What are you doing?

[Marlingardener]

I'm potting up basil. I cut basil and put it in a glass of water on the window sill, intending to use it that night on a pasta dish. Plans changed, and two days later the basil cuttings had roots. I can't bring myself to say "enough!" so I'm potting them up and moving them to the herb garden.
Note to self: do not cut basil stems with leaves. Only pick leaves!

 

[GotGarlic]

Note to self: do not cut basil stems with leaves. Only pick leaves!

Why is that? So they won't root?

 

[Marlingardener]

GotGarlic, yes, after having four more basil plants because I cut stems, I'm now just cutting leaves shortly before using them. Some of us are slow learners . . . .

 

[GotGarlic]

GotGarlic, yes, after having four more basil plants because I cut stems, I'm now just cutting leaves shortly before using them. Some of us are slow learners . . . .

You can always make pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays. I do that and then in the winter, throw them into soups, stews and sauces.

 

[taxlady]

If you like having your basil plants bushy, you have to cut stems. It doesn't mean that you have to put the stems in water.

 

[taxlady]

Hope it is quickly fixable... and doesn't break the bank!

Ditto

 

[pepperhead212]

I was lucky! My friend who's house I spent the night at called a friend of his, who agreed to come check the thing out (since it seemed like they weren't going to get me in, so I just cancelled with them) and the first thing he did was replaced the capacitor, which he said was usually the cheapest cure. He said he took 3 common sizes of capacitors up there with him, and it was one, and when replaced, the fan motor came on, when turned on, and the cooling started up, when I turned that on. He only charged me $100 for it, but I gave him $120, plus a bunch of things from the garden! His wife, who came with him, didn't turn down anything!

 

[Andy M.]

I was lucky! My friend who's house I spent the night at called a friend of his, who agreed to come check the thing out (since it seemed like they weren't going to get me in, so I just cancelled with them) and the first thing he did was replaced the capacitor, which he said was usually the cheapest cure. He said he took 3 common sizes of capacitors up there with him, and it was one, and when replaced, the fan motor came on, when turned on, and the cooling started up, when I turned that on. He only charged me $100 for it, but I gave him $120, plus a bunch of things from the garden! His wife, who came with him, didn't turn down anything!

What a relief!

 

[blissful]

Great pepperhead!
We lost electricity last night. They gestimate we'll have it restored by Monday.
I'm contemplating what I can can from the freezer, how much it will be, how long it will take. So bummed.

 

[pepperhead212]

That's definitely not good! Sorry to hear about that. Nowhere you can get some blocks of dry ice nearby?

 

[dragnlaw]

Or a generator? Even just for a few hours sporadically - share with a neighbour?

Don't need to tell you this, I'm sure you already know, but DON'T open that freezer unless you positively must!
Perhaps also throw some heavy blankets over top.

 

[blissful]

I'm so thankful that, after 44 hours, the power is back on! The freezer went from 0 deg (normal temp) to 28 deg F during that time, but is frozen!
We went to the artesian well for water 3 times, we kept the freezer closed (thank you), and showers with a bucket of warmed up water, dishes w/ 1/2 gallon of water twice a day, food just needed to be warmed or eaten cold, so ALL IS WELL. Yay.
I'm so happy I don't have to read by flash light, that we don't have to charge the power bank for the phones any more, that my emergency weather radio worked great, that the beeswax candles burned nicely, that I have internet again and we can water the garden!

 

[pepperhead212]

I got some things done in the garden early, and more later in the day, but unfortunately, I had something that I had to fix today - a leaky toilet tank. Fortunately, I caught it, before it was leaking much, though this rusty metal plate under the tank indicated that it had been leaking a while, just not noticeable. And I had never seen that before - most tanks have 2 holes with bolts, with gaskets, holding the tank to the base, but no holes in this, except for the large hole, of course. And the gaskets are not sold at HD or Lowe's - I was ready to take a trip to a plumbing supply place, that I figured would have it, but something made me look in my "plumbing junk box", and there was a brand new set of parts - the threaded plastic, with the upper and lower gaskets! The only way I could have had that was if the toilet had come with the spare parts! I sanded all the rust off the steel, until shiny, then sprayed it with some rust inhibitor, and let it all dry, while I cleaned everything on the toilet. Then put it back together, and put the tank back on, reattached the line, and tested it, and everything works.
Something I had to fix today - a leaky tank on the Kohler toilet, in my powder room. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[dragnlaw]

Love it when someone takes the time to fix it right. Saves me from having to go back later and redo it.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Up early as usual!

I roasted what an old friend with a restaurant background would call a ‘utility’ chicken, meaning a chicken or roast that is to be used in other dishes, sandwiches, salads, etc…

My main interest was in trying this method from my hero.

The chicken was perfect, but all of that flipping is a little too dangerous for me.

Removing the wishbone is a great tip.

At this point in my life, a $10.00 rotisserie chicken from the local Wegman’s makes the most sense.

 

[Rascal]

Good to see a few posters on here from the other site.

Russ

 

[taxlady]

A friend said it was easiest to carve a chicken, if you cut off the arms and legs first.

I got those instructions for cooking a chicken from the Joy of Cooking that came out in the late 1990s. I did it with a capon for a dinner party and it worked really well. It was the first time I actually enjoyed the breast meat - it was moist. I did it with a turkey for Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law's house and it worked well, but my B-I-L hated it. The breast meat wasn't dry enough.

Yeah, it's a lot of fussing with all that turning the bird.

 

[Aunt Bea]

A friend said it was easiest to carve a chicken, if you cut off the arms and legs first.

I got those instructions for cooking a chicken from the Joy of Cooking that came out in the late 1990s. I did it with a capon for a dinner party and it worked really well. It was the first time I actually enjoyed the breast meat - it was moist. I did it with a turkey for Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law's house and it worked well, but my B-I-L hated it. The breast meat wasn't dry enough.

Yeah, it's a lot of fussing with all that turning the bird.

IMO you can get similar results with a beer can style roasted chicken, 425f for 60-90 minutes.

Self basting and an all over tan with no flipping.

Even that is a little too tipsy for me to handle safely.

 

[taxlady]

Theoretically, the flipping should make a juicier bird. While the bird is on its side, the juice is being urged by gravity to pass through the breast to the other side. Then, when it's flipped on the other side, the juice travels back. I don't see that happening with a beer can chicken. But, does it make a noticeable difference? I don't know. As I wrote, "theoretically".

I don't bother roasting a whole chicken in that way now. If I do roast a chicken, it will be spatchcocked and that's just easier for me.

 

[dragnlaw]

I agree taxy, if I do a chicken now it will be spatchcocked.
But that was a very interesting video! Loved the take out the wishbone. Might try a chicken just to have done it once. At the moment I can still flip, but maybe not for long, I'll be joining you at the rotisserie counter, Aunt Bea.

My sister used to cook her turkey's like that, basically upside down and then flips it over. I was helping her one year, the ruddy bird slipped, hit the pan and covered a brand spanking new shirt with grease. No, I wasn't burnt, could have been but... I probably wouldn't have noticed, I was so upset with the ruined shirt. Never did get that stain out.