General Discussion Thread

[Sunflower]

There are swampish areas and they currently surround my house. Lots and lots of mosquitos and flood warnings  Entertainment media generally portrays Florida as pretty crazy and truth be told it kind of is??

You're brave about admitting the truth, Curry.  Snickering at Florida is a whole entertainment *industry.*  Look at the novels of Carl Hiaasen, or this Twitter feed:  https://twitter.com/_FloridaMan  (Based on an old journalism cliche -- dumb criminals who do colorful things tend to be over-represented in Florida.  At my former newspaper, we collected headlines like "FLORIDA MAN, 28, LOSES HAND TO ALLIGATOR HE TRIED TO STEAL.")

[hushpiper]

Ahhh, weather. I think I've said this here before, but weather that can kill you is by far my favorite kind of weather. In Louisiana we had the rainy season in the summer and fall, in which hurricane warnings--and occasional hits--were expected, and power outages and flooding (complete with gators getting stranded in people's yards) were just a fact of life. I miss it. Now that I'm in Utah I just have to take solace in the hope that the earthquake the geologists have been predicting forever might come through in my lifetime...

On a completely different subject: I've discovered the amazingness that is skyr--it's yogurt that's been so heavily strained it's thick (so thick I couldn't even stir it in with my morning granola without adding milk to it!) and has no fat in it, but craptons of protein. It. Is. Wonderful. I'm eating it now sweetened with sugar and pomegranate jam and some tahini in it and nnnnnngh.

[Sunflower]

And since Sunflower mentioned Korpiklaani as a bunch of big growling men ( that they admittedly are  ) here's a little joyous tune that i think might fit to everyones ears done by said men.

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Thanks for the link, FV!  Unfortunately, something is temporarily wrong with the Forum -- YouTube links aren't displaying.  The link was still in your original text, though, so I'm quoting it.

The new song is still performed by scary-looking guys, but it seems a lot catchier than I was expecting.  Thanks for sharing it!  I can truthfully assure you, I would *never* have heard about Korpiklaani or anything in that vein, without this Forum.

[Curry]

You're brave about admitting the truth, Curry.  Snickering at Florida is a whole entertainment *industry.*  Look at the novels of Carl Hiaasen, or this Twitter feed:  https://twitter.com/_FloridaMan  (Based on an old journalism cliche -- dumb criminals who do colorful things tend to be over-represented in Florida.  At my former newspaper, we collected headlines like "FLORIDA MAN, 28, LOSES HAND TO ALLIGATOR HE TRIED TO STEAL.")

Huuu yeah it's kind of just a Very Interesting Place with Lots of Interesting Happenings and a LOT of really weird people (*stares pointedly at mirror*) and what's the use in denying it when there are whole archives on crazy things Floridians do/can do? • — •
I read a book called "Freaky Florida" or something like that and I discovered just how many weird pastimes people come here to fulfill

[koalalou]

On a completely different subject: I've discovered the amazingness that is skyr--it's yogurt that's been so heavily strained it's thick (so thick I couldn't even stir it in with my morning granola without adding milk to it!) and has no fat in it, but craptons of protein. It. Is. Wonderful. I'm eating it now sweetened with sugar and pomegranate jam and some tahini in it and nnnnnngh.

Omg I was going to write a reply to Curry (sorry Curry!) when I read this and my ADHD was like 'Get in the car loser. We're talking about food now!'

Omg that entire ensemble sounds delicious and now I want some too xD

There are swampish areas and they currently surround my house. Lots and lots of mosquitos and flood warnings  Entertainment media generally portrays Florida as pretty crazy and truth be told it kind of is??

:0 thunderstormsssss I think I would be very happy up there, actually? I love old houses (and when I was in a hurricane a while ago, the entire building I was staying in was swaying and the windows were vibrating). I just really like storms okay

Back-tracking now--mosquitoes O vO
Omg no wonder I never try to go farther South, its the bugs //shudders// I always hear about how awful the bugs are in warmer areas (i say like Windsor doesn't get horrifically hot in the summer)
Wait, Florida IS like that? I thought it was all just a media lie (for the most part) and somehow came to the conclusion that it was mostly populated by old people and the occasional Florida native (i.e. a person who didn't move there to retire)
I often live in ignorance. I need to travel more = v=

[Sunflower]

Back-tracking now--mosquitoes O vO
Omg no wonder I never try to go farther South, its the bugs //shudders// I always hear about how awful the bugs are in warmer areas (i say like Windsor doesn't get horrifically hot in the summer)

Come to California!  We have no rain and therefore we have no bugs (or at least, a lot fewer than most parts of the U.S.).  There are at least a few advantages to a near-desert climate.  (Lack of mosquitoes, and it cools off pretty quickly after dark, even on a 100º F day.)

Wait, Florida IS like that? I thought it was all just a media lie (for the most part) and somehow came to the conclusion that it was mostly populated by old people and the occasional Florida native (i.e. a person who didn't move there to retire)
I often live in ignorance. I need to travel more = v=

Carl Hiaasen was a reporter and columnist at the Miami Herald for many years before he turned to writing satirical novels, so he knows whereof he speaks.  Florida is indeed wacky.  (Although I'm a fine one to talk, as a California native.  We just have a different brand of wacky.  For one thing, Calif. apparently leads the nation in traffic jams caused by mattresses falling off vehicles.  This is because our climate is warm and dry, so nobody ever takes much trouble to wrap/fasten/protect mattresses properly when they move -- just shove 'em into the back of the pickup.  And we're a big state, full of freeways, with peripatetic residents.  Who are mostly morons.)

[hushpiper]

Unfortunately, something is temporarily wrong with the Forum -- YouTube links aren't displaying.

That stupid-- *growls at forum*

*rolls up sleeves, grabs crowbar*

*several loud noises later* ...Well, having fixed an unrelated issue along the way, the youtube embedding wasn't loading because the website uses https but the link itself only used http. The browser itself was blocking it because chrome is a regular stick in the mud that way. So I fixed it in that particular post. In the future I'll see if I can selectively force https on youtube links to fix that more permanently, but for now, people can just make sure their youtube links have https. Thanks for having an excellent eye for bugs, as usual!

Omg I was going to write a reply to Curry (sorry Curry!) when I read this and my ADHD was like 'Get in the car loser. We're talking about food now!'

Omg that entire ensemble sounds delicious and now I want some too xD

Ahahahaaaaa it is DELICIOUS. I ate like a cup and a half and I'm so frikkin' full--and this is the girl who can eat a full pound of meat in a sitting talking here. The friend who recommended it to me suggested using pomegranate molasses instead of jam, but I haven't been able to get my hands on any yet. *schemes*

[koalalou]

Sunflower: I'm only just realizing how amazingly knowledgable you are xD I think I've learned almost five separate, new, things today just from reading some of your replies, and most of them were to other people.


hushpiper: Its right when I find something new and delicious-sounding that I REALLY want to try that I remember I'm lactose-intolerant Dx
I think I might try to hunt this stuff down and try it anyway, just to spite myself.

[Sunflower]

Ahahahaaaaa it is DELICIOUS. I ate like a cup and a half and I'm so frikkin' full--and this is the girl who can eat a full pound of meat in a sitting talking here. The friend who recommended it to me suggested using pomegranate molasses instead of jam, but I haven't been able to get my hands on any yet. *schemes*

What kinds of grocery stores are available in your part of the Southwest?  I've found pom. molasses in Middle Eastern stores and some fancy-food-type places.  I've never shopped for pomegranate molasses at Whole Foods, but it might be there.  Alas, it isn't at Trader Joe's. 

[Sunflower]

Sunflower: I'm only just realizing how amazingly knowledgable you are xD I think I've learned almost five separate, new, things today just from reading some of your replies, and most of them were to other people.

Aw, thanks!  The truth is, being a know-it-all is kind of my guilty secret.  I feel like one of those legendary Norwegian troll-maidens who looked like pretty girls except for their big cow-tails.  As long as they could keep their ugly tails hidden under their skirts, they could make some time with the local boys.  But if you let the tail slip out, that date's ending early.

Oh well, there's a reason I ended up a skald...   

hushpiper: Its right when I find something new and delicious-sounding that I REALLY want to try that I remember I'm lactose-intolerant Dx
I think I might try to hunt this stuff down and try it anyway, just to spite myself.

Is skyr different from strained yogurt?  Cultured from some unique Icelandic strain of lactobacillus, or something?  If not, you might try just buying plain nonfat yogurt, lining a strainer with cheesecloth or a big coffee filter, setting it over a bowl, pouring in the plain yogurt, and letting the excess liquid drain overnight. 

I only suggest this because most Greek-style or skyr-type yogurts are quite expensive -- reflecting that a lot of the original fluid volume was drained off.  (My refrigerator often contains weird DIY food experiments...)

[hushpiper]

Is skyr different from strained yogurt?  Cultured from some unique Icelandic strain of lactobacillus, or something?  If not, you might try just buying plain nonfat yogurt, lining a strainer with cheesecloth or a big coffee filter, setting it over a bowl, pouring in the plain yogurt, and letting the excess liquid drain overnight. 

I think it does have some specific cultures in it, but the main difference between it and greek yogurt to my palate is that it's much thicker. (And has a stronger, more cheesy taste. And less sugar than most yogurts, but that's neither here nor there.) Seriously, I've had cheeses that are thinner than skyr. But the cultures really aren't a barrier to making your own anyway, because you can always buy some actual skyr and use that for a starter with some skim milk--same as you would if you were making normal yogurt, then just let it drip-dry in some cheesecloth for a while. (Disclaimer: I haven't done this myself, but I've been told by those who have that it's easier than you'd think. So there's that.)

[Fimbulvarg]

On a completely different subject: I've discovered the amazingness that is skyr--it's yogurt that's been so heavily strained it's thick (so thick I couldn't even stir it in with my morning granola without adding milk to it!) and has no fat in it, but craptons of protein. It. Is. Wonderful. I'm eating it now sweetened with sugar and pomegranate jam and some tahini in it and nnnnnngh.

I've heard skyr is thought to be part of the explanation for why Iceland has one of the highest life expectancies in the World (like, higher than Italy). It's not really the worst thing to grow addicted to.

[Laufey]

I've heard skyr is thought to be part of the explanation for why Iceland has one of the highest life expectancies in the World (like, higher than Italy). It's not really the worst thing to grow addicted to.

Only as long as you eat plain skyr and not one of the flavoured versions (or Bob forbid the flavoured skyr drinks) because those are packed with sugar. Plain skyr + honey though, om nom...

[Fimbulvarg]

Only as long as you eat plain skyr and not one of the flavoured versions (or Bob forbid the flavoured skyr drinks) because those are packed with sugar. Plain skyr + honey though, om nom...

I've only ever seen the flavoured versions in stores where I live. I believe they're sweetened with stevia rather than sugar though. Whether that makes them healthy or not I don't know. Skyr seems a bit meagre to be a full meal on its own anyways.

[Mélusine]

Pfff, a literary festival begin in two weeks and I still don’t know, despite the registration two month ago, if I’m allowed or not to take part in a meeting with publishers :/ (The meeting is made for submitting a novel. Something like an interview, even if I hate speaking about me/what I write in front of unknown peoples, but I know I have to do something for this novel.) *Stress no doubt for nothing but stress*