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

[SoMuchTV]

Does anyone use the “block user” feature here?  I’m curious about how it works. 

Is it retroactive? Like, if I block @annoyinguser, does it hide all their posts, or only the ones posted after I block them? 

Does it hide their posts completely, or does it alert me that a poster I’ve blocked has posted? (And give me the option to see it anyway?)

If someone else posts and includes a quote from @annoyinguser, do I see that quote?

Just to be clear, all of y’all are great and not at all annoying, just trying to figure out how things work. 

[Dimity]

6 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Is it retroactive? Like, if I block @annoyinguser, does it hide all their posts, or only the ones posted after I block them? 

As far as I can tell it blocks them all.  

6 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

If someone else posts and includes a quote from @annoyinguser, do I see that quote?

You do see the quote if it is in someone else's post.  What you won't see though is a post from the person you blocked even if they have quoted you and you won't get a notification about it.   Also as far as I can tell you won't get notifications if a person you have blocked likes a post of yours.

[GHScorpiosRule]

9 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Also as far as I can tell you won't get notifications if a person you have blocked likes a post of yours.

Not quite true. Sometimes you do get notifications if they liked or reacted to one of your posts. What you have to do is unblock them and reblock them again.

[Bastet]

On 10/6/2024 at 2:24 PM, Dimity said:

all walls down so the main living area is one big room

I dislike open floor plans as a matter of personal preference*, and hate how they are the rule on remodeling shows for the boring repetition, so I freely admit to outright cackling at all the people wailing in 2020 that they wish they hadn't torn down damn near all their walls, now that everyone was trapped together with bedrooms being the only place (other than those with dedicated home offices) one could shut a door and be alone in quiet.

*Even living alone, I don't want it.  If I had another human, or multiple humans, in my home, hell to the no.

[PRgal]

@Ancaster:  "ghosting" is exactly ignoring.  But it's hard to ignore her when you have known her since you were in middle school!  But she IS annoying when she DOES text.  She basically gives you a play by play of what she's doing.  I get that she's lonely, but can't she just, you know, FIND something else to do?

[shapeshifter]

17 minutes ago, PRgal said:

@Ancaster:  "ghosting" is exactly ignoring.  But it's hard to ignore her when you have known her since you were in middle school!  But she IS annoying when she DOES text.  She basically gives you a play by play of what she's doing.  I get that she's lonely, but can't she just, you know, FIND something else to do?

And maybe try only replying after every 2 texts? 
This sort of presupposes the first text might have been one for which she might have not hit send if she'd let it sit there awhile.
A second (related) text, means she really does want a dialogue, and is not just sending thoughts out into the universe.
If that makes sense.

[Dimity]

13 hours ago, Bastet said:

*Even living alone, I don't want it.  If I had another human, or multiple humans, in my home, hell to the no.

We have several friends who have downsized and if you are looking at new builds, at least around here, it's almost impossible to find one that isn't open concept.  Some I've been in are actually really nicely laid out and they can work if you are a single or a couple.  Not for me but I can see how others might feel differently. 

On the other hand some of the older homes I've seen where they've taken out the walls to get that open concept look are just awful (IMO).  One smallish bungalow had this huge island with what I think they call a river (?) sink in the middle of the room intruding into the living room area.  It looked like the house was built around a sink! 

What was also weird was they had taken out the dining room (which I can somewhat understand, not everyone needs or wants a formal dining room) but what they had replaced it with were stools around the island.  There was no room for a table anywhere.  Definitely not for me!

[shapeshifter]

Open concept suits me because I live alone, but otherwise, maybe not. 

About 20 years ago it became popular to paint wall dark, burgundy red. So many coats of paint required to lighten up!!

But the real groaner for me is all the updates where they take out the bathtub and replace it with a shower. I can see doing that in one bathroom if they're 2, but not to leave the home without a tub altogether. 

But then I'm a very small person. I recall in the 70s when I rented a room in a house with other students, the tall guy who had one of the rooms complained that the bathtub was too short for him to lay down in. I guess a lot of the renovators have never been able to use a tub, so they don't know what they're missing. 

[chitowngirl]

Need some advice on a recipe tweak: I will be making a Bundt Cake Breakfast dish-dozen eggs, frozen tater tots, bacon, cut up Grands biscuits, cheese, & eggs. Mix together, put in Bundt or casserole dish, bake at 400F for 45 minutes. My question-if I make it in the casserole dish-is the bake time the same? It wouldn’t be as “thick” as in the Bundt pan.

[SoMuchTV]

14 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

Need some advice on a recipe tweak: I will be making a Bundt Cake Breakfast dish-dozen eggs, frozen tater tots, bacon, cut up Grands biscuits, cheese, & eggs. Mix together, put in Bundt or casserole dish, bake at 400F for 45 minutes. My question-if I make it in the casserole dish-is the bake time the same? It wouldn’t be as “thick” as in the Bundt pan.

It wouldn't be as thick but it also wouldn't have the hole in the middle, so maybe it evens out.  Also it'd depend on the size of the dish, I 'd think.  I'd start testing it maybe 10 minutes before the standard time.

Do you have an instant read food thermometer?  That and my kitchen scale are the best gadgets I have.  You can probably google and find what temp is considered "done" for the dish.  I only recently discovered you can use it to test a cake for doneness.  Beats the heck out of a toothpick!

Also - can you share the amounts for the tater tots and cheese?  One regular size can of biscuits?

[chitowngirl]

50 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

It wouldn't be as thick but it also wouldn't have the hole in the middle, so maybe it evens out.  Also it'd depend on the size of the dish, I 'd think.  I'd start testing it maybe 10 minutes before the standard time.

Do you have an instant read food thermometer?  That and my kitchen scale are the best gadgets I have.  You can probably google and find what temp is considered "done" for the dish.  I only recently discovered you can use it to test a cake for doneness.  Beats the heck out of a toothpick!

Also - can you share the amounts for the tater tots and cheese?  One regular size can of biscuits?

Here is the recipe:

1 cup diced ham or bacon

2 c tater tots (still frozen)

1 dozen whisked eggs

1 can (8) Pillsbury Grands biscuits (diced up…raw)

2 c cheese (your choice)

1/4 c milk

All mixed together. Put in greased Bundt or casserole dish. Bake at 400F for 45 minutes. When done, flip over onto platter and cut and serve. Or in crock pot 6-8 hours on low.

 

 

Edited October 8 by chitowngirl

[EtheltoTillie]

46 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

Here is the recipe:

1 cup diced ham or bacon

2 c tater tots (still frozen)

1 dozen whisked eggs

1 can (8) Pillsbury Grands biscuits (diced up…raw)

2 c cheese (your choice)

1/4 c milk

All mixed together. Put in greased Bundt or casserole dish. Bake at 400F for 45 minutes. When done, flip over onto platter and cut and serve. Or in crock pot 6-8 hours on low.

 

 

It seems like they give the same bake time for either choice of baking dish.  So it must even out.  What is the doneness test?  Is it stick a toothpick in?

[Browncoat]

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

But the real groaner for me is all the updates where they take out the bathtub and replace it with a shower. I can see doing that in one bathroom if they're 2, but not to leave the home without a tub altogether. 

No tub wouldn't bother me, but I really hate the separate tub and shower that gets jammed in the same space as a combo.  Neither the tub nor the shower is of a decent size.  Also, I want some towel racks!  Or, better yet, towel warmers!  I never see towel racks in these fancy bathrooms.

[shapeshifter]

52 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

 Also, I want some towel racks!  Or, better yet, towel warmers!  I never see towel racks in these fancy bathrooms.

Can we sing to the tune of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone":
Where have all the towel racks gone?

[annzeepark914]

On 10/8/2024 at 6:07 PM, Browncoat said:

No tub wouldn't bother me, but I really hate the separate tub and shower that gets jammed in the same space as a combo.  Neither the tub nor the shower is of a decent size.  Also, I want some towel racks!  Or, better yet, towel warmers!  I never see towel racks in these fancy bathrooms.

I remember when Jackie O built a summer home on Nantucket and an article mentioned that she had heated towel racks in the bathrooms. Wow...who knew about such things, back then (I still don't have heated towel racks 😁).

[Browncoat]

I don't have heated towel racks, either, but I love using them when I travel -- almost every hotel I've stayed at in Scotland has heated towel racks.  Even the budget hotels!  I feel so decadent with toasty warm towels after a shower.

[SoMuchTV]

On 10/8/2024 at 6:07 PM, Browncoat said:

Also, I want some towel racks!  Or, better yet, towel warmers!  I never see towel racks in these fancy bathrooms.

I never got the attraction of heated towel racks - maybe I’m not in the right climate - but I hear you about towel racks!  I’ve stayed in so many rentals with maybe one small rack in the otherwise luxurious bathroom. Geez, at least stick up a few Command hooks!

[Ancaster]

8 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

 Geez, at least stick up a few Command hooks!

I'm afraid to ask what a Command hook is.

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, Ancaster said:

I'm afraid to ask what a Command hook is.

Command Hooks

They're damage-free picture hanging strips and hooks that use an adhesive that doesn't leave a mark on walls.

BTW, I've never been in a hotel with heated towel racks. Must be nice to be rich, LOL. 😉 I have been in hotels overseas with bidets, though.

Edited October 10 by Yeah No

[shapeshifter]

On 10/8/2024 at 6:07 PM, Browncoat said:

No tub wouldn't bother me

I'm sure most (upwards from 66%?) adults don't use bathtubs, but it's my only effective pain reliever/relaxer. 
I wonder what the real stats are on that, given all these bathroom rehabs are taking out the tubs to put in roomy showers.

I have to use a drying rack for my towel because the towel rack is so close to the wall that the air doesn't circulate enough to dry it.

Edited October 10 by shapeshifter

[Yeah No]

3 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm sure most (upwards from 66%?) adults don't use bathtubs, but it's my only effective pain reliever/relaxer. 

I have to use a drying rack for my towel because the towel rack is so close to the wall that the air doesn't circulate enough to dry it.

I have that issue too so I hang my towel over the shower curtain rod unfolded to let it dry. I have a shower in my master bath without a glass door. One of the first goals I have when I start collecting my SS money is renovating that bathroom.

Right now there's a big excavation in front of my house and a foundation is being poured for a small addition. We're finally having that insurance work done to repair the damage from that huge 150 ft. pine tree that put a hole in our roof almost a year ago and are adding square feet to the house because the front wall has to come down and the roof redone anyway. Thanks to an open floor plan in that area it won't be that difficult to do but I'm still nervous about the whole thing. At some point we're going to have to stay at a local suites hotel and our living/dining furniture put in storage while the some of work is done. The positives are a new roof, new gutters, new windows on that wall, new front door and new flooring. I'm dreading it but trying to focus on the positives!

[SoMuchTV]

5 hours ago, Ancaster said:

I'm afraid to ask what a Command hook is.

Some examples:

[Browncoat]

3 hours ago, Yeah No said:

BTW, I've never been in a hotel with heated towel racks. Must be nice to be rich, LOL. 

I wouldn't know!  I guess because Scotland is often cool and damp, towel warmers seem to be standard in hotel rooms.  Even in the tiny room where the bathroom sink was almost not large enough for a single tube of Chapstick (I set the tube in the sink for a size comparison and took a photo) -- no bathtub, either, which is unusual in my experience, there was a towel warmer!

[shapeshifter]

51 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I wouldn't know!  I guess because Scotland is often cool and damp, towel warmers seem to be standard in hotel rooms.  Even in the tiny room where the bathroom sink was almost not large enough for a single tube of Chapstick (I set the tube in the sink for a size comparison and took a photo) -- no bathtub, either, which is unusual in my experience, there was a towel warmer!

Is there a towel warmer/dryer because there's no heat? 
I never made it across the Atlantic, but my Mom said in Wales the homes are kept at much lower temperatures than in the States.

[Browncoat]

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Is there a towel warmer/dryer because there's no heat? 
I never made it across the Atlantic, but my Mom said in Wales the homes are kept at much lower temperatures than in the States.

Hm.  I never thought about that.  As I recall, heating wasn't usually a problem, but hardly anyone had AC.  All the windows opened, though, if you needed cool air.  Maybe they're just more decadent.

[Dimity]

I am trying not to pull an "I told you so" with my husband. 

He's got this very bad habit of putting knives in the sink and if I say anything (as I am removing the knives I should add!!) he acts like it's no big deal and why do I worry about it.  Sigh.

Anyway guess who did some dishes today and guess who had a knife in the sink and guess who needed a quick trip to the ER for stitches?

 

[Calvada]

3 hours ago, Dimity said:

I am trying not to pull an "I told you so" with my husband. 

He's got this very bad habit of putting knives in the sink and if I say anything (as I am removing the knives I should add!!) he acts like it's no big deal and why do I worry about it.  Sigh.

Anyway guess who did some dishes today and guess who had a knife in the sink and guess who needed a quick trip to the ER for stitches?

 

Many years ago a friend of mine was dating this guy who tried to impress her family by being super helpful with clean up following a backyard cookout.  It was the first time he met her parents.  He dumped ice out of a glass pitcher that held lemonade and put it in the very hot soapy water in the sink.  You guessed it, the pitcher cracked and came apart, he sliced one of his hands open, and then fainted at the sight of the blood.  He hit the floor really hard and they called an ambulance because they thought he had a head injury in addition to the significant cuts to his hand. He was okay, no concussion, just a whole lot of stitches.  The relationship didn't work out long-term but at least the guy learned that glass can break when subjected to a sudden change in temperature.  

[jennifer6973]

17 hours ago, Dimity said:

I am trying not to pull an "I told you so" with my husband. 

He's got this very bad habit of putting knives in the sink and if I say anything (as I am removing the knives I should add!!) he acts like it's no big deal and why do I worry about it.  Sigh.

Anyway guess who did some dishes today and guess who had a knife in the sink and guess who needed a quick trip to the ER for stitches?

 

I put mine under the dish drainer,  until I clean them separately. 

[Dimity]

5 minutes ago, jennifer6973 said:

I put mine under the dish drainer,  until I clean them separately. 

That's a good idea, usually I just put them on the side or on top of the sink (near the faucet).  Anyway on the plus side he's learned his lesson - which according to him is "never wash dishes again" 😄.   Pretty sure he's realized though I wasn't just being a fussbudget!

[Calvada]

5 hours ago, Dimity said:

That's a good idea, usually I just put them on the side or on top of the sink (near the faucet).  Anyway on the plus side he's learned his lesson - which according to him is "never wash dishes again" 😄.   Pretty sure he's realized though I wasn't just being a fussbudget!

I was taught knives go at the top of the sink, not on the side.  Something my mom always did, so tiny fingers couldn't reach up to the counter and pull one down. (Probably trying to prevent a sibling on sibling homicide! 🤣)  I have zero kids in my house, but knives still sit at the top of the sink until washed.  Isn't it funny how things from childhood stay with us?  One of my mom's pet peeves was leaving a closet or cabinet door open.  I think it was from growing up on a farm and wanting to make sure dust and other substances couldn't get in.  Anyway, I never leave a closet or cabinet open because I can hear my mom's voice in my head telling me to close it.   

[shapeshifter]

56 minutes ago, Calvada said:

Anyway, I never leave a closet or cabinet open because I can hear my mom's voice in my head telling me to close it. 

My Dad's voice still asks me if I pay for my electricity if a light is left on after leaving a room. 
At one point a couple of decades ago or so, a popular myth claimed more electricity was used turning lights off and on than leaving them on.

Now that I could afford to leave lights on if I was so inclined (I'm not) I turn them off because it's difficult for me to change most of the bulbs. 
One lamp is often left on, and it is easy to change.

The light fixtures in the ceiling here don't have LED bulbs.
Yet.

[SoMuchTV]

5 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

My Dad's voice still asks me if I pay for my electricity if a light is left on after leaving a room. 
At one point a couple of decades ago or so, a popular myth claimed more electricity was used turning lights off and on than leaving them on.

Now that I could afford to leave lights on if I was so inclined (I'm not) I turn them off because it's difficult for me to change most of the bulbs. 
One lamp is often left on, and it is easy to change.

The light fixtures in the ceiling here don't have LED bulbs.
Yet.

A couple years ago we got solar panels installed, and they come with an app that lets me see in real time how much power they’re generating, and also how much electricity my house is using. It’s been eye opening. 

The few incandescent bulbs (since replaced!) were literally drawing 10-20x the power of an LED.  CFLs were somewhere in between but much closer to the LEDs. Our older flat screen tv uses a lot more than our newer, bigger one. But both less than a couple of “old” lightbulbs. 

The refrigerator used less than I would have thought, but the water heater is a real hog (but fortunately doesn’t cycle on that often).  

Was there a point to all that?  Maybe bite the bullet and put LEDs in your ceiling fixtures even if the old bulbs still work. That’ll probably be the last time you need to replace them. 

[shapeshifter]

44 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Was there a point to all that?  Maybe bite the bullet and put LEDs in your ceiling fixtures even if the old bulbs still work. That’ll probably be the last time you need to replace them. 

Yes.
I have a safety step ladder my daughter bought me. And they're really cheap on Amazon. Would these work? 
amazon.com/Equivalent-Daylight-Standard-Non-Dimmable-Lighting/dp/B091HH9K97
and/or:
amazon.com/GE-Daylight-Replacement-General-Dimmable/dp/B09PGP5DMS

I wonder what the over/under is for the environment on replacing the bulbs but also tossing the old ones in the trash?

[SoMuchTV]

12 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I wonder what the over/under is for the environment on replacing the bulbs but also tossing the old ones in the trash?

I don’t know enough to comment on specific bulbs. I think I remember there was a recommendation that they should be UL certified. Not sure if that’s still a thing. Maybe the reviews would tip you off if they tend to have problems. 

And I’ll confess, I never actually tossed a still-working bulb. I guess I keep thinking someone could use them for an easy bake oven. I’ll have to leave instructions for my survivors with permission to send them to the landfill. 

[jennifer6973]

4 hours ago, Calvada said:

I was taught knives go at the top of the sink, not on the side.  Something my mom always did, so tiny fingers couldn't reach up to the counter and pull one down. (Probably trying to prevent a sibling on sibling homicide! 🤣)  I have zero kids in my house, but knives still sit at the top of the sink until washed.  Isn't it funny how things from childhood stay with us?  One of my mom's pet peeves was leaving a closet or cabinet door open.  I think it was from growing up on a farm and wanting to make sure dust and other substances couldn't get in.  Anyway, I never leave a closet or cabinet open because I can hear my mom's voice in my head telling me to close it.   

I make sure all cabinets and doors are closed.  (It's to keep closet monsters at bay)

[annzeepark914]

I can still hear my dad saying, "I don't have stock in Central Hudson" (local electric company) whenever my sister or I left a room w/o turning off the light. To this day, I'm really good about not leaving a light on once I've left a room. 

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

My Dad's voice still asks me if I pay for my electricity if a light is left on after leaving a room. 

4 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I can still hear my dad saying, "I don't have stock in Central Hudson" (local electric company) whenever my sister or I left a room w/o turning off the light. To this day, I'm really good about not leaving a light on once I've left a room. 

When I’d come home from work at 10:30pm and my youngest, then-high-school-age daughter would have every light on in our little apartment, I would sing out to the tune of “The Sound of Music”:
”The house is ablaze, with the sound of the electric meter clicking…”

I tried to make it sound comedic, since I figured she must’ve had all the lights on because she felt a little lonely and/or scared of the dark
— even though my job was just 2 miles away, and it was a very safe neighborhood.

[annzeepark914]

@shapeshifter I bet she was nervous & wanted it to look like *everyone* was home. That's what I did as a teen 🥴.

[Yeah No]

On 10/10/2024 at 6:57 PM, Dimity said:

I am trying not to pull an "I told you so" with my husband. 

He's got this very bad habit of putting knives in the sink and if I say anything (as I am removing the knives I should add!!) he acts like it's no big deal and why do I worry about it.  Sigh.

Anyway guess who did some dishes today and guess who had a knife in the sink and guess who needed a quick trip to the ER for stitches?

I either leave mine on the cutting board on the counter or put them laying flat under the stainless steel sink protector, which looks like a cooling rack with a hole for the drain. Or if there's a frying or baking pan soaking in the sink, very obviously lying flat in that. 

No judgement please (we have a pretty low carbon footprint) but we often use paper plates and compostable (although we don't compost) plastic knives/forks to cut down on the volume of dishes in the sink, not to mention having to wash them. We have a smaller than average sized/shallow kitchen sink so we try not to fill it up so much. We have a dishwasher but rarely use it. For only two people we don't find it that convenient to use. I don't have enough plates and silverware to be able to wait until I have a load full enough to justify running it.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I either leave mine on the cutting board on the counter or put them laying flat under the stainless steel sink protector, which looks like a cooling rack with a hole for the drain. Or if there's a frying or baking pan soaking in the sink, very obviously lying flat in that. 

No judgement please (we have a pretty low carbon footprint) but we often use paper plates and compostable (although we don't compost) plastic knives/forks to cut down on the volume of dishes in the sink, not to mention having to wash them. We have a smaller than average sized/shallow kitchen sink so we try not to fill it up so much. We have a dishwasher but rarely use it. For only two people we don't find it that convenient to use. I don't have enough plates and silverware to be able to wait until I have a load full enough to justify running it.

Pretty much the same for me!
If I don't feel the need to use an actual plate or bowl, I can often get by with a paper towel.
I've also been buying compostable garbage bags for about 5 years, like these.
I haven't had any leaks, but you can put a "real" plastic bag in first if you're worried, and then just replace these as liners filled with trash.

[Googles compostable knives/forks]
Like these? 

Edited October 12 by shapeshifter

[annzeepark914]

I've got one "bad boy" chef's knife that I do not put in the sink. When I'm done using it, I verrrrry carefully wash it, put it back in the sleeve, and then back in the drawer.  Already nicked myself early on, realizing why a reviewer at Amazon called it a bad boy 🥴.

[StatisticalOutlier]

"Compostable" products are designed to be composted in industrial composting facilities.  If they end up in a landfill, they will eventually decompose, same as with other organic matter, but it's an anaerobic decomposition process, which produces methane.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

"Compostable" products are designed to be composted in industrial composting facilities.  If they end up in a landfill, they will eventually decompose, same as with other organic matter, but it's an anaerobic decomposition process, which produces methane.

Presuming my compostable garbage bags are going to a landfill where they will eventually give off methane,
is it better if I continue to use compostable bags or would it be better for the environment if I switch to regular plastic? 

[EtheltoTillie]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Presuming my compostable garbage bags are going to a landfill where they will eventually give off methane,
is it better if I continue to use compostable bags or would it be better for the environment if I switch to regular plastic? 

We're starting mandatory composting in NYC.  I could use those bags if they really work.  We have to save our scraps and dump them downstairs in a large buildingwide bin.  We are supposed to dump them "raw" or in a compostable bag or paper towels or newspaper or brown paper bag.   No plastic bags.  Everything will go to an industrial composting facility as described by @StatisticalOutlier.  The prototype voluntary program has been working well, they say.

I got a small plastic bin and I'm putting it in the fridge.  Problem--I no longer subscribe to the hard copy daily newspapers.  I'll figure something out. 

Edited October 12 by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

Back to the ceiling light bulb discussion.  I have high-hat fixtures in the kitchen ceiling.  Some parts of the ceiling are very high, so I have to bring in a very tall ladder for those.  Because of the inconvenience, I long ago replaced those with LED bulbs, and they're been lasting a long time.

I still have a few incandescent flood light bulbs, but they're no longer selling them.  Today one of the other bulbs blew out, and I put in an LED bulb.  The light was too dim--I could immediately see that the light on the counter area was dimmer than before.  I pulled out one of the precious incandescent bulbs and replaced it with that.  What a difference.  I need to find some better LED substitutes going forward. 

[Bastet]

28 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

We're starting mandatory composting in NYC.

We have it in CA.  In L.A., we've long had three barrels for collection: trash (black), recyclables (blue), and yard waste (green).  Black goes to a landfill, blue to a recycling center, and green to an industrial composting facility.

Then if you take a class on composting, you get a really nice free composting bin, but that's for your own use (I've had one for about 15 years, and use the compost in my garden).  You don't compost meat scraps, bones, etc. in those bins, though -- that kind of food waste used to go in the rubbish bin.  But once composting became mandatory here, that food waste (plus any other food waste, for those who don't compost on their own) goes in the green bin (now called organics rather than just yard waste).  Easy peasy.

I keep two decorative airtight containers on my counter, one for the food scraps I'm going to put in my composting bin, and one for the scraps I'm going to put in the organics bin for the city to pick up.  (The city provides a plastic container for countertop collection of food waste, but it takes up a little more space than my two containers combined, plus mine are exponentially more attractive [one is cobalt blue metal, and the other is white, green, and blue ceramic].)

Edited October 12 by Bastet

[Yeah No]

13 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Pretty much the same for me!
If I don't feel the need to use an actual plate or bowl, I can often get by with a paper towel.
I've also been buying compostable garbage bags for about 5 years, like these.
I haven't had any leaks, but you can put a "real" plastic bag in first if you're worried, and then just replace these as liners filled with trash.

[Googles compostable knives/forks]
Like these? 

I do the same thing with the paper towels, LOL. Do you also save slightly used paper towels for another use or two? If they are not dirty with any grease or food on them I use them to wipe down the counter, sink or stove. And I also save plastic containers from the supermarket and take out to use again and again.

Thanks for the tip about the compostable garbage bags. I'll have to look into them. 

The compostable utensils I use are from Walmart, like these.

[Yeah No]

7 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

We're starting mandatory composting in NYC.  I could use those bags if they really work.  We have to save our scraps and dump them downstairs in a large buildingwide bin.  We are supposed to dump them "raw" or in a compostable bag or paper towels or newspaper or brown paper bag.   No plastic bags.  Everything will go to an industrial composting facility as described by @StatisticalOutlier.  The prototype voluntary program has been working well, they say.

I got a small plastic bin and I'm putting it in the fridge.  Problem--I no longer subscribe to the hard copy daily newspapers.  I'll figure something out. 

That's very interesting. CT is not as advanced with recycling in general and I'm not up on whether there are any plans to change that. 

I don't get paper newspapers anymore either but there are occasions I wish I had it. Even years ago when my husband and I moved I didn't have enough newspaper to wrap fragile items and had to use supermarket flyers and local free newspapers. My husband went out and bought plain packing/moving paper but that got expensive fast.

We don't have that kind of scrap recycling in CT but I routinely put scraps in a plastic slider bag and put them in the freezer so they don't stink up the step can waiting for garbage day. Freezing them might make it easier to dump them without a bag into the building wide bin. I'm having a hard time imagining what that's like. I'm too busy going "ewwww" in my mind, lol. 🤮

[Anela]

8 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Back to the ceiling light bulb discussion.  I have high-hat fixtures in the kitchen ceiling.  Some parts of the ceiling are very high, so I have to bring in a very tall ladder for those.  Because of the inconvenience, I long ago replaced those with LED bulbs, and they're been lasting a long time.

I still have a few incandescent flood light bulbs, but they're no longer selling them.  Today one of the other bulbs blew out, and I put in an LED bulb.  The light was too dim--I could immediately see that the light on the counter area was dimmer than before.  I pulled out one of the precious incandescent bulbs and replaced it with that.  What a difference.  I need to find some better LED substitutes going forward. 

We have these really bright bulbs, that leave the landing, and the kitchen, looking like aliens are about to abduct someone. Either that, or bulbs that are too dim. 

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

Do you also save slightly used paper towels for another use or two?

I'm not who you asked, but my answer is yes.  For cleaning, I use washable cloths, so paper towels are minimally and exclusively used to capture grease upon cooking bacon, tortillas, etc.  It's rare I can't get at least one more use out of it.