What R you doing today?

[jswordy]

We get "chunks" from time to time. The filter keeps larger particles out of the lines.

My pump is set 20 feet above the bottom of my drilled well, so no worries there. My well's bottom is chert, which is an ideal situation.

 

[bstnh1]

I had our hot water heater replaced this morning. It wasn't dead, but it had been acting up ... and it's 22 years old. I'm much happier replacing it before it died instead of going 1 to 2 weeks without hot water if we replace it after it dies.

We had our well pump replaced last April, and the team installed a new water filter. But the unit doesn't have a built-in cut-off switch, and they didn't install one in the line between the pump and the house.

While the plumbers were here, I had them install a switch. So now I turn off the switch on the house side of the pressure tank, turn off the switch between the filter and the house, and swap filters in 30 seconds.

Folks on city/municipal water miss all this type of fun stuff!!!

"Switches"???? I have a simple ball valve on each side of the filter. Close both of them and the filter is isolated.

 

[bstnh1]

@Kraffty It's still apart and in storage until the appliances are delivered and installed ... but now I gotta know, lol ... look familiar?

View attachment 118490

We had one like that, only it was a red top with silver or pinkish swirls/streaks.

 

[winemaker81]

"Switches"???? I have a simple ball valve on each side of the filter. Close both of them and the filter is isolated.

That's what the plumber installed. It "switches" the water on and off, so I called it a switch.

 

[jswordy]

We had one like that, only it was a red top with silver or pinkish swirls/streaks.

The table alone is worth $350-300 in antique shops. A friend just picked one up that's in better shape than mine out of someone's trash! She had it out in the weather on her deck until I pointed out it is worth that much, lol. Then she brought it under cover. These can still be bought new. A set is like $3,000 at the place that appears to make them the sturdiest. We're getting our chairs there. The retro look should go well with our kitchen design and trim.

https://www.americanchairs.com/

 

[jswordy]

That's what the plumber installed. It "switches" the water on and off, so I called it a switch.

Ball valves.

 

[ibglowin]

Cutting up meat for the freezer! $4.97/lb this week for the whole ribeyes at Kroger stores. This is a choice that could pass for prime IMHO!

 

[jswordy]

Cutting up meat for the freezer! $4.97/lb this week for the whole ribeyes at Kroger stores. This is a choice that could pass for prime IMHO!


View attachment 118517

$5.97 here. I still have a ton of them vac-packed.

 

[sour_grapes]

I will check my local store!

 

[ibglowin]

Went out to celebrate the holidaze last night in the City Different!

 

[jswordy]

My day started with a 7 a.m. trip to Lowe's for spacers and adhesive. Got the first of three walls of Spanish subway tile done on the backsplash. Installed approximately 5 billion spacers, lol. Finished it 30 minutes ago. Grout will be almond-colored so it will lighten the joints considerably. I wish you could see the bead board better. Oh well. Rolling Rock on the desk as I type, #3 so far. Pain is very hurtful!

 

[jswordy]

Here's six hours of work on this wall today. Just wrapped up about a half hour ago. Oh, my back! I am beat. I have a few little fillers to cut yet. Also want to run a course below the counter level behind the stove. All totaled, I have 16 hours in the backsplash tile. Still need to grout it.



This is why you never trust your countertops to be your guide for tiling. The counter on one side of the range is 1/4" higher than on the other side. You can see my nice level line as a guide for the tops of the first course.



Sunday's work, on the right...

 

[vinny]

Today I am upping my cheese game! I bought a sous vide for precise temperature control. I have a few good ones under my belt now. I made a brie and split it. Very unlike me, I know. I only split every batch of wine and bottle half while the other ages in bulk. I added roqueforti spores to the second half to make borgonzola. A gorgonzola blue/brie!

In honor of the system upgrade today I started one of my loftier goals. Shropshire Blue! An orange sharp cheddaresque blue that is one of my top favorite cheeses.

The brie is just blooming today.

And the beginnings of Shropshire! That is it. The cheese lab. It leaves the kitchen mostly free where the long waits were occupying half of the stove before.. Very pleased with how it has simplified things!

 

[ChuckD]

Today I am upping my cheese game! I bought a sous vide for precise temperature control. I have a few good ones under my belt now. I made a brie and split it. Very unlike me, I know. I only split every batch of wine and bottle half while the other ages in bulk. I added roqueforti spores to the second half to make borgonzola. A gorgonzola blue/brie!

In honor of the system upgrade today I started one of my loftier goals. Shropshire Blue! An orange sharp cheddaresque blue that is one of my top favorite cheeses.

The brie is just blooming today.View attachment 118699
View attachment 118700
And the beginnings of Shropshire! That is it. The cheese lab. It leaves the kitchen mostly free where the long waits were occupying half of the stove before.. Very pleased with how it has simplified things!

Did you take any cheese making classes or just Utube college?

 

[vinny]

Big Dave started the ball rolling with his posts. I bought Mastering Artisan Cheese Making to read through and for recipes.. I started slow. Cream cheese first. Turned that into a Boursin style herb spread. Cottage cheese. Feta is actually really easy. Mozza has beaten me twice, but it is still edible. Just didn't nail the melting pH so it is crumbly and holds it's shape when melted.

There are lots of recipes on the internet and a lot of good videos to follow as well. I am following a New England Cheese Making Supply Co. recipe for the Shopshire. A fellow Canadian, Marie Anne, from Give Cheese a Chance has been a solid follow for the videos.

If you decide to give it a go, even if you start with cream cheese you will be hooked. I had boursin, cream cheese, and cottage cheese in the fridge when I started making recipes. The cream cheese survived, but the other two went in the trash. It is that much better tasting fresh. Side by side, boursin was gross.

 

[ChuckD]

I was lucky to grow up in cheese country. When I was a kid you could walk into the local cheese plant and they would scoop cheese curds out of the vat or cut a chunk of anything you wanted off a fresh wheel. Can’t do that anymore.

My neighbor’s dad was a cheese maker who had a very poor inventory control issue. When he retired they found cheddar up to 25 years old in the cooler. Most of it had turned but the wheels that didn’t sold at auction for a kings ransom! For our anniversary that year he gave me a 1/4 lb of 22 year old cheddar… that’s what heaven tastes like!!!

 

[jswordy]

I was lucky to grow up in cheese country. When I was a kid you could walk into the local cheese plant and they would scoop cheese curds out of the vat or cut a chunk of anything you wanted off a fresh wheel. Can’t do that anymore.

My neighbor’s dad was a cheese maker who had a very poor inventory control issue. When he retired they found cheddar up to 25 years old in the cooler. Most of it had turned but the wheels that didn’t sold at auction for a kings ransom! For our anniversary that year he gave me a 1/4 lb of 22 year old cheddar… that’s what heaven tastes like!!!

When it comes to the curdish pursuits, the only thing I can do is cut the cheese!

 

[vinny]

For our anniversary that year he gave me a 1/4 lb of 22 year old cheddar… that’s what heaven tastes like!!!

@BigDaveK

Did you catch this? Impossible to make too much?

 

[ChuckD]

@BigDaveK

Did you catch this? Impossible to make too much?

Just like fine wine. Aged cheese is a big thing now. There’s a cheese plant by my dad’s house that has an enormous footprint. Probably 10 acres of buildings… I would say 99% is cold storage. Most added in the last 5 years.

If I remember correctly my neighbor said some wheels of cheddar his dad “found” in the cooler sold for tens of thousands of dollars. Mostly bought by top-end restaurants from around the world.

 

[jswordy]

So... this box came in the mail today.