (the bracketed "repeat as needed" is my own and we'll just see how this evening goes). I'll use concentrate in a pinch but fresh squeezed is really where it's at. Tonight I only had some clementines and they added a certain bitterness but I like that. I think the Luxardo syrup is fine, just a different fruity complexity than the pomegranate. Here's the final result. I'm glad I didn't fumble that glass, an exceedingly fragile gift from a neighbor.

The drink remains fantastic to me, if in this case a bit flat at the beginning of the sip, probably just because it's less sweet than usual. That flatness, not unlike a dark chocolate milk, gives way quickly to a shifting complexity as multicolored desert sands making and remaking a dunescape, really everything for which I started mixing cocktails in the first place. This feels like a drink with which I could both start and end a perfect day.

Mixing it I looked up to notice the cover art of Typhoon's Hunger & Thirst on my radio and momentarily thought it appropriate but now I'm not sure that's an orange, or what it is at all in fact. In any case I shook vigorously at the disjointed end of Belly of the Cavern and it felt apropos:

all my life i've spent wasting time, wasting my time
just to forget again but i don't mind
i'll take my medicine and i will be fine

Happy cake day!!!

1 Rubber spatulas that I would use to mix up my cake, or icing colors which I use to die icings for cakes I make!

2 This one is a stretch but portal socks because Simon Pegg did voices for video games...and Portal is a video game!

3 I don't have any books on my WL. :P but.... I'd like to read this bag while I devour it's contents!

4 Mixing bowls. My SO tends to eat his cereal out of the few I have now >.<

5 Gecko food for our gecko! It even has a picture of one on the label!

6 Purple socks or purple nail polish!

7 Portal companion cube!

8 My (not so guilty) pleasure.

9 Pocket knife!

10 The definition of my childhood!

11 Literally for organizing!

12 My favorite hobby is baking!

13 PlayStation 4 could be geeky to some.

14 Made with 100% natural almonds!

15 Green socks!

16 I can wear these adorable leggings!

17 Funny candles!!

18 NSFW beads...

19 Gardening boots!

20 The item I love is this mixer!

I think you will buy these!

Alright, I'm about to drop some knowledge down. I've posted this before (maybe on a different account) but I'm a coldbrew addict, and I'm about to change your lives.

Here's what you're going to need:

1) Space in your fridge.

2) A pound of your favorite coffee, ground, COARSE just like OP said (none of that Folgers bullshit)

3) One of these bad boys. Trust me.

4) Also, one of these. Ignore the name, They're magic.

Alright.

Take your water pitcher and actually remove all the pitcher filter shit. You can use any big container but I need a spigot to pour directly into my mouth. Once the filter and top plastic is out, all you should have is the vessel and the lid.

Fill your nut milk bag with your coffee. Place in the bottom of your pitcher and fill until the bag is covered with water, and let sit for a few minutes.

Empty out all your silt water and refill to the BRIM with water. Place it in your fridge.

If you're picky about your coffee strength, after 6 hours taste your coffee and then taste every hour until you hit a strength you desire.

Personally, I go 24-36 hours on my brew, and then squeeze the bag. My wife mixes the coffee with water since its very strong. I like the feeling of jitters in the morning.

Take the grounds and grow plants, compost, whatever floats your boat. Put the lid back on and put it back on your fridge. It will keep for 10-14 days, but I doubt it will last that long :)

No worries! Are you getting the flair or are you weighing options. The flair is definitely nice because you can produce some pretty amazing shots for not an incredible amount of money, but it is definitely a commitment. What budget are you wanting to stick with for a grinder? Scales can be pretty cheap. I will attach the link to a good starter one that is portable and fits under the flair pro.

GDEALER DS1 Digital Pocket Kitchen Multifunction Food Scale for Bake Jewelry Weight, 0.001oz/0.01g 500g, Tare, Stainless Steel, Backlit Display, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E6RE3A0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Ua8HDbK32A2TD

My first scale was a cheapy little scale from brandsmart. It did the job and was accurate. And it had a tare feature for zeroing out the weight of the bowl or container your measuring in, but several things bugged me about it. First it would auto shut-off in about a minute, which generally meant I had to be watching the read-out, just in case I went to go grab another ingredient and it shut-off. Another was that it only held about 4 lbs, so i couldn't measure large quantities. Oh and the batteries, the battery life was only a few months, and it used those expensive circular batteries.

So when I got my new scale I made sure to look for something that would give me everything I needed. This new one is great, it doesn't auto shut-off for 4 minutes, it weighs up to 11 lbs, and uses regular AA batteries, which I have yet to change! Best thing it was only $25.

So things to look for:

• tare feature
  
• length of auto shut-off
  
• type of batteries used
  
• weight capacity
  
• ease of cleanup
  
  

Honestly, I basically swear by these spatulas. They are definitely the best and useful for basically everything. I bought two sets and they are my favorite things in the kitchen. I even take them to my inlaw's when I know I'll be baking so that I can use my good spatulas. They are freaking awesome.

Let's do it in the kitchen.

Here is the one I use. It's a bit on the expensive side but works great. I received it as a gift a few years ago and it's held up nicely.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000632QE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Honestly though, any one will do. They all seem to be made of plastic. I think there are really expensive metal ones but i don't see the necessity to spend that much unless you're gonna use it daily.

I've read in one of Ed Rosenthal's books that baking is supposedly an effective way to kill the mold that's present on much cannabis. I actually recommend a higher temperature, though like 200^oF for 20 minutes or 220^o for 10-15 minutes, as this will kill the mold and promote decarboxylation. Use the thinnest surface possible, like very flat aluminum foil or a very clean and dry cookie sheet. Your product should be finely crumbled, like out of an herb grinder, and will eventually be pretty brown in color. Further, don't rely on your oven's thermostat. Get an inexpensive digital oven thermometer and standardize your oven a few times. Considering that you're getting within 30-50^oF of the vaporization point of everyone's favorite compound, you could accidentally burn off all the good stuff. Stock oven thermometers are notoriously inaccurate.

Lots of info in there!

I use Haley's 5-in-1 corkers once a bottle is opened, simply because it makes it easy to do neat pours and it seals nicely (sometimes better than the original cap/cork). For long-term storage (both wine and liquor), anything from Vacu Vin's Wine Saver line, really. I have this cheaper model and it works great.

Tomato salad with goat cheese and basil. Dress that with olive oil and just a little bit of salt and freshly ground pepper.

I've found out that making food that people is not used to do anymore at home causes a great impression. For instance I like making pasta from scratch. Having a pasta maker machine and a little bit of practice it is incredibly easy. For me it takes the same amount of time to make pasta from scratch than to cook dehydrated pasta, only cleaning up is a little bit more of work. The flavor of fresh pasta is way better than store-bought noodles and when you point out that you made the noodles, your guests get really impressed.

Same with sauerkraut (or anything pickled), ginger ale, sausages. Most people have no idea how these things are made, because for a couple of generations now, these foods have been bought in a store. So it causes a big impression when somebody actually takes the time to watch a youtube video and then prepare these foods.

Yes, I think it tastes better and the texture is far superior. In addition, the surface is rougher, so it "picks up" the sauce better. The basic recipe is simple:1 egg per 100g flour, plus water to make a pliant, non sticky dough. Although a true Semolina "00" flour is prefered or a Durham... Truth be told I use good ol' GD unbleached all purpose flour (or maybe half and half with whole wheat)

I failed my first few attempts to hand-cut the dough (or did not have the patience) to make uniform thickness, which is vital. I gave up until I bought a pasta maker.... Now I will never go back to store bought pasta. My machine is a Marcato Atlas 150. It comes with a tagliolini (like a square spaghetti) and fettuccine cutter. For around $79 on Amazon And you can get a bunch of different cutters.

I've tried an electric knife, but that didn't have the control I'd hoped, although it was fast. With more patience, you might have better luck than me. Also, don't buy the one I linked, instead find one at a thrift store.

I tried to build a hot-wire cutter from toaster parts, but it didn't get hot enough, so I gave up on it.

In the end, I ended up just free-hand sanding and cutting away the foam. In other words, I'd spring for a second ball. :( Check your local Dollar Store. They have a small selection of foam, and while their spheres are probably too small, it does end up being a good place to get a 4" cube

One last hint: A mandolin slicer is really good for taking thin slices off a foam sphere. I used it to flatten the backs of eyeballs, and it worked really well.

This is my favorite keychain/ bottle opener. It has come in handy more times than I can say :) You are a good friend! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

St. George is making a pretty nice coffee liqueur. If it's not available near you, try Borghetti espresso liqueur.

I definitely agree with /u/BeExcellent re: Luxardo Amaretto and Carpano Antica vermouth. Just make sure you store the vermouth with a vacuum wine stopper or in the fridge, as it will oxidize if left open at room temp.

I didn't notice a huge difference between Combier and Cointreau. My go-to for curaçao right now is the Dry Curaçao from Pierre Ferrand. It works as both an orange curaçao and a triple sec; essentially it's a blend of cognac and unaged brandy infused with true curaçao orange peels, then sweetened. It's called 'dry' curaçao because it has about half the sweetness of most examples you'll find.

The basics:
Shaker: http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Cocktail-Shaker-Set-Stainless/dp/B000796F1W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017012&sr=8-1&keywords=cocktail+shaker

Spoon: http://www.amazon.com/RSVP-Endurance-Stainless-Steel-Handle/dp/B000F7JY00/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017049&sr=8-3&keywords=cocktail+spoon

Muddler: http://www.amazon.com/Tablecraft-H4258-Stainless-Muddler-Plastic/dp/B0032FOQY6/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017078&sr=8-8&keywords=cocktail+muddler

My fav strainer: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-1058016-SteeL-Cocktail-Strainer/dp/B0000DAQ93/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017130&sr=8-1&keywords=cocktail+strainer

Jigger: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Steel-Angled-Measuring-Jigger/dp/B00B6LUAPW/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017174&sr=8-6&keywords=oxo+measuring+cup

These few things should get her to a good start. If she prefers a Boston Shaker (http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Cocktail-Shaker-oz/dp/B000NNO2X0/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017243&sr=8-6&keywords=cocktail+shaker), all you'll need is a typical pint glass to go with it.

Oh, you've gotta get these big ice cube trays. Only way to enjoy your cocktail, if you're serious about your drinks.(http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-KING-Cube-Trays-Blue/dp/B00395FHRO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017434&sr=8-1&keywords=big+ice+cube+tray).

Does she has glassware? Collins glasses, old fashioned glasses, highballs? Might be good to look for some of those too. Also, people often give away glassware on Craigslist for free or for next to nothing.

If I can think of anything else, I'll come back to this. Should get you off to a good start though.

> I've found that when I've used that procedure in the past, I've ended up with overcooked steak...

A digital probe thermometer is a godsend for this. I sear my steak for ~90-seconds per side in grapeseed oil, put a pat of Ghee onto the steak, and then toss the steak into my 250º oven for ~20-minutes with the probe thermometer set in it set to 145º.

Perfectly cooked, perfectly delicious steak.

Get a mandoline! They're quite awesome to have available to you in your kitchen. You can slice faster, and better, compared with your knife. You can shave your own turkey or ham for sandwiches, along with tomatoes, onions, pickles for toppings. Pickles (and other long vegetables) are hard to use with the included safety handles, so you may want to do them by hand--only if you have a chainmail glove.

Good, all-steel ones are made by Bron or Matfer, but they're "professional" quality, and woefully expensive, and in the US$150+ range. For home cooks, Borner makes a fantastic one for about US$30. Benriner is a Japanese brand that also makes good ones. Some cheaper ones don't stay upright, but have a handle on the back for you to hold with one hand. Don't get those. Purchase one that will at least stay upright on its own.

Too many kitchen gadgets claim they save you time, but a mandoline is one that actually does.

My mom got me one a few years back and idk if it's this brand but design is identical with 2 3-pronged wing nuts. I honestly think it'll last forever as the 2 panels seem solid and no signs of rust on the bolts. Mostly hand washed but sometimes dishwasher. I recommend it and just use it over or in the sink and tighten it down a few times while prepping other parts of a meal:

EZ Tofu Press - Removes Water from Tofu for Better Flavor and Texture. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007LLGMG2/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_XHW0DbCJT8YXN

Hario Mini Mill

Kettle

Scale

Brita Filter

Aeropress

Thermometer. The one I have is from a Culinary Arts class I took, but this looks to be the same. It's very useful, and to calibrate it, which you'll need to do every once in a while, fill a cup full of ice and then water and put the blue thing on so you can move it (I'm not sure how to explain it, but I'm sure you'll get it), and make sure the dimple is in the water and move it to 32 degrees.

Edit: Also, the mug was from the reddit Secret Santa exchange! It's a really fantastic mug.

ya can. but i use this $12 jeweler's scale. So, really, unless you're gonna do MASSIVE mixing, why spend that much? I think that became the thing cos a lot of mixers got coin from amazon if people clicked their link back in the day and it became the thing. Good scale, don't get me wrong. BUT, if you're trying to get started more or less on the cheap...


But, if we ARE gonna do the obligatory link, use this one. Get you some free bottles, and a good description of how to mix by weight too. plus, use one of a million codes, such as diyordie and get 15% off.

​

Can't beat that.

My favorite animal is a capybara! They're like giant, dog-sized guinea pigs and they love to swim. So cool!

E: Item under $10: These silicone baking cups

Item under $5: Pyrex glass measuring cup

Thanks for hosting!

Sure!

This is the popcorn popper I'm using to roast (not pictured)

This is the Sweet Maria's sampler pack (4 lbs of green coffee for roasting). Mine specifically came with these four coffees:

• Java Kopi Sunda
  
  
• Sumatra Toba Batak Peaberry
  
  
• Ethiopia Sidama Deri Kochoha
  
  
• Colombia "Dos Payasos de Tolima"
  
  Now on to the equipment:
  
  
  Bonavita BV3825ST 1-Liter Stovetop Kettle
  
  American Weigh Black Blade Digital Pocket Scale, 1000 by 0.1 G
  
  Taylor Classic Instant-Read Pocket Thermometer
  
  Chemex Coffee Maker 8 Cup Classic
  
  Chemex Coffee Filters - 100 Chemex Bonded Unbleached Filter Squares FSU-100
  
  Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill Slim Coffee Grinder
  
  
  I also have a bodum french press and an aeropress. The scale is big enough to measure coffee, but not big enough to brew on, so keep that in mind if you are thinking about getting one, but it was pretty cheap and I don't mind pre-measuring the coffee and water rather than doing it while i brew. I also have already had some issues with the thermometer head rotating, throwing off the measurement, but it's not really a huge deal because it's easy to rotate it back and I usually just bring water to a boil and then let it drop 10 degrees regardless of what the temp actually says. Overall, loving all my new goodies!

I love this: Since it replaced my carabiner it works great and I always have it on me!

I just went to Tröegs on Saturday and got a Nugget Nectar bottle opener that works pretty good too!

My scale is fine but it's old and unavailable so I can't really recommend it. I like The Sweethome review site for things like this. They recommend the Escali Primo, and it looks like a great scale for a reasonable price. I'll probably get it when my current scale conks out.

Butts are super funny!

I really need spatulas. Like, really badly. I only have one that hasn't broken in half yet and it's too big to fit into cans to scrape all the food out. It's a giant spatula.

Thanks for the contest!

I use the exact same OXO 2oz measuring cup, but I have the stainless steel version. Same difference. I use it for almost all of my cocktail measuring as it is easy to read, easy to use, and easy to clean. Only time I use my other measuring devices is when that one is dirty...

here's the link to the stainless one http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Steel-Angled-Measuring-Jigger/dp/B00B6LUAPW/ref=pd_sim_k_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=172EY2R4X5REZ6F9VNVW

Most of them are pretty insanely accurate for the cost.

These are very popular when very small/accurate measurements are needed:

https://www.amazon.com/Diagtree-Milligram-Electronic-Weighing-Calibration/dp/B07CKG2DJN/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=scales+.001&qid=1570829507&sr=8-9

Or any variation of the above. There are a few different styles and hundreds of brand names slapped on these but they are pretty much all the same. I would recommend these if you think you may get into microdosing.

The ones below go to .01 instead of .001 but have a much larger surface for measuring so you don't have to have your shrooms in a container or on a plate like those above:

https://www.amazon.com/GDEALER-Digital-Kitchen-0-001oz-Stainless/dp/B01E6RE3A0/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=scales+.01&qid=1570829813&sr=8-5

I'd highly recommend a remote thermometer. I have this one which Amazon tells me I bought in November 2014. It still works great and I think it's a rebranded Maverick which is highly recommended on AmazingRibs. Apparently this Thermopro is the best seller on Amazon for $20 more and has a couple more bells and whistles.

Thanks for the contest, and congratulations on your new place!

I think this stainless steel bar is a pretty cool item. (I cook with onions a lot!)

Home Sweet Home

Yay! I love contests! :)

Anyways, I need this. Everytime I go grocery shopping, I have to try and keep away from canned goods that require a can opener because mine broke about 2 week ago. I've been looking for a good one near me, but none of the places I've checked seem to carry to them.

Chuck Finley! Thanks for the contest! :)

Lots of good stuff in here.
I'd add to get a couple of timers and connect them to lamps and/or a radio. Make sure to change the timing every so often. It'll give the appearance someone is around.

Also, when I was young and starting out, I would stock up on non perishable items when I had a few extra bucks. I pretty much always have a back up of soap, shampoo and the like, even now. Sucks to run out of things, and sucks even worse if it's a lean week. If you cook, this is a good plan with meat too. When the store has meat on sale, buy and freeze. Saves money and you'll pretty much always have food in the house.

Good luck! Living alone can be really great.

Edit: link derp

Well, I have no idea what your price point is, but there are a couple really nice options that I have my eye on:

A nice 'Cold Smoker' will allow him to smoke cheese, salt, or anything else that might melt if too much heat hits it.

How about a wireless thermometer (definitely need a wireless one, not blue tooth) so he can keep watch on his grill from inside

Maybe a real nice skewer set with an elevated cooking system?

or maybe a portable smoker so he can tailgate?

OR.... how about a new Grill with all the works?

The options are limitless

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F8JUJY/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_sBsYzbQN4APYS

This little guy is the best $8 I ever spent. Same idea, more efficient shape. When I worked in a deli, it was my best friend.

I've used this fine machine, in lovely chrome, for the last 5 years, pretty sure it's still even on the same batteries. Use it every day!

Best part for me is that it can handle a few grams at a time right on up to 11lbs. I can stick a whole giant batch of stew/soup/shredded meats/whatever on it and portion into meals or weigh out just a pinch of shredded cheese.

Supposedly Swing Away was bought out and is cheap crap from China now. The old USA factory makes the good ones under the name ez duz it. I just bought one a few weeks ago and it has opened 3 cans so far. I'll report back in 10 years and let you all know. Make sure to get the black handle one.

Amazon link for anyone interested:
https://www.amazon.com/EZ-DUZ-3028-Deluxe-Opener-Grips/dp/B0071OUJDQ

EDIT:
After looking at the Amazon page, there are counterfeit ones being sold. So make sure you buy directly with Amazon.com as the seller. I remember reading the comments and being careful when buying mine so hopefully I got a good one.

Here's my 2 cents on preventing burnt meat. Get a food thermometer like this: http://www.amazon.com/Polder-Digital-In-Oven-Thermometer-Graphite/dp/B000P6FLOY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1374375316&sr=8-4&keywords=meat+thermometer. I highly suggest this for any beginner cook. It will help ensure you get the proper temperature for meat. My other advice, and it's a obvious statement, don't leave the meat alone.

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
  
  
• Marinate the chicken breast any way you like. I like to use soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and olive oil.
  
  
• Lay it on a cookie sheet.
  
  
• Stick the thermometer probe so that the tip is deep in the meat. Set the thermometer temp to 160F.
  
  
• Place the chicken in the oven. Make sure the plastic thing is outside the oven. The door will close on the wire.
  
  
• When the thermometer beeps. Take out the chicken. Don't remove the probe.
  
  
• Cover the chicken with aluminum foil. Wait 10 minutes. By this time, the chicken's temperature should reach the safe temp of 165F.
  
  
• Once it reaches 165F, it's done!

Several people have asked recently for recommendations for a cheap, accurate scale. I thought I'd post this -- bought two of these for $12.99 each off Amazon w/Prime free shipping. Comparing them side-by-side, they read identically and come with covers/trays and support grams, dwt, oz, ozt. Accurate to 0.001 ozt or 0.01 gram.

Best of luck! That's a 1/4 AGE on ozt - it shows 0.273 ozt because it's a 0.9167 purity coin. Multiply the two and you get 0.2502591. Close enough to 1/4 ozt for my calibration purposes!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E6RE3A0/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492522710&sr=sr-1&keywords=gdealer+0.01+scale

You’re gonna look weird weighing gear at the grocery store, so I’d really consider just buying your own.

For around $20 you can get a good set of scales. Below are what I use and they’ve been great. The luggage scale is good for large items like your bag, tent, and pack. The smaller one is adequate for everything else. The luggage scale is also nice for getting a final pack weight and comparing it to your lighter pack.

$13 scale - Digital Pocket Scale, 0.001oz/0.01g increments, up to 500g

$9 scale - Fishing / luggage Scale

They're pretty much all the same but I would choose according to your lifestyle. I would carry my Oxo foodscale food scale with me everywhere; restaurants, traveling, whatever.

If you plan on doing that, I recommend buying one that is rather rugged and small. I like the Oxo one because the display face pulls out (attached via cable) so it isn't covered up by large dishes as well as the ability to remove the top cover for dishwashing.

Yes. Use good organic whole milk for a treat but regular whole milk is also good.

I use Ellie’s best nut milk bag to turn it from regular to Greek yogurt at the end. Here is a link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KLT6X9W/

The Swissmar mandoline VicinSea mentioned I will also agree it's fantastic. I too have had mine for years and use it regularly. It will become one of your favorite kitchen tools because of it's many uses of making even cuts on things. Just be careful not to get your digits near the blade...unless you want your kitchen to look like a scene straight out of CSI. All unfortunate cooking accidents aside, on [Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/Swissmar-Borner-V-1001-V-Slicer-Mandoline/dp/B0000632QE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343246278&sr=8-1&keywords=swissmar+mandoline) has a bunch of reviews on it, and you can compare to others to find one that best meets your needs/price range.

If you want to spend big bucks, you can invest in a metal mandoline like this one which is professional grade.

edit: spelling

If you want a cheaper alternative, for baking at least, you can use a Polder digital thermometer. I use it a lot. It's not an instant-read thermometer like the thermapen, but it's really great to see the temp of your chicken/roast/meatloaf without ever opening the oven which you can't do with the thermapen.

This is the one that I use: http://www.amazon.com/Polder-Digital-In-Oven-Thermometer-Graphite/dp/B000P6FLOY

If you want examples on how I use it, I can type them up for you. Have fun with the cooking!

Whelp since we have to use what we have on hand looks like I am having a bunch of Nabisco snack packs and one last back of Pizza Flavored Combos.....not actually too upset about that. Alright, I chose a few options for if I win because I am not very good at choosing things. Everything is $10 or less before shipping: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Thanks for the contest :)

As a guy that like cooking and gadgets here are my suggestions:

• A mandolin (1 and 2 - extremely useful kitchen gadget. I recommend a V shaped blade over the straight blade, it just cuts better.)
  
  
• A knife sharpener (I use an electric one, but any multistage sharpener is a great gift.)
  
  
• Flat whisk (This is very useful for making any sauces, glazes and especially gravies.)
  
  
• Microplane grater (I got one of these and I have never gone back to my old box grater. They come in 2 shapes: long and narrow vs wide and short, I prefer the long and narrow. They come in 3 or 4 'coarseness' levels from zester up to extra-coarse. I would recommend zest for a first one.)
  
  
• Mini Ramekins (A set of these in the size range of 3 to 4 inches or 4 to 6 ounces has a variety of uses: creme brulee, warm cookie or brownie desserts, individual souffles. But what I use them most for is holding my measured spices together for when I cook. When I need to dump all my spices onto a heap of cooked meat, I can just dump them on instead of measuring them out one at a time directly onto the meat.)

I've never used a gravy separator, but I've used a glass measuring cup for coffee many different times in a microwave. The gravy separator is a great idea! I would recommend go with the simex as it's borosilicate glass.

In regards to boiling water in a microwave, I would suggest putting a chopstick in the cup for safety as it's heating. The chopstick will break the water's film, allowing it to "roll", and prevent it from being super-heated and exploding.

I like my big juicy steak medium! I'd like to have dinner with you! /u/Sweetiebud3 ! kitchen related

No soup for you!

How is the studying going? Good luck I know you will do amazing! :D

Measuring cup! It's on my Home Things wish list :) I would like this because my brother ruined mine after I only had it for a month, lol! How easy was that?

Thanks for the contest!

I almost always use foil pans. I have never noticed the difference in smoke penetration by using them. It always tastes the same and just as good. The main reasons I do it is for how easy it is when you "crutch", just put foil over the top. You can always unfoil a little early and put it back out in the open pit to dry out the bark a little after the foil. Because the braising does cause the bark to get moist.

I also do it for saving the drippings. Buy you a fat/juice separator like this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002YTGIQ?pc_redir=1395397137&robot_redir=1

Separate out the juice to add back to the pulled meat for moistness. Foil pans also make for easy cleanup. Give it a shot and see how you like it. You'll never know until you've tried it.

Paying postage online (such as via paypal shipping) will most likely be cheaper than paying at the post office. If you don't have a scale already, I recommend Escali primo or similar, weigh the item and print the labels.


For supplies, you can get free USPS priority mail supplies shipped to your home. I recommend at least ordering the USPS padded flat rate envelopes, since these can't be found at post offices and are usually the most cost-effective for 1+ lb items the further away the buyer location is and assuming the item fits. Weight the item and compare shipping quotes.


Definitely include measurements as buyers are bound to ask. Might as well have them there. Post as many pictures as you can to highlight the details or flaws.

I use this one because it has an accuracy of 0.01 grams: link

And then I also have this one for weighing things more than 500 grams: link

Enjoy the samples! Let us know which flavors you like best! :)

This has some good ideas of how to "Adulting So Hard"...

So here's my suggestions:

• This
  
• This
  
• And this
  
  
  ...and here are my actual suggestions:
  
  
• Toilet Brush
  
• Bin
  
• Chopping board
  
• Kettle
  
• Can Opener
  
• Measuring Jug
  
• Oven gloves
  
• Bottle opener (Very important for drinks and wine ;] )
  
• Smoke Alarm, Fire Extinguisher & Fire Blanket So you don't die.
  
• Torch When the lights go out.
  
• Clothesline
  
  Good luck with the house! :D
  

Well, for a large piece of meat, there are general cooking time guidelines that you would be better off using than a recipe anyway. But like what moikederp said, get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Polder-Digital-In-Oven-Thermometer-Graphite/dp/B000P6FLOY Your food will end up being much better, and your life much easier. I know it seems a bit like overkill now, but you will be thankful later.

Since this AskCulinary, I am also going to recommend that when cooking you avoid just merely following recipes. Look at the food. Learn by site/smell/feel when things are done. Read more about techniques, so instead of blindly following a recipe that says "Turn a skillet up to medium-high heat, add some oil, then brown chicken breasts for 4 mintues on each side. Take the chicken cutlets out of the pan and add chicken stock" You can understand that you are using a very common technique where you brown the chicken, then deglaze the pan making a gravy.

Sometimes those little clip on LEDs don't cut it, I'd suggest going to Home depot and getting a pack of their Daylight CFLS and a metal clamp light fixture for it, you could use one or two depending on the length of the tank. Also if you want to go another cheap route get Osmocote+ plant fertilizer. They look like little yellow balls and just stick them in the substrate, good for root feeders like swords. But if you have a lot of stem plants that are column feeders (Lugwidia repens, cabomba, ect.) I'd suggest going the EI route and getting dry fertilizers. They're much cheaper in the long run compared to liquid ferts. You mix them yourself with these There is measuring conversion in the comments section.

I have a full bag of purigen IN my filter Used this one, then I had an old bag, cut it open, and dumped out its contents, and used THAT bag for the filtering through the pump. However, there would be no problems if you got a full bag, cut it open, and then had it go through the mesh and purigen media, just make sure to put a chip clip on it so it doesn't spill everywhere between water changes, and store it in your buckets.

I haven't had a problem with the PH bouncing up and down like PH down will do. The peat actually softens the water through the tannic acid it releases, and it stays there. And yes, I reuse the tights.

Edit: Added links

Edit2: I've hardly ever had luck with any vals, might I recommend Hygrophila Angustifolia? It grows like a weed in my tank!

What are you using it for?

I have this probe thermometer and love it. I know it's not a traditional candy thermometer, but I use it for caramel and deep frying all the time and it's great. My favorite feature is that you can set the alarm to go off at a certain temperature, so you don't have to stand there watching it the whole time.

My husband and I would squeeze the tofu with paper towels to get the liquid out. We decided to treat ourself for christmas and bought this tofu press the difference was amazing. Before when we would try to squeeze by hand the tofu would crumble as we cooked it after using the tofu press for about 15 min the tofu would cook crispy and not crumble while we stirred it in the pan. And use firm or extra firm like I see everyone else telling you to ;)

Ok, I trust you know best, but for the sake of being a know it all, I'm going to say that is actually takes very little space (if you have a small kitchen/bathroom/a sink and some ventilation, that's probably enough) and very little special equipment.

This is what I would say the basics would be for you:

• Beer;
  
• Oil/Fat (you can just use cooking oil, like canola or vegetable oil).
  
• Lye;
  
• A crappy thermometer;
  
• A kitchen scale;
  
• Mixing bowls;
  
• A pot (to make a double boiler out of);
  Mixing spoons;
  
• A casserole dish, cardboard box, whatever, and plastic wrap to line it with, as a mold;
  
• A knife and spatula (technically cake turner) for getting the soaps out.
  
  It's really pretty basic/cheap stuff. You can use used plastic bags and tape as gloves, you can wear sunglasses as safety glasses. Just be careful with the lye. When you mix the lye and water, its going to stink a bit, so you need some ventilation for that. You'll need the oil/fat to get to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, so you'll use a double boiler for for (a bowl sitting on-top a sauce pan/pot is what I use).

I have a Flame Boss 300, its amazing.....keeps my KJ within ~3F of the set temp. A little pricey, but well worth it.

You can get a Thermopro TP20 with the clip to mount a probe to the grill, and a meat probe for $50

As far as your question, you can....just be mindful of where you are taking your reading. Don't use internal walls or the heat deflector, to get a good reading youd need to get it from something on the grill surface, or if you are doing indirect, maybe a drip pan or something right under the grill (I use a 16" cast iron skillet as a drip pan, sitting on my accessory rack in my KJ)...its far enough above the heat deflector and close enough to the grill that I feel comfortable with the reading

Everyone else has most of the bases covered so here's amazon links if you can't find things at second hand stores/dollar stores/clearance centers.

Storage Containers
Ace Hardware
[Target] (http://www.target.com/p/kerr-1-quart-32-oz-wide-mouth-mason-jar-set-of-12/-/A-14527331)
Rather than getting tupperware get a flat of quart size mason jars. Doesn't spill in transport, works in the freezer, microwave proof without the lid, and doesn't absorb smells or warp with frequent use.
*Alternative is to save glass jars from groceries and wash them for use


Coffee Maker
Get a single cone coffee brewer if you drink coffee. You can buy it on amazon or find it in the coffee section at walmart/target/any grocery really.


Can Opener
Don't buy a can opener at the dollar store or CVS in a bind. Just order this one. I've had it for years with frequent use.

If you have an ikea nearby, they also have a great kitchen section especially for inexpensive flatware sets.

It’s surprisingly very easy to prepare at home. I enjoy it so much that I invested $20 into a tofu press, which makes the process even easier. Grill it, fry it, bake it, ... whatever. And you can marinate it with just about anything. With the water pressed out, it absorbs marinades very well.

I have this one in white, but I think most grocery or superstores will have basic digital ones that are pretty much the same. Use them enough and you'll understand why you need the pull out display. Also do your future self a favor and buy backup batteries lol

Last year while I was driving I found myself thinking about things. Before I knew it I was wondering how would blind people know which side of the contact case to put their contacts into, like did it have a braille or what. Took me about 5 minutes to realize I was thinking about blind people wearing contacts. Then a few days later I was drying my hands on some paper towels and I thought...they really should make something that isn't disposable. I then chuckled to myself as I remembered about towels.

Luckily my brain is working again but I still catch moments where I wonder Why on earth did I do that?

This thermometer would be amazing to help me with the /r/52weeksofcooking challenges I've been doing this year!! I've needed one for awhile!

LOL. I live in a relatively inexpensive area of the country. My kitchen is a decent size. Having nice things doesn't a better cook make though. I just really like that I have pretty much every tool that a recipe could call for. I also wanted to buy everything I wanted for the kitchen so that if we have kids and went down to one income, I would already have everything I wanted.

Here's a link to a jelly bag. I guess it's called nut milk bag. It's just a fine mesh bag for straining things. If you ever wanted a salad shooter and you're in the US, they have them all of the time at the thrift stores.

https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Quality-Nut-Milk-Bag/dp/B00KLT6X9W/

https://www.amazon.com/Presto-02910-Shooter-Electric-Shredder/dp/B00006IV0R

I am very much a "Buy It For Life" person, which is why I have literally thousands of dollars of All-Clad stainless steel and LeCreuset cast iron. I very much expect them to last forever. I try to buy things that I think will last for a very long time. I also go by America's Test Kitchen recommendations ("equipment reviews"), and they've only let me down a few times. Sometimes, the things I buy are the most expensive (e.g. the $400 Breville food processor or my $600 stand mixer), but I love my Corelle dishes that are sold at Walmart.

I found a set of mini measuring spoons on amazon and they are the perfect bowl loaders, there are a bunch of different sizes and it makes it so easy to scoop the perfect amount from your grinder to your bowl without spilling any weed, 10/10 would recommend, not a shill, just want to pass on the advice. Here's the link http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-3080-Stainless-Measuring-smidgen/dp/B0009X1P9S [6]

I love my Kitchenaid attachment for pasta since it's easier for one person to use. But if you're more dexterous than I am (or less klutzy) and can manage a hand crank version. this is the one I used for years and still have.

https://www.amazon.com/Marcato-Machine-Chrome-Cutter-Instructions/dp/B0009U5OSO

Pockets

• Phone Case - Magpul iPhone 5 Field Case
  
  
• Knife - Benchmade Mini-Griptillian
  
  
• Handkerchief - Fifth&Brannan Charcoal Pocket Square
  
  
• Bottle Opener - New Belgium Globe - Got this for free after a tour there, and it's lived in the small pocket of my jeans ever since.
  
  
• Lip Balm - Burt's Bees
  
  
• FitBit - Fitbit Ultra - Probably going to be replaced by a newer Fitbit soon.
  
  
• Pen - Fisher Cap-O-Matic Space Pen - I will buy this pen over and over.
  
  
• Wallet - Saddleback ID Wallet in Tobacco
  
  
• Gum - Orbit Sweet Mint - It's unbelievable how much of this I have chewed.
  
  
  
  Keys
  
  
• Biner - Nite Ize S Biner Ahh
  
  
• USB - Kingston Digital DataTraveler 8GB - Contents change daily. Mostly client software.
  
  
• Light - FOURSEVENS Mini 123/ML - Throws a ton of light for how little room it takes up.
  
  
  
  
  That's pretty much it. Any questions feel free.
  

They're not that expensive. I use this one and it's only like $6. Mine looses time after a bit - I think it speeds up around 5 minutes a month but it's still working good and I've had it running 24/7 since last May.

Grant it, I don't use it for the phones - I have it set to a light for my leopard gecko. There's this more expensive one that you can set multiple times a day. I have one that looks like it but is much older but I can't seem to find it.

I use a Pyrex measuring cup and can get a pretty controlled pour. Most people already have one of these around the house. Not trying to dissuade anyone from getting a goose-neck, but something like this is probably the next best option if you don't have any kind of kettle.

I followed this recipe to a T, except the temps. I've found decarbing is more effective and efficient @ 240F for 45 minutes, and kept the oil at 200F. This resulted in a very effective product.

For straining, I've found nut milk bags (like this) work much better and cleaner than cheese cloth.

HAPPY 1YR Anniversary!!

These would come in so handy in the kitchen.

thanks for being a part of raoa and thanks for the contest!

If you end up finding yourself making tofu often, literally my best kitchen purchase to date was this tofu press, makes my tofu prep a dream <3.

I like to put my tofu in flour and seasoning and pan fry it, or if I'm feeling super fancy I'll just put it in a container with some teriyaki sauce and shit and place it in the fridge for like 15 minutes so it absorbs that flavor too.

I use a brown beer bottle with one of those vacuum wine corks. My cork is lame and doesn't hold a vacuum very long, but it completely seals the odor. The brown glass protects against sun damage. It also protects a little against casual observation. If you had a good cork that holds a vacuum like they're supposed to, it would also protect against oxidation, since that's the whole point of their existence.

Adulting So Hard

Ok, going to suggest something outside the box but I couldn't cook without my mandolin slicer. I use it every day.

You will be able to make so many different things in a fraction of the time. I highly recommend a V shaped one. My life was not complete before I could perfectly slice tomatoes and hashbrowns and french fries in seconds.

I love my mine. I use it for a lot of different things in the kitchen and whatnot. Have had it a few months and its doing great

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E6RE3A0/ref=s9_acsd_zwish_hd_bw_b1DNz_c_x_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-12&pf_rd_r=4V11VC0JWDC60VGZ3TAW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=bd380752-4323-5a01-ba04-3968c699d898&pf_rd_i=289787

something like 1000 almost 5 out of 5 stars, and classified as an amazon 'choice' item

I went with the Thermo Pro TP-20 when i was looking for a thermometer. I did an ice bath when i got it to make sure that it was on point, and it was. It has preset meat temperatures, but i always end up using the program or BBQ settings. The sending unit at the smoker has a nice hook on the back so you can hang it from a handle. In rain i just put sandwich bag over it to keep it dry. The receiving end, i can walk anywhere in my house and receive the temperatures. I am very happy with this unit.

$10 is a little low for a multitool but this carabiner and this flashlight are in the price range and well worth the money. Throw them on some aircraft cable key rings and they should make great gifts.

Got a Thermopro TP20: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GE77QT0/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01GE77QT0&pd_rd_wg=aREHz&pd_rd_r=NVP6BR8RQH15JD89K8G0&pd_rd_w=p3Fqm

Works fine, and I've been really happy with the reception--from anywhere I am on my property (small city lot) it works great.

However, I was disappointed that there is no way to calibrate the probes. I've taken to just buying spares to replace the old ones when they stray. Is there any device out there that allows calibration? Is this a good feature? Or is replacing probes the best way to deal with this?

For pasta maker,try checking out goodwill. I found a perfect pasta maker (under $10) in goodwill and Amazon sells the exact one for almost $70. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009U5OSO/ref=s9_top_hm_awbw_b1DO3_g79_i2/163-6104625-6906523?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-11&pf_rd_r=5HW3YZH78QFS00DMYJ9Y&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_p=6b64e573-a66c-5e58-8d8c-c9f5244d3bb2&pf_rd_i=289791)
I would love a set of high quality Japanese kitchen knives as well.

100% agreed, definitely get one with a pull-out display.

I have a basic Starfrit scale, and while it's good enough, everything but the smallest bowls in my kitchen cover the display when I use it.

P.S. The one above is good, but most probably don't need the 11lb version. Save yourself $20 and get the smaller 5lb scale

Speaking of comics. . .
I want this
Because my art sucks no, really it does...somewhat. .
I want to make it better and the book seems like an awesome aide.
or this so I don't get what I call "irrational pancakes". I kind of guess what a cup is equal to without a an actual assuring cup XD;

I like the Escali Primo that I picked up for a hair over $20 from Amazon. It does everything I need it to do and is really easy to use. (I got the cute red version.)

(On the other hand, I had zero difficulty in Googling food scale and finding tons of options, so if you're asking for advice on fittit, maybe you have particular requirements?)

Try making it yourself, it is surprisingly easy and cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Marcato-Machine-Stainless-Silver-Instructions/dp/B0009U5OSO/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1493825909&sr=1-3&keywords=pasta+machine

That is the machine I got and it works great. Fresh pasta is just eggs, flour and maybe olive oil.

Here is a video that tells you how to make it:

https://stellaculinary.com/cooking-videos/kitchen-preparation-techniques/kp-021-how-make-fresh-pasta

Thanks for the fun contest!

• Elf Make Up 7.00
  
• Measuring Cup 4.48
  
• Lysol Disinfecting Wipes 5.88
  
• Squeaky Squirrels 4.99
  
• Make-up $3.59
  
  Grand Total: $25.94
  Codename Duchess

splenda and stevia products that measure the same as sugar are bulked up with maltodextrin, pure starch. a serving size is 1/2 a gram which means it can be rounded down to 0. That means a cup of splenda or stevia with maltodextrin in it has 24 carbs. for someone using a teaspoon here and there thats probably not a big deal, a teaspoon will have 1/2 a gram of carbs. I started drinking lemonade and tea by the gallon making it with splenda and that added up real fast, so I bought some pure sucralose. Sucralose is the actual sweetener in splenda without the maltodextrin, so instead of a cup of splenda with 24 carbs you use about 1/12 of a teaspoon to sweeten a gallon of lemonade. I bought this I got the 250 gram pack, its only about a cup, but its 600 times sweeter than sugar so its equivalent to about 330 lbs of sugar/splenda, so even a smaller package should last quite a while. it pairs well with these spoons its a set of tiny measuring spoons. drop= 1/64th tsp, smidgen= 1/32 tsp, pinch= 1/16 tsp, dash= 1/12 tsp, tad= 1/4 tsp, which works out roughly to the equivalent of 1/5 cup, 2/5 cup, 4/5 cup, 1 cup, and 3 1/8 cup of sweetener. you can also get pure stevia extract powder which is generally around 300 times sweeter than sugar, so about half as strong as sucralose, but it has a bit of a licorice taste. the sucralose tastes the same as splenda because it is the same sweetener, just no bulking agent to add carbs. I spent $39 on this 250 gram bag, sounds like a lot, but being the equivalent of 330 lbs of sweetener it works out to about $0.60 per 5lbs worth of sweetener, which is how much is in a standard bag of splenda.

This is one thing about crockpot cooking that you just have to learn to work around. It's due to the nature of the slow cooker. Over the long cooking period, foods like meat and vegetables give off a lot of water. Since the slow cooker is a closed environment, that water has no place to go -- any that evaporates or boils off just condenses on the lid and drips back in. To my mind, you have three choices.

1. Flavor the liquid. Use salt/pepper/spices to season the liquid so that it's palatable. When you see recipes that call for onion soup or powdered ranch dressing, that's the point. I don't like this approach because you almost never need that much liquid, and it takes a lot of seasoning to make that stuff taste good. I personally don't use seasoning packets or premade mixes.
   
   
2. Thicken the liquid. Using either tomato paste or cornstarch or a roux. Usually you would remove the meat and the vegetables and cook the liquid with the thickening agent until the desired consistency is reached. Season to taste. This is what you want if you're going for a gravy or a thick sauce.
   
   
3. Concentrate the liquid. Again, isolate the liquid from the solids but this time just bring it to a boil and let that flavor concentrate. (You may want to use a fat separator to reduce the amount of fat in the liquid depending on what you've cooked.) You may need to reduce the total volume by half or more. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use this method if you want an au jus or dipping sauce.
   
   Try playing around with these methods. The last two add a bit more work, but I think that you'll find the results are well worth it.

To get more confidence in your cooking of meat: Get an instant-read thermometer-- analog or digital, your choice. Ignore those who say 'don't pierce the meet you'll let all the juice out' (because that's been debunked by Alton Brown Food Lab) and take internal temps of meat you cook. Internal temps is a better gauge of food safety than time or visual indicators.

Soon you'll get more confidence that you're doing the right thing and have the tool to prove it.

If you don't feel like skimming, you can always invest in a fat separator. I don't use mine very often, but if you're roasting a huge turkey or a big pork roast or something it can be a really handy tool (especially if you like to save fat for cooking with later).

Just thought this would be fun to do.

(from left to right, top to bottom)

2009 13" Macbook Pro w/ 256 GB SSD

Pentel GraphGear 1000

Moleskine Notebook

Nebo Redline

Bolle Anaconda

Time Easy Reader

Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10

Boy Scouts Swiss Army Knife (not sure which model)

Audio-Technica M50 with EDT250 pads

Nintendo Wallet from NYC Nintendo World

Insulated 20oz Klean Kanteen

Kenneth Cole Reaction Bag

Arbor Bandana (as a face mask for cold days)

iPhone 4S

S-Biner

Keys (glowing tritium, apt, mail, bike, lockbox, utili-key, LED, room, car keys)

I like the Oxo Good Grips scales as they have a pull out display which is great if you're weighing your dry ingredients in a large bowl. They come in 5, 11 and 22 pound capacities. I'm doing this from my phone so not sure if this link to Amazon will work: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0020L6T7K/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1413597696&sr=8-2

I don't know what a "tip-jigger" is, but I use this guy and it's fantastic. Has measurements in tablespoons and ounces and it looks pretty slick too.

For a walstad like I described, I originally just used a small ikea desk lamp. It was this one actually.

You can also buy a timer for the light, so you won't ever need to worry about missing a day. This is my favorite timer so far. They have cheaper ones that work great too.

You should never need to feed the walstad bowl I described. At most, you'd have to add a glass of water every few days. You'll never need to do a vacuuming session on it. Just topping off should be fine. I've got my walstad bowl I made forever ago, and it still looks awesome. I've borrowed its light for weeks at a time, so it sat in the dark, and it's fine. I top it off every few weeks when I realize its getting REALLY low.

Super low maintenance. Looks beautiful. Just buy a large glass bowl (a few gallons), miracle grow organic potting soil, gravel, the plants you choose, and a piece of driftwood to get started. If you want to add a lamp on a timer, it's an extra ~$30 probably. You'll need a small bottle of dechlorinator too, but you'll need like a drop of it per large glass of water for the most part. If you stay on top of just adding a half cup or so every day (assuming its a hot day), then you won't even need to bother with dechlorinator after the initial fill.

A fat separator is just a cup that you can pour all the rendered juices that collect in the bottom of the foil when you use a crutch. It will separate the tasty juices from the liquid fat. The benefit of this is that you won’t have all the fat harden up once you refrigerate the pork. It will help keep your pork feeling moist without feeling greasy. Taste great too.

Here is the one I use

It sounds like we might have similar coffee machines (here's mine). I like to have mine come on an hour before I wake up to give the group head and portafilter time to come up to full temp. The cheap and simple approach would be to plug in one of these and call it a day.

In my case, I'm using a SmartThings hub along with a Z-Wave switch which allows me to schedule the on/off in a little more intelligent manner, while also monitoring power utilization and allowing me to integrate control into additional environments. For example, the Rocket will only turn on if somebody is home at 5am as there's no sense starting coffee for an empty house. I also can control it with the Amazon Echo with "Alexa, turn on the Rocket". Unfortunately I can't say "light the Rocket" yet but I've filed a feature request :D

In this use case SmartThings will work fully local so it should avoid some of the cloud reliability problems people have experienced recently. You could do the same with several other hub or software options available as well as this is a very standard use case.

Good luck, and good coffee!

Better off getting legit powder toremifene from ceretropic. I personally find it much more effective.
https://www.ceretropic.com/toremifene-citrate-powder
But a mg scale from amazon and measure it out. https://www.amazon.com/GDEALER-Digital-Kitchen-0-001oz-Stainless/dp/B01E6RE3A0/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1506026218&sr=1-4&keywords=milligram+scale

I do 4 weeks 120-120-90-60

Better option than rolling the dice on some random vendor.

I would buy a good box wine, just as I buy screw top wines.

I'll suggest you use the Vacu Vin to keep partial bottles drinkable for days. It's cheap, $14, and worth it to me. Like you, I used to feel I had to finish a bottle, especially something nice. Now, a glass, close it up and have another later in the week.

Yeah flat for sure then. You could always pull it out and then put it in the end as well just make sure you wear gloves.

You can also always buy something like this too (there are tons of different ones):

https://www.amazon.com/Polder-Digital-Oven-Thermometer-Resistant/dp/B000P6FLOY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=meat+heat+probe&qid=1555355291&s=gateway&sr=8-3

For those warning about PH issues and electrolyte imbalances, they are very valid concerns! But I do this daily, sometimes twice, and have for years.. and have never had any problems. Just make sure you're eating well, and maybe drink a gatorade beforehand, and you'll be fine.

Also, noone has ever died from enema'ing with water alone. It doesn't happen unless you take it to an extreme. But colon perforation is a serious concern. You just have to be careful of water pressure, and don't overfill yourself.

Also, I've found that flushing with a water temperature of 120-130F is almost like having a constant orgasm. (Use a food thermometer to check the output water temperature before you put the enema nozzle in you). But you should start at about 100F and work your way up to a safe and comfortable temperature.

Edit: a word.

Edit2: Ouch. Could the downvoters please give me a reason for their disagreement? If you have better information, I'd like to learn; for my sake and the sake of anyone reading this later.

Sounds like you're baking a lot. I would suggest a good scale. I just bought this one. I like it so far. It's big though.

I also bought this one that will measure to the thousandth hundredth of a gram. This one may not be necessary, I'm just really anal and like to be exact with baking recipes that list weights in grams. Really gets me hot, if you know what mean.

Edit: thousandth of an oz., hundredth of a gram.

Not really keto specific, but... My knife, my stainless saute pan/skillet/whatever, and chef's tongs. A lot of other things are great, like a cast iron grill pan or a food thermometer, but the first three are requirements for me.

Oh yeah, I do keep a single, small non-stick pan whose only purpose in life is cooking eggs (omelets, scrambled, fried.) And I guess that is pretty damned necessary, too, along with a heat-resistant rubber scraper and spatula, but now I might as well list all my cookwear. I stand by the original three; keto or no, I would not want to have a kitchen without them.

You absolutely MUST use this technique! It is called a reverse sear. Search "Guga foods" on YouTube
(Or click here, he talks about pan frying in the beginning too, and the reverse sear is around the 15 min mark, a fun video regardless and cast iron plays a role)
https://youtu.be/4oLnJiYN_GE

Also, get a nice thermometer, you won't regret it. I just got this one from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01GE77QT0/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The carabiner is a Nite Ize carabiner with a bottle opener Link Here.
I have one and I love it. I use it to hold my keys and open beers and it works great for both!

Pick up some of those wine vacuum seals (like these), and they will help you keep your port longer. You can get a few months out of a bottle with these.

edit: and yes, the LAT 38 SS is an absolutely fantastic smoke!

I’ve always used something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002YTGIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YdUVDbK5WBVDV

The fat rises to the top, and you’re able to pour the soup out. Works well hot, but I can never find one large enough so multiple fills and pouring is necessary.

Also if you have any large objects, like meat or noodles, it won’t work if you put it in this device. So you’ll never get all the fat, but definitely most.

The temperature range on stoves can vary greatly, especially on electric stoves. The only way to know for sure your meat is at medium rare, is by using a thermometer. This one is pretty cheap. A steak at around 130-135F (55-57C) is cooked medium rare (be sure to measure the internal temperature, stick that thermometer in there!). Also, make sure to let your steak rest for at least 5 minutes before eating.

That being said, on most electric stoves around 5-6 would be considered medium-high heat. In Europe, anyway.

I use this OXO and it is perfect because it has a metric conversion. They do make one for $30. And I use MFP as well and save the ingredients I use most often.

haha yeah it does sound kinda dirty but I guess they are used for making almond milk or something like that. I use them to make cold brew coffee. Its pretty much just a large nylon tea bag.

​

Here is one on amazon

I stand corrected. Here's the 5 lb. model.

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-5-Pound-Pull-Out-Display/dp/B0020L6T7K?th=1

I can't speak for anyone else, but I used to have a 5 lb. scale and I maxed it out all the time. Although I tend to make pretty large recipes :)

Just a note on buying plug-in timers... if you decide to go that route, be sure to buy an "appliance timer", which will be capable of handling the extra power draw of a crock-pot. An easy way to tell is an appliance timer will have a ground prong, while a lamp timer usually won't (assuming you're in a country like the US, where lots of plugs aren't grounded.)

Ooh, an 11/11 birthday. that seems like it should be lucky or something. Happy Birthday!

Here is my link

You're welcome! If you're interested, this is the one I have. I've had it for ten years (according to Amazon), and it's still going strong.

I agree with grerab, you definitely want to start small and build it up. Nothing feels worse than buying an expensive liqueur that is a "required" bottle for a bar only to find out that you don't enjoy any drinks that use it. That said, it's pretty safe to have a nice high quality bottle each of whiskey (bourbon or rye), gin, and rum.

I'm a "buy once, cry once" kind of person when it comes to tools. You can find some lovely vintage cocktail coupes at antique stores for a reasonable price that will add a lot of character to your bar. I also like the quality of the basic tools available from Cocktail Kingdom, if a touch overpriced.

Again, to echo grerab, I would also suggest a long-handled bar spoon, Boston shaker set, hawthorn strainer, and one of these jiggers. If you find you like a lot of drinks with citrus and want to forego the citrus juicer, I would suggest at least picking up a cheap tea strainer to catch all of the bits from your fingers.

I'm not affiliated with this author in any ways, but I always suggest Dave Stolte's website and book to anyone getting started.

If you don't have one, a fat separator would be great for removing the surface fat. (I'm not endorsing this Oxo - haven't used it - but here's a link to one.)

Food looks awesome.

It's all about the karma!

This would be a neat addition to my kitchen arsenal. :) Thank you!

If you buy from Amazon, I highly recommend paying the extra few cents (4 cents right now) and make sure you buy one where the seller is Amazon.com (not just fulfilled by Amazon.com) to reduce the chance of getting a counterfeit.

For instance, two "just launched" Amazon sellers are offering the can opener at the cheapest price of $8.87. Your "made in usa" can opener will be shipped from Brazil and Canada. You can see in the product reviews going back three years that counterfeits are a big problem with this product.

You actually don't want nearly as much forskolin as is in one of those. I emptied all the pills into the bottle and measure out about 80mg at a time, which is around 3.5mg forskolin. I make gelcaps out of it, but you can also put it in a small piece of toilet paper, put it in your mouth, and chug some water. It's called 'parachuting'. The artichoke, tyrosine, and theanine are all pretty small.

Some potentially helpful equipment:

American Weigh Gemini-20 Portable Milligram Scale, 20 by 0.001 G

Norpro 3080 Mini Measuring Spoons, 5 Piece Set

Cap-M-Quik capsule filler

Yep. First time posting, and I sorta missed that originality memo.

As for acid in the salad, I let the tomatoes carry that component. Now that you mention it, it probably could have gone for a spritz of lemon.

This is my pasta machine. It is a thing of beauty. If you shop around, you can find it for much cheaper than Amazon.

Thanks for the review!

One of my favorites.

/np/https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-4-Cup-Separator/dp/B0002YTGIQ

Just wish it came with a bottle-brush that could clean the spout. I bought a brush set and none fit as well as I'd like.

I've had this one for over 10 years and love it. We use it to portion meat/fish weekly and it is sturdy and cleans up well. We also use it for weighing packages before shipping. https://www.amazon.com/Escali-Digital-Kitchen-Capacity-Increment/dp/B0007GAWRS/ref=sr_1_17?keywords=kitchen+scale&qid=1554142552&s=gateway&sr=8-17
If you're overdoing it on (salted) almonds and cheese, try having a pickle. This always helps me, even when I think my electrolytes are balanced.

Edit: Dear downvoters: just a simple warning to check your meat before putting it in your mouth.

I love the idea, but I'm not so sure about the inside of that second (top layer) burger.

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

An instant thermometer like this can really come in handy for food experiments.... you know, so they don't kill you.

http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Classic-Instant-Read-Pocket-Thermometer/dp/B00004XSC4

Hamburgers should reach an internal temperature of 160.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/is_it_done_yet/

Do you have a good thermometer system? If not, you need to get one.

I did and it changed the way I smoke and dramatically changed the way I grill. No more guesswork and I have a remote sensor which is great.

The results with this new method on the grill are astounding!

I can't recommend this enough.

this is what i have

Ziplock bags are fine, but don't skimp on them. Flimsy bags will get holes in them and ruin your food. And get the kind with the zipper, not the pinch-close.

If your apparatus is just a party cooler that you pour hot water into, then your thermometer can just be a cheap instant-read with its probe pushed through a cork. You'll need to check and adjust the water about every 20 minutes.

I do my sous-viding in Hefty brand freezer bags, in a part cooler, with a jury-rigged temperature controller made from an STC-1000, a cheap aquarium pump, and an immersion element. (Not those exact models.) Oh, and an outlet and outlet box I bought at Lowes, and the plug from an old fan, which I was later informed was not previously garbage.

Lessons learned: you'll burn out at least one heating element, and aquarium pumps are not reliable after your flimsy ziplock bag leaks meat juice into the cooler and gums up the impeller. Buy a spare of each.

Edit: Oh! and when you take the meat out, let it cool and dry off for a couple minutes before you finish it on the grill. You'll get a better crust and (very slightly) less overcooking around the edges.

Who doesn't need a spendy baking pan that was cheaper when I added it to my list = 11 bucks or a wine pump and stoppers or a maglight for when storms happen and the power goes out?

pan = baking cakes! and other things... brownies! :)

wine pump = for the days when you can't finish the bottle, pump all the air out, keeps it tasting better longer!

maglight = for when the power goes out or when it is dark or when you need to see under you bed or couch

I'm pretty sure you can get one of those timers for christmas tree lights. It's shut off the power at a certain time. Then you could have it switch back on at a certain time.

I think this would work because you tv doesn't turn on as soon as it get electricity (ie plugged in).

TV: on Power: on

-timer off

TV: off Power: off

-timer on

TV: off Power: on

then repeat.

I would recommend the EZ-DUZ-IT without reservation for a new can opener, manual or otherwise:

http://www.amazon.com/EZ-DUZ-IT-Deluxe-Opener-Black-Grips/dp/B0071OUJDQ

The blade is sharp and grips the can easily, and it turns like butter due to the huge amount of torque you can generate with the oversized handle.

When I cook oil, it's about 8 or 9 parts oil to 1 or 2 parts water-- never beyond 20% of the whole mass cooking. You just want a layer on top to take the crap you cook out away. And yes, you need to strain it well. I use this thing that I got almost exactly two years ago. One of the finer purchases I've made in life, too.

If I were you, I'd cook the whole mass up again and let it boil off some of the water, then strain it for reals and try to let it set again. The process is really easy, once you get it down. Just a little messy, but worth it-- and how else can you lick a nap off of your hands? :)

This is the basic recipe I use, but I'll use a nut milk bag

and up it to a Gallon and up the ratio of beans and brew it in a plastic gallon pitcher for 24 hours room temp.

Then just lift out the nut milk bag and give it a squeeze, and your concentrate is ready to go.

It stores in the fridge really well, and my wife and I will make the gallon last about a week.

I like to do half and half decaf which lets us drink more without the jitters :)

Yep with the Smokey the minion method is the way to go - it can run a long time without needing any help - much longer than it takes to do a pork butt.

As far as temp, I would recommend getting something like this -- you just put the probes in and kick back inside and relax until it reads 200. I usually put the probes in when I foil it up a few hours in.

Tofu press!! Like this one . Works way better than paper towels with none of the waste.

Edit: scratch that first link the UK version is like £40!!! This one is more reasonably priced the only downside is that it presses less tofu at a time.

When I had a home mining operation (with TOU pricing), I ran my antminer S1 off of a christmas light timer so that it only harvested that sweet sweet off-peak electricity.

Something like this would probably work if you're running the S9 off of 120v. You might be able to find a 240v alternative.

Nut and grain milks are so easy to make once you try it you will feel silly for ever spending money on it. Just take a cup of ANY kind of (usually raw) nut and soak it over night. Rinse it out then put it in any kind of blender with 3.5 cups water and a squeeze of honey or maple syrup and blend it. It does not need to be an expensive Blendtec blender, any 20 dollar Black & Decker/Oester will do just fine. Once blended pass it through this 10 dollar reusuable mesh bag and refrigerate. Lasts for 2 or 3 days and tastes amazing. My favorites are cashews and hulled sunflower seeds (by far the cheapest)

https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Quality-Nut-Milk-Bag/dp/B00KLT6X9W

I'll help you out. That's a pasta maker with a fettuccini cutter attachment.

Fun Fact: It also makes pasta!

They said they like beer so I ended up getting them an S-biner that doubles as a beer bottle opener, the SAS Survival Handbook, and the interesting 4-in-1 turn off wrench suggested by you shown here. I'm going to post an update when my match posts their gift to see what they thought.

This is probably the best answer, but it doesn't work on all bottles. You can also just recap it if you have a capper.

One more important tip is do not use an air pump wine stopper - example. The pump makes the beer flat. Maybe, this is obvious to everyone else, but boy, did I feel silly after giving it a go.