TheNoodleIncident

Well, I have three 22oz bombers of it sitting on my desk as we speak. By me, they are closer to $9 after deposit and tax, but well worth it if the hype is true. I'm normally not a big fan of "sweet" beers, but I think in this context it might be right. Also, Pliny the Elder was mentioned. That's a beer I've been wanting to try, but apparently the Russian River Brewing beer's don't make it to the East Coast all that often. If you are a hop head, you gotta check out Stone's Ruination. Their regular IPA is VERY good, and Ruination is fantastic and very hoppy.

I've heard good things about the Righteous Ale - def on my "to try" list. Since Fall isn't too far away, has anyone had Southern Tier's Pumking? I missed it last year, but everyone I know who has had it says it's amazing - like a slice of pumpkin pie in a bottle. A friend of mine is picking up a few bombers of it for me today (apparently it's a very limited release this year). I'll let a few sit until the leaves are orange, and another age till next year.

Has anyone else had Sixpoint's Bengali Tiger? It's a fantastic IPA which I recently discovered. I've heard it's popular enough that it has been quite hard to find if you aren't somewhat local (Brooklyn). It's a solid east coast style IPA that has floral/fruity hops up front with juicy tropical fruits (NOT to be confused with any sort of sweet, fruit beer) and hints of caramel/buttery smoothness. It's complex, beautiful and works really well. It also comes in cans (16oz), which is a new-er trend for quality beer and lets you know they care about the quality of the brew when it reaches the drinker. Sorry to go on and on about it, but I keep a beer log ("log" sounds manlier than "diary") and this one was the most recent one to blow me away, and is my current favorite.

My Dad's fridge was always full of ancient hot sauces. He liked to try new ones as he discovered them - since he had so many, and since you only use a little at a time, it's easy to see how they sit there for years. Now that I have my own house, I see the same trend - I go through my regulars (Sriracha and Fank's) relatively quickly, but the ones I get as gifts (guess from who?) have ben there a WHILE.

For some reason those dessert flavors don't appeal to me. I think I just prefer the "clean" flavor of mint or basic fruit flavors. But I think I'll pick up a pack next time I refill my stash. Also, I currently have a headache from chewing a wad of gum for waaay too long. A few hours probably....

A friend of mine swears by hot coffee in the summer heat. He says that the coffee heats him up, and the outdoor temperature therefore feels relatively cooler. I tell him that makes no sense.

I agree. Pretty darn good for 75 cents and only 4 Weight Watcher Points. what about a Wendy' Frostie? Not sure where that falls regarding ice cream, ice milk, dry chemicals mixed with water, etc. - but I like it the best!

Also, there are a few varieties of "no stir" natural peanut butter, if you like....

I'm wondering if the high speed of the blender (you have a blendtec, right?) is enough to keep it homogenized longer? How has it lasted? What about with the food processor?

Complete guess here, but I would assume that if you added the vinegar/salt/sugar first, it would wind up cooking INTO the rice, whereas when you add it after cooking it creates more of a sticky coating on the outside?

Did you know that Bud actually makes a premade Chelada? If you like that sort of thing (which I've learned most people don't, with a passion), it's pretty good. ANyone who likes bloody mary's should give it a try. I swear that I'm the only person who buys them from my local beer shop. I get funny looks when I get a bunch of quality craft beer, then toss in a few Cheladas. But I'm trying your recipe for a michelada right now - not bad!

Our favorite way to use them is to saute them in olive oil with garlic (lots), and chicken if you like, and toss with pasta. Add some pasta water if needed, and S&P to taste. Top with big shavings of parm reggiano. Or you could mail them to me - we love them and they tend to be expensive.

So who is addicted to gum? I know I am, mostly at work. Most of the time I have an assortment of 3-4 flavors in my desk which I rotate through during the day. I almost always chew two pieces (sometimes adding a third for a flavor kick) at a time - I like having something substantial to chew on. Nearly always sugar free. I've developed a few favorites for various reasons - Stride because the flavor really does last longer than most others, Trident "original" or "bubblegum" flavor because they taste really good and have a nice, snappy texture, and Orbit Mist raspberry lemonade flavor because it might be the most delicious gum ever made (though the flavor disappears pathetically quickly). Anyone else? What brands, flavors, amounts, etc do you prefer? Bubble blowers? Any really great ones that I need to try?

And also, I really don't like adding any sort of fruit preserve/jam on top, but LOVE blueberries or bananas cooked into the pancake. I'll use even less, if any, syrup in that situation. And banana choclate chip pancakes with peanut butter on top are awesome.

I assume the vinegar/lemon juice trick with full fat milk should do the trick. Just add the acid to the milk, stir, let sit for a few minutes, and stir again. I forget the exact ratio, but a quick google search will tell you.

My wife's family used to top them with plain white sugar, then roll it up like a burrito - it's actually not bad. They would also sometimes wrap pancakes around chuncks of cheddar cheese - also not as bad as you would assume. Personally, I often eat them plain. Or with just a small amount of syrup (real or fake). I LIKE butter, but try to be healthier and not add it.

For what it's worth, my blendtec turns ice into soft, fluffy snow very easily. I'm not sure on the exact texture you need - this might even be too fine. I would never recommend buying a blendtec (or vitamix for that matter) just for ice crushing, but it would make a good multitasker if you also need a high end blender.

I wonder if it might be happening more than you realize. Most people keep it relatively quiet and to themselves (it's between them and Whomever they are thanking, afterall), so it's not very apparent unless you happen to look over at the perfect moment and catch someone crossing themselves.

Not sure if this is technically a "short-cut" (more like theft), but when I was in high school/college I worked at a bar where we had to "make" more top shelf vodka if we ran out and didn't have time to buy more. Simply enough, pour a bottle of the cheaper stuff (Absolut) into an empty bottle of the good stuff (Grey Goose). I'm not proud of it at all, but it did reinforce my opinion that the people ordering their mixed drinks with top shelf vodka were simply doing it for appearances since no one EVER complained about getting the wrong booze.

I have a standard prayer - I give thanks to my teachers, the Buddha, my friends and family, and the cook who so generously made the food for me to eat (who normally falls under "teacher, friend, or family".) I think that counts as "free form", even though you do it in a standard way. I guess what I meant by standard was a word-for-word prayer that is known by many people (for the Catholics out there, "Bless us oh Lord, and these thy gifts...." may sound familiar). I like the free form versions better - but I tend to include a short "standard" prayer in addition too.

Always at home, and almost always at restaurants - not even silently if I'm with other family members or friends who would also like to join in. I used to be a bit more timid about it, but have mostly gotten over that (though, I have to admit, I do occasionally get shy). In my experience, most other people either don't notice or don't care. And if they do notice, why the heck should they care? It's not bothering anyone - if you don't believe in God, it doesnt matter to you, and if you do, you should understand. Edited to add that I also don't do it in a "showy" way - no point in that either.

No no, definitely NOT opened. Ugh, that makes me sick just thinking about it.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Just wanted to make sure there wasn't something I was missing. Plus, I just remembered that the tuna I made for today's lunch was a bit dry (hence the need to buy more mayo), so I'll open it and add some to my sandwich. If I'm not dead by tonight, I'll assume it's safe for her as well.

Quick food safety question: I left an unopened jar a mayo (light, mayo actually) in my car for a day. It wasn't terribly hot out, but my car has a black interior and it gets pretty warm in there with the sun beating down all day. I know that you don't need to refrigerate this stuff before opening, but I'm not sure you are supposed to let it warm up like this either. Safe to eat? I know this is a tad paranoid, and normally I would just go for it, but my bigger concern is my pregnant wife. Thanks.

By the way, what is everyone's favorite doughnut? I don't eat doughnuts oftern, but when it comes to DD vs KK, I prefer a plain, glazed KK hot off the line - but there are no longer stores in my area. I've also been known to enjoy an Entenmenn's doughnut - not even the crumb topped or chocolte coated ones that everyone else seems to love, but the completely plain ones (or maybe powdwered sugar). But in the end, I don't think you can beat a home made one, topped with cinnamon and sugar.