len_mullen

956 days ;-)

I never budget for BF. I will buy every deal on everything on my list. I'm also OK with getting nothing.

On my list as well. Not a priotity -- looking for a deal. Have you considered putting your stuff in milk crates? You'll surrender some space, but gain some organization.

I have never had a problem bonding with the people in line around me. When I used to do Staples first every year, I actually remembered people from the previous years. It was kind of cool. Some of them worked where I work and we reminisce from time to time. No one waits in lines anymore.

I am not an audiophile or a connoisseur of award winning movies, but I do like television. I was born in 1962 and never knew life without color television. I watched assassinations, moon landings, and wars as if I were there. I still remember my first Pong experience. I did not have a quarter or understand the game, but it was so cool that I could make something happen on a 'television'. I remember antennas, rotors, and the arrival of HBO. My sister and her husband lived in Portsmouth New Hampshire which was an early adopter of cable TV. She would pick us up, grab pizza or McDonalds, and we would settle in front of movies for the evening -- nudity, profanity...must see TV. So, it's no surprise that I have a LOT of televisions in my home. I avoided HDTV until they worked out the stretched image thing, but I'm all in now. I watch the NFL on a 60" 1080p LG plasma. I own three smaller plasmas. Nine televisions plus seven Echo Shows (which play TV via a Recast). I just recycled my last tube -- a 36" Sony CRT I bought at Circuit City in 2008. Lately, I have been impressed by TCL's Roku TVs (the very best television for a cord cutter). I have two of these. This year, I am passively shopping for a good deal on 75-90" 4k set to replace that LG plasma. Inexpensive, bright, no motion blur, and black blacks. Cheap. Then I'm done. Honest. Anyone else shopping for a television this year? Watching specific models? Features?

Harbor Freight 10/5.

I have only ever shopped with another person one time. You are going to love going solo.

Already working on my haikus!

I've used that coupon MANY times at Home Depot.

My toaster oven is one of these... https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hamilton-Beach-Black-Countertop-Oven-with-Convection-Rotisserie-Model-31101/35241816 It is AWESOME. If it had a light, it would be perfect... convectionrotisseriebig enough for two 12" pizzasyou can set the timer so the oven never goes offAnd it is CHEAP! I paid less than $50 for mine.

A bear and a rabbit are pooping in the woods. The bear asks the rabbit if he has problems with poop sticking to his fur. The rabbit says no, so the bear wipes his bum with the rabbit.

Oil is a strong word. I just spritz some olive oil on the bottom -- ostensibly for flavor, but, mostly, to make sure nothing sticks. When I take the meat out of the frig, I lightly oil, salt, and pepper one side. After ten minutes, I do the other. My toaster oven is a convection oven and I cook bacon on a rack in a tray in the toaster oven.

recommend you start your search on consumersearch.com. it's a 'meta' review site that recommends based on the credible reviews of others -- professional and consumer.

For those who purchased Air Fryers last year, here is a really good recipe for steak. Probably the BEST thing I have cooked in my air fryer to date. From https://www.myforkinglife.com/perfect-air-fryer-steak-with-garlic-herb-butter/ Perfect Air Fryer Steak Perfect juicy air fryer steak. Ingredients Steak2 8 oz Ribeye steaksaltfreshly cracked black pepperolive oilGarlic Butter1 stick unsalted butter softened2 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped2 tsp garlic minced1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce1/2 tsp saltInstructionsPrepare Garlic Butter by mixing butter, parsley garlic, worcestershire sauce, and salt until thoroughly combined. Place in parchment paper and roll into a log. Refrigerate until ready to use. Remove steak from fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Rub a little bit of olive oil on both side of the steak and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Grease your Air Fryer basket by rubbing a little bit of oil on the basket. Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once preheated, place steaks in air fryer and cook for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove from air fryer and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Top with garlic butter.How I made it better First, I simply mixed and served the garlic butter in a small bowl. It was AWESOME. I served the rib eye with green beans and grilled potato wedges seasoned with a cayenne pepper. The garlic butter melted on the steak and ran into the potato wedges and the green beans. Mouth watering. I only cooked the steak for four minutes on each side. Of course, the thickness of the steak will dictate cook time, but my 5/8" steak was pink and warm after preheating for two minutes and cooking four minutes on each side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk

Gotta beat those tariffs!

As I acclimate myself to the kitchen, I am always in search of a better way. I value versatility and ease of use -- which includes easy cleaning. I inherited a plethora of slice and chop gadgets, but, as I slice, chop, frate, and mix more frequently, I find myself a little dissatisfied with 1) the performance of the devices, 2) cleanup, and 3) storage. I decided to get one device to do these things better than the others. I think (hope) that device is a food processor and believe the best value in a food processor is the Cuisinart DFP-14BCWNY... https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2941880 The DFP-14BCWNY is on sale for $199.99 at Kohls compared to $159.99 at Amazon, but Kohls has promotions, right? After $10 off for code 'LABORDAY' and 20% off for code 'POPCORN20', the price drops to $151.99. You get $30 in Kohls Cash plus $5 more if you pick up the food processor in the store for a net cost of $116.99. Amazon Prime Card holders get 5% back. But another rewards program pays 6% back at Kohls today. I found this at Kohls trying to get good value for $50 in Kohls Cash which was about to expire, so my math was a little different -- $199.99 - $50 - $10 = $139.99 x 0.8 = $111.99. Only got $25 in Kohls Cash and 6% in other cash backwhich nets to $80.27. I may have to spend my Kohls Cash on some of those throws you guys are always raving about. With my youngest off to school, I have a feeling the house is going to be a lot cooler this winter! One of the things I liked about the DFP-14BCWNY is that you can buy additional/replacement blades. I also like that it kneads dough. Sometimes I just don't want to put pants on to get a frozen pie crust. The manual is here... https://www.cuisinart.com/share/pdf/manuals/dfp-14bcny.pdf Here are some reviews... I always start at consumersearch.com. It's a 'meta-review' site that analyzes other reviews (professional and consumer) and makes a summary recommendation. Consumersearch.com had this to say of the DFP-14BCNY: If you're like most people, you'll probably only use a few basic attachments with your food processor, which is why the Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY (Est. $200) is our top pick. It has a generous, 14-cup capacity and is simple but versatile enough for most kitchens. The DFP-14BCNY includes a chopping blade and discs for slicing and grating. Although it does not include a smaller bowl, in professional tests its well-designed blades were able to handle even small quantities without splattering or pulverizing them. If you need more tools, additional attachments are available for this Cuisinart so you can customize it to your needs. In fact, this food processor is also often referred to as the Cuisinart Custom. The Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY is the top pick at Wirecutter, Reviews.com, Top Ten Reviews, and at a well-respected professional test kitchen; it's also the budget pick at Serious Eats. In testing the DFP-14BCNY performs very well in every job it's given, getting particular kudos for handling pie crust and cookie dough -- two very tough tasks for a food processor. However, it also gets top marks for chopping vegetables, pureeing, shredding, slicing and grinding. It's worth noting, though, that to process larger, bulkier items, you will need to first chop them into manageable pieces so that they fit into the feed tube. Wirecutter was effusive: For the fourth year in a row, we think the reasonably priced Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor is best for most people. It excelled at every chopping and shredding task we attempted. In fact, the Cuisinart Custom does everything that a great food processor should without any unnecessary extras—yet it works as well as or better than costly machines with multiple bowls and more attachments. Unlike some other models we tested, the Cuisinart Custom’s base remained in place while running, even when processing double batches of dough. The Cuisinart Custom comes with just the right number of blades and disks, too, all of which can conveniently stow inside the mixing bowl. And the Cuisinart Custom was among the easiest models to clean. America's Test Kitchen: We still recommend the Cuisinart Custom 14 Cup Food Processor—a powerful, affordable workhorse that produces steller results every time. For the past 2 years we've stocked over two dozen of these food processors in our test kitchen, where they receive extended daily use. Aside from a recall on the blade for older models (more information below), we've found this food processor to be durable, reliable, and consistent. Serious Eats: While this classic from Cuisinart is far from the cheapest machine on the market, it's as inexpensive as we're willing to recommend based on our tests. At about half the cost of larger, 16-cup models, it handles the basics with ease, efficiently grating semi-firm and hard cheeses, pulling doughs together—despite not having a specialty blade—and slicing potatoes and tomatoes without destroying them. But seeing is believing and YouTube is chock full of hands on reviews... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZBn_ZMHLMU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuo3UQdaxZQ (compared to the more expensive food processors) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqirMYIaFB4 (atk summary)

Not ready to make my 'official' September post, but I did want to share a new recipe. No air fryer this time. This is a flat out unhealthy recommendation that you eat food fried in oil. We only break out the deep fryer about once every two months. When we do, I fry all day. Actually, for a couple days, usually. This week, I fried chicken Thursday and everything else Saturday. It started with deep fried potatoes and banana fritters with breakfast. Then I made potato chips. For dinner, we had onion rings, fried scallops, and fried shrimp -- with a salad to ease the conscience. I just deep fried some sliced ham (yes, I sliced it myself) and another batch of potato chips. Here is the recipe I used to batter the shrimp, scallops, onions, and ham... Fried Clams, New England StyleIngredients1 pound shucked clams cherrystones, littlenecks, or Western littlenecks or Manila clams1 cup corn flour, as in "fish fry" mix1 cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon of salt1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper1/2 teaspoon cayenne1 cup buttermilk or evaporated milkoil for fryingInstructionsPick through the clams to make sure there are no bits of shell or obvious grit. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Submerge the clams in buttermilk. Preheat the oven to 200ºF and put a rack set over a baking sheet inside the oven. Heat enough oil to float the clams, about a quart or so. What oil? Anything you feel like, but I prefer peanut oil or, well... fresh lard. You want the oil hot, about 360ºF. When the oil is almost ready, coat a few clams in the breading. Don't do more than your fryer can handle in one batch, as you want the clams to go right from breading into the fryer. If you want super-extra crispy clams, dip the breaded clams back in the buttermilk and again in the breading; I think this is too much, but some people like them that way.Fry the clams until they are golden brown, about 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Move them to the rack in the oven and repeat with the remaining clams -- make sure the oil gets back up to temperature between batches. Serve with homemade tartar sauce, malt vinegar, remoulade, ketchup or hot sauce.BTW, I have been copying my recipes to a free blog so that I can look at them using Alexa on my Echo Show. It's a work in progress, but here is the link... https://lencancook.food.blog/

When I was in school, I worked at Zayre's Department Store. They had free, year round layaway. They also gave 10% off rain check items, 10% employee discount, and an additional 10% off for employees before Christmas. All year long, I bought out of stock sale items to get the rain check price, put them on layaway, and paid for everything just before Christmas for a cumulative discount of 27% off the sale price. Zayre's was the first place I got a rebate and the only place I ever worked Thanksgiving.

Stopped into my local Staples this weekend. I approached the manager to discuss the changes to the Rewards program. He was completely unaware of the changes. BUT, he assured me that he could make online orders on my behalf if they did not stock an item and apply my rewards to the sale. Crappy company with great employees.

Been waking up to mid-40s this week. Could see my breath one morning. LOVE IT!

I live in a bedroom community just a little distant from everything. A company proposed a project that included an assisted living complex with a pharmacy, a clinic, and 'other retailers'. At the time, my wife was traveling an hour for dialysis. I hoped that would be available locally. Never happened, but I think this is the future of local retail outlets and I am looking forward to it. Maybe a little related, EVERY grocer in my area is offering delivery. When I finally give up my license, I will not go hungry!

I think it's a great idea to repurpose these buildings as service areas specializing in things difficult to do over the internet.

My youngest moves onto campus in two weeks. I have some anxiety, some excitement, but no sadness. Looking forward to pants-optional-EVERYDAY! (the dog doesn't care...has never worn pants himself)

I have had an amazing relationship with Staples for more than 30 years. They probably do not feel the same way. Between ink recycling, Discover Cash Back gift cards, and all of their Free-After-Rewards events, I have accumulated more stationary products than I care to remember. Almost all of my printers have come from Staples. Most years, Staples was my first stop on Black Friday. In fact, I got to know a lot of people very well waiting in line outside Staples on Black Friday. Sitting here in my nest, I am staring at a pair of monitors that came from Staples, using a PC I bought at Staples, and printing to two printers purchased at Staples. That PC is tethered to 30t of disks -- all from Staples. When my youngest moves on to campus in two weeks, we will unbox a new HP all-in-one from Staples. He will take a box of Staples paper and ink accumulated keeping my Staples rewards rolling in. But the various deals I have enjoyed as a Staples Rewards Member are fading away. Instead of getting $50 for $25 in Discover Cash Back, we get $30 for $25. Gift cards are limited to five per purchase. Coupons and events are all but gone and the exemptions in the fine print hurt my eyes. No more price matching. The stores only carry a small selection of the items on the web site. The web site is awful. I am getting ready to upgrade the desktop in my nest. I found the following parts... https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-ROG-B360-H-Optane-Motherboard/dp/B07CN9V7H4https://www.staples.com/intel-core-i5-8600-desktop-processor-3-1-ghz-hexa-core-9mb-cache-bx80684i58600/product_IM12PQ426https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F6B1CVF/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 The board has six SATA ports and tw m2 slots. It comes with Optane which is just a small ssd for OS files. That leaves one sata port for an optical drive and five more for data. I have $230 in Staples Rewards and gift cards (via Discover Cashback), so my OOP for the CPU will be $21 ($13.50 after 3% cash back). Board and memory will cost me $195 ($185 after 5% cash back). <$200 for a fairly spectacular upgrade to a six year old CPU, more and faster memory, and more efficient computer. Of course, I looked for the system board and memory on Staples.com (stores carry none of these parts). The memory was significantly more expensive and the system board was a lesser model for the same money. CPU was a good deal, but Staples no longer accepts Rewards online and the stores do not stock CPUs. BTW, I had to chat with a CSR to find out that Rewards are only accepted in store. Their pathetic web site simply told me the coupon did not exist. Tomorrow, I will stop at my local Staples to see if they have one of these in stock... https://www.staples.com/HP-HP27SC1-27-Curved-LED-Monitor/product_2720259 So I can burn some Rewards and gift cards. I will get my CPU at Newegg or Amazon. I will stop redeeming my Discover Cash Back for Staples gift cards. I will have one less reason to get up early on Black Friday.