A Simple and Life Changing Bagel Recipe

January 27, 2021

...I sometimes attempt. These homemade bagels are soooooooo much better than store bought or even bagels from specialized bagel bakeries. Why? First off, the boiling step gives you that perfect chewy bagel not found in supermarket bagels. But as Hamelman notes, hand shaping also gives you a better texture than commercially made (extruded) bagels. It may sound like hyperbole but I mean it when I say that this recipe has the best ROI of any baking pro...

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Save Civilization With a Toilet Auger

Mr. Homegrown

August 19, 2019

Water and Power

2 Comments

...ting. Because of our crappy crapper, my toilet auger and I had a once-a-week conclave. Unlike a regular plumber’s snake a toilet auger has a graceful bend so that you won’t scratch the porcelain. And it works a lot better than a plunger. Go down to your local hardware store and get one today. Or, better yet, make thee a dry toilet and you’ll never have to flush or use a toilet auger again. But until that day and, my brothers and sisters we’re not...

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A Litter Box Enclosure

Mr. Homegrown

March 11, 2022

Animals, Cats

10 Comments

...d agree, are made for the convenience of humans and the profits of the pet store industrial complex. Nobody talked to the cats about them. Most are too small and they’re all ugly. For years we’ve been using a 28-inch by 15-inch plastic storage bin. It worked fine from the cat’s perspective, but stray litter gets kicked around and behind the box, staining the bathroom floor and walls where the litter box resides. Frankly, it’s gross. So I set about...

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Weekend Linkages: Spiders and Fast Food Ghosts

Mr. Homegrown

July 17, 2022

Saturday Linkages

...Michael Grave’s original plans for Portland City Hall had a little town on top via @jmfowl. Two Men Had To Be Extinguished After Catching Fire At Goop Store A beautiful art book about spiders LA Restaurants Are Breathing Life Into the Architectural Ghosts of Fast-Food Past China Miéville: “If you don’t feel despair, you’re not opening your eyes” Energy use from US cryptomining firms is contributing to rising utility bills...

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Fence Appeal

Mr. Homegrown

April 11, 2023

Design

5 Comments

...is why the nasturtium leaves are so big). Rather than go to the Big Orange Store I got my supplies at the fancier Ganahl lumber which actually had better prices and selection. Plus you can drive your car right up to the lumber pile and skip the frantic crowds over at Big Orange. Over the pandemic I upgraded my table saw to a SawStop cabinet model which, while expensive, has paid for itself in all the projects I’ve completed including this fence an...

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