Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[Quof]

Chicago style hot dog

nothing else will do.

[Ohiopirate02]

2 hours ago, nokat said:

Here's an unpopular opinion. I detest ketchup.  I hate the stuff. It is always sitting there, next to the mustard. I'd rather put paprika on my burger or hot dog. Many of you may gasp, but I eat my fries with mayonnaise. 

My dad hated tomatoes which included ketchup. We did have ketchup in the house growing up, but I was a daddy's girl who was not going to eat something he would never eat (and he may or may not tease me for using ketchup, it depended on the day and meal). I have never purchased a bottle of ketchup in my life. There are enough other condiments to use instead. Fries with salt should be able to stand on their own. Unless, the restaurant has gravy. 

[nokat]

I think we can just have our hot dogs the way we like them.  That no ketchup on your hotdog is a meme though.

[Quof]

When I was a kid, we stayed with relatives for a short visit.  The son, who was about 10, poured a large quantity of ketchup on everything he ate.   It was really disgusting to watch. When they visited us the next summer, my mother threw away our ketchup before they arrived so she could honestly say "sorry, we don't have any ketchup."   

[nokat]

7 minutes ago, Quof said:

When I was a kid, we stayed with relatives for a short visit.  The son, who was about 10, poured a large quantity of ketchup on everything he ate.   It was really disgusting to watch. When they visited us the next summer, my mother threw away our ketchup before they arrived so she could honestly say "sorry, we don't have any ketchup."   

I know families like that. Large quantities of ketchup. 

[PRgal]

In Canada ketchup chips is a thing.

I’m more of a salt and vinegar girl, though I’ll have ketchup on fries.  When I eat fries (I’m not that big a fan of potatoes).  And on macaroni and cheese.  I’ll also dip grilled cheese in ketchup.  In my house, we usually buy Primal Kitchen or Good Food for Good ketchup since it doesn’t have the high sugar content.  The latter uses dates to sweeten. 

 

[EtheltoTillie]

Wow, even more opinions on condiments than on ironing boards!

I like ketchup on hamburgers and fries and mustard and sauerkraut on hot dogs.

Edited Monday at 12:39 AM by EtheltoTillie

[roseha]

My mom would make a meatloaf recipe that was cooked with a layer of ketchup on top.  That was the only time I liked it.  I almost never eat meat anymore so I guess I am non ketchup now.   I do like relish and tartar sauce though, and I sometimes put a little dry mustard in if I make mac and cheese.

Edited Monday at 12:49 AM by roseha

[Anela]

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

In Canada ketchup chips is a thing.

I’m more of a salt and vinegar girl, though I’ll have ketchup on fries.  When I eat fries (I’m not that big a fan of potatoes).  And on macaroni and cheese.  I’ll also dip grilled cheese in ketchup.  In my house, we usually buy Primal Kitchen or Good Food for Good ketchup since it doesn’t have the high sugar content.  The latter uses dates to sweeten. 

 

Ketchup on macaroni has been making the rounds on twitter lately.   I don’t think I’ve had it, but I will add in canned tomatoes, top with shredded cheese, and bake it for a little while.  
 

when I was little, I’d ask my aunt for ketchup sandwiches. 

[Anela]

This is the dressing I make at times:

Quote

Oil-Free Garlic, Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Tahini and Almond Butter Dressing
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups

Here’s a dressing to get your raw apple cider vinegar on. It’s creamy from the beneficial sesame seeds (what tahini is made from) and almond butter—so absolutely no need for oil.

DIRECTIONS:
Put all the ingredients, except for the tahini and almond butter, in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the tahini and almond butter, and blend again until the dressing is thoroughly combined.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs. tamari
3 Tbs. raw apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp. high-quality sea salt
½ cup water
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1⁄3 cup tahini (preferably raw)
2 Tbs. almond butter (preferably raw or unroasted)

https://www.healthista.com/best-lowfat-dressings-a-list-nutrtionist-kimberly-snyder/

Ever since I bought her book in 2013. The first one I made included dijon mustard, which I didn't like - I can't remember why I tried that one, I might have made it for my mum - but I could eat it when I included feta cheese in my salad. I couldn't taste the mustard. 

[fairffaxx]

When my nephew was 5, he would only eat one thing:  a hot dog gripped upright in his fist (no bun), the other end dipped in a puddle of catsup before being inserted into his mouth.  His mom indulged him & this went on for quite awhile, until he slowly branched out to include spaghetti & meatballs drenched in catsup.  At least he was an easy dinner guest to cook for.

[partofme]

I’m a picky eater. I hate all condiments.  I hate ketchup, I hate mayo, I hate mustard, I hate vinegar, I hate ranch and all other salad dressing, hate hummus.  Name a condiment, I hate it.  I will eat French fries either plain or with lemon juice, though I prefer most other types of potatoes, homemade mashed potatoes are my favorite, I also like baked potatoes with a little butter melted in, roasted potatoes and potato chips.  If I’m eating a hamburger or hotdog, Nathan’s from a hotdog stand only, they have to be plain with nothing on it. 

[PRgal]

40 minutes ago, Anela said:

Ketchup on macaroni has been making the rounds on twitter lately.   I don’t think I’ve had it, but I will add in canned tomatoes, top with shredded cheese, and bake it for a little while.  
 

when I was little, I’d ask my aunt for ketchup sandwiches. 

Ketchup on mac and cheese (well, KD (Kraft Dinner.  Known as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the US)) was a line in the Barenaked Ladies song, “If I Had $1,000,000”

 

ETA:  the song is 30 years old.

Edited Monday at 01:37 AM by PRgal

[Anela]

42 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Ketchup on mac and cheese (well, KD (Kraft Dinner.  Known as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the US)) was a line in the Barenaked Ladies song, “If I Had $1,000,000”

 

ETA:  the song is 30 years old.

Oh, I love that song. That's where it came from? 😃

I need to finish a library book tonight, so I can get it back tomorrow. I'm only managing to read a good amount, when I'm in the van. We went to a large park on Tuesday, I think it was, and I sat there reading, until it was getting dark. I couldn't stay as long tonight. 

 

Edited Monday at 02:19 AM by Anela

[annzeepark914]

The only ranch dressing I like is homemade. It's more sour cream-y and has chopped fresh chives (from my one pot of  herbs on the deck...they're the only herbs that can survive the summer heat 🥵).  

[StatisticalOutlier]

8 hours ago, nokat said:

Many of you may gasp, but I eat my fries with mayonnaise. 

Straight ketchup is kind of harsh for me.  I mix ketchup and mayonnaise to make Utah fry sauce.  I even keep individual mayo packets in the glove compartment because there are places that don't have mayonnaise (In-N-Out), or if you ask for mayonnaise they put it in a styrofoam cup big enough for gravy (Whataburger).

[Palimelon]

TBH, I find myself no longer using mustard or ketchup as condiments for burgers, fries, fried chicken, etc. While not the healthiest option, I tend to mix my ketchup with mayonnaise, and add different herbs/spices/hot sauces each time just to make it less monotonous. Also, sometimes I mix my ketchup with mustard, which definitely isn't for everyone...

Someone mentioned watermelon, and while it might not be the best thing to take to a party, if you want to spruce up watermelon, have it with some grilled halloumi cheese if you can. The sweet/savory combo can be good...

Also for the carnivores out there, try your hummus with meat. Some Levant Arab restaurants offer it, or you can just make your own.

Edited Monday at 08:58 AM by Palimelon

[PRgal]

7 hours ago, Anela said:

Oh, I love that song. That's where it came from? 😃

I need to finish a library book tonight, so I can get it back tomorrow. I'm only managing to read a good amount, when I'm in the van. We went to a large park on Tuesday, I think it was, and I sat there reading, until it was getting dark. I couldn't stay as long tonight. 

 

 No.  Ketchup on mac and cheese goes way back.  I actually don’t know where it started!  

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, PRgal said:

 No.  Ketchup on mac and cheese goes way back.  I actually don’t know where it started!  

I vaguely recall a pre-internet meme going around about putting ketchup/catsup on anything to get kids and other picky eaters to eat something, or at least try it.

Edited Monday at 04:55 PM by shapeshifter
terrible typo

[ABay]

11 hours ago, PRgal said:

Ketchup on mac and cheese (well, KD (Kraft Dinner.  Known as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the US)) was a line in the Barenaked Ladies song, “If I Had $1,000,000”

That song validated me and I'm a lot older than it. Maybe it's regional? I've always put ketchup on mac & cheese and keep an eye out for dijon ketchup.😉

Edited Monday at 12:49 PM by ABay

[PRgal]

14 minutes ago, ABay said:

That song validated me and I'm a lot older than it. Maybe it's regional? I've always put ketchup on mac & cheese and keep an eye out for dijon ketchup.😉

Kraft actually had a limited edition a couple of years ago!  I think it was only in the Toronto area (where the band is from)?  Or maybe Ontario?  I don't know.  Could have been Canada-wide.  

 

Note:  My husband and I joke at how they could NOT buy a house with $1M in Toronto, let alone furniture for that house, a green fur coat (real or fake), etc..... (okay, they could, but they'd have a mortgage like the rest of the world).

[PRgal]

I want to wish my fellow Canadians a VERY HAPPY CANADA DAY!!! 

[Quof]

Hope all of the Canucks are sitting on your nice chesterfield, with your feet up on your ottoman.  And a monkey. Haven't you always wanted a monkey? 

[ECM1231]

[ABay]

I hope all of you have some art hung over your chesterfields, like a Picasso or a Garfunkel.

I remember when Canada Day was called Dominion Day.

Edited Monday at 06:59 PM by ABay

[nokat]

I haven't said happy Canada Day yet. Happy day to those in the north.

[BetyBee]

I'm house (and cat) sitting for my daughter's family while they're in Europe. This is a nice, old house built in 1936. They have been rehabbing, but there is one door, the front door, that they haven't got around to making more secure. The lock is a joke....a not very funny one. It's just not that secure. So I ordered one of those heavy duty door stoppers (like a stick) that I've seen recommended for security. I'll just sleep better at night with it in place. It's a nice neighborhood, but I am an older woman alone in a big house and bad stuff can happen anywhere. I'll leave it for them when I go home. I sometimes listen to true crime podcasts, but those are off the table until I get home to my husband and our good locks!

[Mondrianyone]

56 minutes ago, BetyBee said:

So I ordered one of those heavy duty door stoppers (like a stick) that I've seen recommended for security.

We used to have one of those a long time ago, in a first apartment in a not-great neighborhood. We bought it after the place had been broken into. The locksmith who sold it to us told us that for extra security before we went to sleep to put a penny in the space where the stick would slide over when you unlocked the door, which would keep the stick from moving. So we did that, not really thinking it would have any effect. And then a few nights later, a noise at the door woke us up. The burglar had stolen an extra set of keys, and he was trying to get into the apartment with them, surely knowing we'd be there. That penny probably saved our lives. I'm suggesting you do the same.

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, BetyBee said:

 So I ordered one of those heavy duty door stoppers (like a stick) that I've seen recommended for security. 

 

15 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

The locksmith who sold it to us told us that for extra security before we went to sleep to put a penny in the space where the stick would slide over when you unlocked the door, which would keep the stick from moving. 

This sounds like a great tip but I can’t quite picture what the stick is or where you would put the penny. Would either of you (or someone else in the know) be able to share any more details about this?

[Mondrianyone]

6 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Would either of you (or someone else in the know) be able to share any more details about this?

Maybe not. After I posted, I looked up security bars on Amazon, and it seems they're configured differently these days. It's very hard to explain what we had, but there was a sort of frame the bar slotted into, and there was a space just about penny-sized when the bar was in blocking position, which is what would stop it from being slid into open position even if someone used a key to slide it over. They seem to have streamlined the newer designs, which may or may not be a good thing.

[partofme]

1 hour ago, Mondrianyone said:

We used to have one of those a long time ago, in a first apartment in a not-great neighborhood

My grandma had one of these in her apartment on the Upper East Side in nyc.  I had forgotten all about that.  

[annzeepark914]

39 minutes ago, partofme said:

My grandma had one of these in her apartment on the Upper East Side in nyc.  I had forgotten all about that.  

A friend had one in her "railroad apartment" on the lower east side that she shared with two other students. I'd never seen anything like it (nor a railroad apt!) before.

[JustHereForFood]

2 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

We used to have one of those a long time ago, in a first apartment in a not-great neighborhood. We bought it after the place had been broken into. The locksmith who sold it to us told us that for extra security before we went to sleep to put a penny in the space where the stick would slide over when you unlocked the door, which would keep the stick from moving. So we did that, not really thinking it would have any effect. And then a few nights later, a noise at the door woke us up. The burglar had stolen an extra set of keys, and he was trying to get into the apartment with them, surely knowing we'd be there. That penny probably saved our lives. I'm suggesting you do the same.

We turn the key sideways after locking the door, so that even if somebody had a spare key or some sort of lockpick, it would be harder to stick it in.

[shapeshifter]

54 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

A friend had one in her "railroad apartment" on the lower east side

If my middle daughter's apartment in Chinatown has a train that frequently runs past her window, is that a "railroad apartment"?

[annzeepark914]

18 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

If my middle daughter's apartment in Chinatown has a train that frequently runs past her window, is that a "railroad apartment"?

A railroad apartment has a long hall that starts at the front door and as you walk down the hall, you past one room after another,  (usually on one side) as you make your way to the last room which can be the living room. That's what I've seen. NYC folks may know of other layouts. It's like walking through a train with compartments along one side.

[StatisticalOutlier]

Did anyone else ever penny someone into their dorm room? 

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

A railroad apartment has a long hall that starts at the front door and as you walk down the hall, you past one room after another,  (usually on one side) as you make your way to the last room which can be the living room. That's what I've seen. NYC folks may know of other layouts. It's like walking through a train with compartments along one side.

That's what I'm familiar with, from a friend who rented one in San Francisco about 30 years ago and a neighbor of hers with a similar layout we visited, but I've also seen it described as a home in which there isn't a hallway at all -- you just pass from front to back into one room after another -- but to me that's a shotgun house.

The last room being the living room interested me, as both of the railroad places I saw started with the living room and ended with the bedroom(s); living room, kitchen, and then bedroom(s), with the bathroom(s) being off in the corner(s) of the bedroom(s).  If I was going to live in a place like that, I'd demand that layout as opposed to having to walk past everything else to get to the living room, unless I never had anyone over.  I have friends whose front door opens into the dining room, which is open via a peninsula to the kitchen as you face forward, and then you turn left into the hallway for the rest of the house and as you travel that hallway find two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a laundry room off to both sides before heading straight in the living room as the back room of the house, with an en suite bed/bath off to the right of that.  If they like it, I love it and all that, but no thanks for me.

[EtheltoTillie]

My understanding is that a railroad flat and a shotgun house are the same thing except one is a separate house and one is an apartment in a tenement building.  It can vary which room is the entry.  In NYC railroad flats, you usually enter in the kitchen, but sometimes the kitchen is in the middle of the apartment and sometimes it's at one end.  To clarify, there is no hallway inside the apartment.  You walk through the rooms themselves. 

11 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

A friend had one in her "railroad apartment" on the lower east side that she shared with two other students. I'd never seen anything like it (nor a railroad apt!) before.

These locks were very common in the bad old '70s.  When I bought my co-op in 2003, it still had the hole in the floor where the police lock used to go.  But the stick was gone.  This was the type of lock that had a metal bar going from the floor diagonally up to the locking mechanism in the door, so it was a means of bracing against the door.  This has always been a doorman building, but the neighborhood was bad back then, so who knows what the previous tenants were thinking.  The previous tenants were rent-controlled tenants from the 1940s.  When the last one died, the building sponsor sold us the apartment. 

Edited 19 hours ago by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/nyregion/thecity/27lock.html?unlocked_article_code=1.4E0.9wAY.DivKkcgFeEU1&smid=url-share

 

Article about the Fox Police Lock with photo!

[EtheltoTillie]

@shapeshifter I'm guessing you were joking about the railroad flat as there are no elevated trains in Chinatown.   Maybe she is hearing the trains that run underground there.

There are still elevated lines in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx and some parts in Manhattan.

Edited 19 hours ago by EtheltoTillie

[BetyBee]

Thanks everyone, for all of the info about locks and safety. It will come tomorrow and I'll let y'all know if it's easy to put in place and makes me feel safer. They don't use that door, so if they like it, they'll probably just leave it in place. We'll see!

[shapeshifter]

53 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/nyregion/thecity/27lock.html?unlocked_article_code=1.4E0.9wAY.DivKkcgFeEU1&smid=url-share

Article about the Fox Police Lock with photo!

15 hours ago, BetyBee said:

So I ordered one of those heavy duty door stoppers (like a stick) that I've seen recommended for security.

This brought to mind the 3 locks on Cagney's door.
"Cagney & Lacey" started in 1981.
Picture below is from Season 6, episode 8, "Rites of Passage," original air date December 1, 1986 (about the 36 minute mark on Roku). I still don't get how that giant double bar works.

 

 

26 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

@shapeshifter I'm guessing you were joking about the railroad flat as there are no elevated trains in Chinatown.   Maybe she is hearing the trains that run underground there.

I haven't been there — even though she moved there about 3 years ago (traveling is painful for me) — but when we talk on the phone, we have to pause every few minutes if she's home because it's so loud.  Recently she mentioned that her friend said she should clean her window but she said there was no point because of the train. 
So I pictured the train going by her window, but I'll ask next time we talk.
Looking on Google Maps, it seems her window might face the Manhattan Bridge.  But, again, I'll have to ask.

Edited 19 hours ago by shapeshifter

[EtheltoTillie]

10 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

So I pictured the train going by her window, but I'll ask next time we talk.
Looking on Google Maps, it seems her window might face the Manhattan Bridge.  But, again, I'll have to ask.

That makes sense.  The trains emerge from underground and go across the bridge to Brooklyn. 

Edited 19 hours ago by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

I remember the Cagney and Lacey bar, @shapeshifter  If I recall correctly, she lived in a loft apartment, so she had something out of the ordinary residential.  Anyway, how that lock works you can see in the picture.  You turn the knob in the middle, and the bars either separate and go outward to block the door from opening, or if you turn the opposite way the bars retract and allow you to open the door.  There are metal loops or channels on either side of the door frame that the bars thread through when in the wide position. 

Edited 18 hours ago by EtheltoTillie

[ABay]

And now for something completely different...I have a question about online erotica and am hesitant to post it here. Is there a more appropriate forum on the site?

[EtheltoTillie]

25 minutes ago, ABay said:

And now for something completely different...I have a question about online erotica and am hesitant to post it here. Is there a more appropriate forum on the site?

Maybe the pop culture online thread.  But you might have to create your own topic. 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I remember the Cagney and Lacey bar, @shapeshifter  If I recall correctly, she lived in a loft apartment, so she had something out of the ordinary residential.  Anyway, how that lock works you can see in the picture.  You turn the knob in the middle, and the bars either separate and go outward to block the door from opening, or if you turn the opposite way the bars retract and allow you to open the door.  There are metal loops or channels on either side of the door frame that the bars thread through when in the wide position. 

Ah-ha! So there's another bar on the outside too? 
 

[EtheltoTillie]

No--see sketch.  My artistic talents may not be as good as yours, @shapeshifter, but I hope this helps. 

 

 

Edited 16 hours ago by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

I think it's something like this.   Maybe the channels are on the door itself, but they keep the bars in line. 

 

Edited 16 hours ago by EtheltoTillie

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

No--see sketch.  My artistic talents may not be as good as yours, @shapeshifter, but I hope this helps. 

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I think it's something like this.   Maybe the channels are on the door itself, but they keep the bars in line. 

Excellent rendering, but yes, the channels that the bars slide through are on the door, and the door opens inward, so…?
I guess since it's a prop, maybe for safety they made it not lock anyone out?