Grilled cheese burner test. The copper clip contacts on my main burner died again. I think this is the 5th time it has happened. I've replaced the burner. I've replaced the socket. I've replaced the wires. At one point I even had to replace the controller switch and the oven element. But DIY appliance repair is cheaper than a new oven. Except this time I didn't have a new socket and wiring clips handy. Then a friend said "do you need a stove?" Yes. I do. It wasn't my brand but I knew that anything not GE would have parts that should work well enough. I have a Kenmore. He had a Whirlpool. Close enough. $15 in gas later I had their stove in my driveway. I had to do some modifications to the mounting bracket for the element but I swapped it out. I also took the opportunity to replace the wiring harness. But now I have extra wiring, four comparable switches, four replacement burners, and a temperature probe. Unfortunately the oven elements were not compatible. With all repairs done I had to test it. I have hamburger buns. I have processed cheese food slices. I have mayonnaise. I have a workable test. The test was successful. Replacing any single part of a non glass top electric stove is cheaper than replacing the whole thing. You can watch YouTube videos. You probably have an appliance graveyard in your town that will sell you any part you want for dirt cheap. Or you can call an appliance repair company that will charge you $75-$115 to show up plus whatever the part costs, which might not be in stock because they refuse to keep any inventory these days. If you have a glass top or gas stove your situation may be very different. Cooking cheap isn't just about the food. It's the equipment. Cost per person not including gas money: 67¢ I'm thinking about turning the scrap oven into a smoker.

Stove repair adventure and strategy is in the alt text.

Grilled processed cheese food on hamburger buns cost per person: 67¢.
Stove repair: $15 in gas money.

A guy that has a proven track record of cheating non-profits, contractors and businesses and can't even legally run them in multiple jurisdictions would do that? Just steel money?

I'm trying to commodify stale incense and old sweat. I'm thinking lies are how to do it.
My first attempt was stale incense and old sweat flavored potato chips. It failed.

Chicken Stir Fry

Onion, broccoli, green beans, chicken, noodles, sauce.

Cost per person, $1.30

Highlander 2.

I haven't booted a computer since before Windows 10 EOL. Some edits require three different apps to get done but it all happens on my phone.

Kash Patel says arrests are eminent for 2020 election fraud cases. Here is what we will see: * No convictions. * All the qualified people in the DOJ have been fired or quit. * Every attempt by the DOJ to convict political enemies has failed. * Of the 60+ election fraud cases that have been brought for the 2020 election all but one failed to even make it to trial because there was no evidence and the one exception was a technicality, not proof of fraud. * Faulty filings that end up in the case being tossed because, again, all competent people are gone. * Grand juries failing to find enough evidence to even grant charges. * Big headlines about arrests but tiny headlines about how the cases failed. * MAGA feeling vindicated but having nothing actionable or substantive to show for it. * Government workers will learn that if they follow the letter of the law they can have their lives destroyed by malicious persecution.

The edit at 4x speed

Two to spread. One to wipe.

Infinite focus

You have roasted barley, an orange bell pepper and a well-stocked pantry. What are you making?

This is a hard mode challenge.

The Glass Slide

Pad something

Shiitake, green beans, broccoli, onion, carrot and pad noodles. A very light lo mein sauce of hoisin, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar and red pepper flakes. Some avocado to top it.

Didn't even have room for any cabbage.

Cost per person $2.10
#cooking

I've only heard about half of it. The intro to Closer had some nice variations on the theme and stood out.

I'm just as likely to fire up a remix album as I am the original so things don't get stale. So I'll keep it and see if it grows on me.

This reminds me of the common problem of lemon theft. There are lemon stealing types out there. Trying to steal your lemons.

New profile. Cooking Challenge. I post the ingredients. You create the meal. Assume a basic pantry of staples.

#cooking

Update: If you are still planning to show up at my house when everything collapses the rules have changed. It started out with "$50 a month in advance so I can buy rice, beans, pasta and an air mattress." But things have gotten more complicated since then and the risk of collapse had gotten more serious. I need you to build a resume of your grid down skills. Yes, Your ability to do backbreaking work for 8 hours is a legitimate skill, so don't panic if you don't have a degree in agriculture. I need to know your dietary restrictions. I need to know if you can only sleep if people are screaming. Can you sleep in a tent or attic? Do you have marksmanship skills, know how to build traps with found objects? Do you own a hard copy encyclopedia? Do you have a drone? Do you have practice sitting still for 24 hours and not eating? Anything you think might be useful is what I need to know. What TV shows and movies do you own on DVD? Do you have a solar or wind generator that can power a TV and a DVD player? What makes you a good fit the end of the world? Also make sure to list any things that everyone knows about you that is a negative. Do you follow people into the bathroom to continue a conversation? Do you hate everyone but also need to interact with everyone? Do you make high pitched squeaks when people point a gun at you? Is your night vision totally shot? These things aren't disqualifying but if we know about them and you don't list them, then you aren't telling us the truth. And we need that more than anything to build an honest community. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Nah. No anchovies.

Celebrating my first tick of the year by updating my lifetime total.

A fascinating journey into AI poisoning.

I'd wait until I've figured it all the way out. Maybe I could brew a beer to go with it. Scratch made junk food combo.

Watching a movie and found a rare example where the wife is older than the husband in real life and it's not part of the plot.

In Furry Vengeance Brenden Fraser is three years younger than Brook Shields.

Gimme Pizza YouTube video by myteamfreedom

Make pizza. It's very flexible.

youtu.be/SG_04GABaEM?...

Pizza night I accidentally had my scale set to the wrong increment when I measured my flour for the pizza crust. So I had to add more water until I got something usable. I used it as an excuse to make a bonus pizza with smoked mozzarella, a tiny chunk of pepper jack and a jalapeno. Base cost of pizza is $2.77 each. Toppings are practically free. Except that bell pepper. I bought it at 68¢ and have used it in three different meals. But today I saw that if I replaced it it was going to cost me $1.27. The price has doubled in two weeks. Meanwhile red, yellow and orange bell peppers are "just" $1.54. and the three pack of those colors was just $2.40. A rare and infuriating case where green bell peppers are more expensive than the more time intensive riper versions.

Pizza night
Base cost of pizza is $2.77 each. Toppings are practically free.

The smaller pizza is smoked mozzarella, jalapeno and other. Details in Alt text

#cooking

So some of you may remember that years ago Gordon allowed the licensing of Blister in the Sun to Wendy's for a burger commercial even though he's a vegetarian. I just saw an ad for TIAA Cref also using the same song. Someone needs to stop. Gordon before he destroys what's left of our fond memories of the Violent Femmes.