Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Grow Bags Create a Low-Maintenance Garden Anywhere [Stuff We Like]

 
 

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via Lifehacker by Kevin Purdy on 3/29/10

Grow Bags Create a Low-Maintenance Garden AnywhereMaybe you want to get started gardening with just a few herbs, but, like us, feel like a natural born plant killer. Grow Bags provide breathe-able, portable containers you can plunk down just about anywhere to grow herbs and small vegetables.

We suggested looking into a windows box garden over the weekend, but for apartment dwellers without such amenities, and those who fear the dangers of over-watering or too much heat, Gardener's Supply offers these 13-by-10 bags. They're made of double-layer polypropylene, similar to what long underwear is made of, and that allows excess water to escape, air to get in, and direct sunlight heat to dissipate, while still providing a fairly firm container for your plants. The bags come in a few different shapes for herbs, tomatoes, peppers, salad greens, and potatoes—plants which can, generally, grow on front steps, patios, or anywhere that gets a little sun and a little water each day.

You have to buy your own potting mix or dirt and seeds, but after following the directions on the seed packet, you're pretty much good to go. If you want to upgrade and ensure constant moisture, even when you're forgetful during dry spells, there's a self-watering tray that fits exactly two Grow Bags. We're eager to start out with two bags of our own, now that the weather's started to turn the corner here in Buffalo.

Herb Grow Bag [Gardener's Supply via New York Times]

 
 

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Broil More Efficiently by Leaving the Oven Door Ajar [Cooking]

that's how my mom always did it.

 
 

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via Lifehacker by Jason Fitzpatrick on 3/24/10

Broil More Efficiently by Leaving the Oven Door AjarBroiling is a great way to semi-recreate the effects of outdoor cooking inside. As simple as broiling is, you can still muck it up by keeping your oven closed too tightly.

Over at Home Ec 101, a home and cooking centered blog, a reader wrote in asking whether or not keeping your oven cracked actually does anything. They responded by clarifying the process:

Broiling is a specific method for applying heat to food. When a recipe directs food to be broiled, it is expected for the item to be exposed, relatively closely to a source of dry, intense heat. For many models, the best results are achieved with the door left ajar a couple of inches. In fact, most models have a stop that makes this easy.

If you leave your oven closed up when broiling you end up baking the item instead. When the door is closed moisture can't escape and the oven reaches equilibrium faster which will kick off the heating element and put an end to that intense, dry heat you're looking for. Check out the full article at the link below for more information. If you have your own broiling wisdom to share, let's hear about it in the comments.


 
 

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Friday, March 26, 2010

Netflix Streaming Arrives For the Wii

hmmm....

 
 

Sent to you by David via Google Reader:

 
 

via Slashdot by Soulskill on 3/25/10

Grant,thompson writes "As announced in January and mentioned here on Slashdot, Netflix is sending out discs today to enable streaming on the Nintendo Wii. 'Netflix has sent out emails to customers who pre-ordered the Wii's instant streaming disc, indicating that the disc will arrive in mailboxes tomorrow, and that the service will likely start within the next day.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


 
 

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Family of Five Tandem

 
 

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via KK Lifestream on 3/25/10

Originally posted in ct2

I live near the Pacific, along highway 1, which winds along the length of California (mostly). Two days ago I was riding my bicycle along a coastal path around noon, when coming around a curve in the opposite direction was this apparition. Hey, it was a yellow tandem bike. No there's more than two. Wait, there are kids. Little kids. Whoa! There are five people riding. Add luggage! They were obviously on long trip but they went by pretty fast, and I did not have a camera. So I googled them. Found their blog.

021310riding.jpg

Their story is even more amazing. With gear their bike weights 600 pounds. They've ridden 4,000 miles so far and are headed up the coast to Alaska. They left their home in Kentucky with $300 in their pockets.

I rode my bicycle across the country once so I know what is involved and man, those kids must be amazing.

According to their facebook account, they are scheduled to cross the Golden Gate Bridge today at 10 am. That would be a photo opp.


 
 

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Musical activities for families around Boston

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Headline: Musical activities for families around Boston
Date: Mar 24, 2010

"Check out the Musical activities for families around Boston Photo Gallery on Boston.com."
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http://www.boston.com/community/moms/gallery/musicforkids?s_campaign=8315

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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Bake Homemade Cheese Crackers (Fishy Smiles Not Included) [Cooking]


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Bake Homemade Cheese Crackers (Fishy Smiles Not Included) [Cooking]

Bake Homemade Cheese Crackers (Fishy Smiles Not Included)Everyone loves Goldfish crackers, it's just a fact of life—but if you'd like to look like you did more than just go to the grocery store (but actually do little else), try this recipe for light, delicious cheddar crackers.

Over at food blog Savory Seasonings, they've discovered and developed recipes for homemade versions of many popular snack foods, though possibly most tantalizing is the recipe for cheddar cheese crackers. It's actually a bit shocking how few ingredients and little effort these crackers take—it's just flour, cheddar cheese, butter and water, all food processed together (with a little salt and pepper). Roll out the dough, cut it up, and throw it into the oven—after 15-20 minutes, your party has gone from store-bought bar snacks to classy homemade appetizers. Hit the link for the (slightly) more detailed recipe.


Cheddar Goldfish Crackers [Savory Seasonings via The Kitchn]




~david

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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

How to Skip Commercials in Windows 7 Media Center [Windows Media Center]

this sounds like more work than just manually skipping them...

 
 

Sent to you by David via Google Reader:

 
 


If you use Windows 7 Media Center to record TV, you'd probably prefer skipping commercials. After all, a big reason you record programs is to avoid commercials, right? Here's a fairly simple and free way to start skipping commercials in no time. More »



 
 

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Dietary Supplements, Charted

 
 

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via In the Pipeline on 3/17/10

I'm a complete sucker for dense but well-presented information, and this one isn't bad at all: here's a chart of nutritional supplements by the strength of the evidence for them in human trials. I haven't cross-checked the data, but the authors appear to have done some homework in PubMed, at least, and haven't included any non-human or in vitro data. The interactive version at the link is particularly fun to mess around with. (Thanks to a reader and commenter here who put me on to this).


 
 

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Monday, March 15, 2010

StreamTransport Grabs Hulu Videos for Offline Viewing [Downloads]

 
 

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via Lifehacker by Kevin Purdy on 3/15/10

Windows: It may not stick around that long once the powers that be find out, so if downloading and watching Hulu videos offline could help you out, grab StreamTransport. The tricky little app provides full-quality captures of streaming shows and movies.

We've previously pointed out a Hulu Video Downloader that did a more robust job of downloading and converting Hulu's offerings for enjoyment on computers and portable devices. That tool is now gone, and you've probably got a good guess as to why. StreamTransport provides the same downloading function, and the quality is aces—a Saturday Night Live sketch we grabbed for a test came out looking like an iTunes (non-HD) download. The downloaded files are FLV formatted, which VLC Media Player has no problem opening, or converting for other platforms. It also can grab YouTube and a few other Flash-based videos, according to its creator, though we haven't tested it outside of Hulu.

When possible, you should go the legal, non-work-around method of streaming your shows through Hulu, commercials and all. If you're fiending to catch just the last episode of a series before a flight, though, StreamTransport could be handy in a pinch—providing it's still around when you get to it. It's a free download for Windows systems only.


 
 

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Competition heats up for modest homes

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The following appeared on Boston.com:
Headline: Competition heats up for modest homes
Date: Mar 15, 2010

"The spring selling season has bounded in like a lion in Newton and other nearby communities, with home sales up markedly over last year."
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Friday, March 12, 2010

Make 17 Meals from One Chicken [Cooking]

 
 

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Food blog Cheap, Healthy, Good is all about stretching food frugality very, very far, while keeping the meals tasty and leftover-friendly. An older post illustrates how one roast chicken can make 17 meals for a total of $26.

Blogger and serious home economist Kristen Swensson bought a 7-pound Purdue roaster chicken for $6.92, less than $20 worth of other supplies over a week, and gave herself some rules for cooking dinners and lunches. Swensson went for no repeats or very similar dishes on the menu, used as many pantry goods as possible, and tried to add as little fat as possible to the plates. How'd it turn out?

Victory, for the most part. I ended up cooking five distinct, delicious, largely healthy dinners with PLENTY of leftovers. And miracle of miracles, there were no duds in the group. (Thanks, online reviewers!)

However, I did go $0.86 over budget. I'm okay with that, though. Between what we consumed each night and ate for lunch the next day, that $25.86 made 17 full meals, which works out to $1.52 each. That's less than a cup of Starbucks coffee, so … aces.

You can grab all of Swensson's recipes, her full shopping list, and read her notes on every recipe at the post, helpfully dug up by Boing Boing. If you've found your own miracle budget-stretching food, tell us how you work it in the comments.




 
 

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Increase Kitchen Efficiency by Learning Basic Knife Handling Skills [Kitchen]


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Increase Kitchen Efficiency by Learning Basic Knife Handling Skills [Kitchen]

A solid kitchen knife paired with some knife-handling know how goes a long way towards making cooking a more enjoyable experience. Check out this video and accompanying guide to get the basics down.

Over at the culinary blog The Kitchn they've shared a great video for getting the basics of kitchen knife handling down. If you're already comfortable handling a kitchen knife the video might seem on the slow side, but keep in mind it's a demonstration. As your skill level increases you can increase the speed of your slicing and dicing to show that onion who's the boss—Tony Danza?—in record time.



One thing we'd add to the video, early on when she's explaining why you don't rest your finger on the spine of the blade, she explains that although it feels like it gives you more control it doesn't and it's not an effective way to hold the knife. While that's true, one of the best reasons to never put your finger onto the spine of the blade is that sooner or later your finger will slip. You never want your fingertips in the path of a slicing knife.


If you're at work and can't watch the video, check out the full article at the link below. The video accompanies a written guide that covers everything seen above. Have a kitchen tip to share? Let's hear about it in the comments.










~david

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Walmart Bests Whole Foods in Blind Taste Tests [Saving Money]


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Walmart Bests Whole Foods in Blind Taste Tests [Saving Money]

In a series of blind taste tests performed by The Atlantic's Corby Kummer, he found, to his surprise, that much of Walmart's new locally-grown fruits and vegetables taste just as good as (and sometimes better than) what you'll find at higher end stores like Whole Foods, but at a far better price. Kummer bought a bunch of fresh eggs, cheese, spinach, pears, and other locally-produced food from both Walmart and Whole Foods, cooked up a meal, and invited a bunch of friends over for a blind taste test. Here's what they discovered:



As I had been in my own kitchen, the tasters were surprised when the results were unblinded at the end of the meal and they learned that in a number of instances they had adamantly preferred Walmart produce. And they weren't entirely happy.



Walmart didn't win every time, but apparently you can find some good produce at the megastore. [The Atlantic]










~david

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