Before 9:00 yesterday, I:
1. Made a batch of pineapple-habanero jam
2. Broke the blender base (well, it broke itself – it sparked and then there was smoke, and then it worked no more. I wasn’t even using the goddamn thing at the time!).
3. Broke the blender glass blendy part (the cup?). No sooner had the thought “Well, maybe I could just get a new base and then I’ll use this, it’s still perfectly good!” gone through my mind as I was washing it than I dropped the fucking thing in the sink and it shattered. That blender wanted me to know it was retiring itself.
4. Broke my computer. I don’t know how, I don’t know why. Alls I know is that I sat at my computer to check my email, and the screen was frozen and I rebooted 300 times, and then it was like it reverted to Vista’s new install screen (Fred later said my profile was corrupted) and I couldn’t do a goddamn thing. I had to spend the rest of the day on Fred’s computer and I HATE sitting at his desk, since he’s several inches taller than me and has long ape arms, and NOTHING about sitting in his chair with his desk at chin-level, trying to reach the keyboard fifteen feet away, is comfortable.
5. Banged the shit out of my hand by accidentally squeezing it between my closet door and the frame of my bed. Today it’s achy and slightly bruised.
6. While getting eggs from the nest boxes, I banged the everloving shit out of the back of my head.
So, it was a day. And I am still dealing with trying to get my fucking computer working right. And I can FEEL my blood pressure going through the roof, so I need to get the fuck away from the fucking computer.
Which is my way of saying that there’s no Crooked Acres Thursday today, and I’m taking tomorrow off as well. Hopefully over the weekend we’ll get my computer to stop being a fucking pain in the ass and even if I have to use my netbook to do it, I’ll be back Monday.
Until then, I’m going to try to achieve a state of Sugarbutt-type zen.
Wish me luck!
Wait! Don’t go! I need two things from you!
1. Blender suggestions, and if I can get it off Amazon with prime shipping, all the better. I’m not looking to spend an arm and a leg, but I need a good little workhorse, something that can blend the hell out of habaneros and fruit. Until it shit the bed, I liked my blender, but I’ll be damned if I can remember what kind it was. Black and Decker, maybe?
2. A good meatloaf recipe. I made the recipe on the back of the Lipton Onion Soup Mix last week, and it was horrible (in my opinion – Fred liked it. The onion soup mix was just overpowering, though). I’m thinking of just using the mini meat loaf recipe and making a big loaf out of it, unless someone’s got a better (and easier) suggestion. The Pioneer Woman recipe won’t work for me, though – we don’t have any bacon! (Our bacon will be arriving tomorrow – but it’s not thinly cut bacon, in any case.)
Wait wait! One more thing!
Fred is talking about upgrading me to Windows 7 (I’m currently using Vista). I feel like I heard that Windows 7 is a great big bloated piece of crap, but I don’t know if I really heard that, or I’m just assuming.
If you’ve upgraded to Windows 7, tell me if it’s worth my time.
Also, Fred’s talking about switching me to Linux. The thought scares me, because new things scare me. If you’re an idiot like me and have successfully made the switch from Windows to Linux, tell me if it really was painless, as he claims, or if he’s blowing smoke.
Okay, I think that’s it. I need to get away from this computer before I lose my mind. I think I lost my entire iTunes library. ARGH.
Previously
2009: Things that are annoying the SHIT out of me lately.
2008: I’m sure SOMETHING will get peed on while she’s here, anyway.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH.
2004: Questions and answers.
2003: I feel like Eudora’s a creepy old lady hovering over my shoulder, reading my email, and threatening to tell my mommy on me.
2002: Anything more complicated than that, and I think you’ll have to look elsewhere.
2001: No entry.
2000: No entry.
Get a Mac ; ) Sorry you had such a lousy day…I hope you have a better Thursday and weekend…Zen, like a cat seems like nirvana…wish I could be like that too.
The Mennonite Girls Can Cook meatloaf was a hit in our house.
Can you use any of those attachments I gave you for your KitchenAid stand mixer until you find a blender you like? (I dunno, I’m asking. Might not be fine enough…or safe enough for habaneros.)
How is the DVR?
Switch to Windows 7. It’s not bloated, just big boned. It works every single time which is so different than Vista. I’ve been using it for months and it hasn’t crashed once.
Windows 7 is great and I heartily recommend switching to it. It looks like Vista but runs like XP and I have had absolutely no problems with it. It’s been running on my notebook and netbook since last November.
Sugarbutt obviously has the answer to all the problems of the world.
I haven’t switched to Linux myself but my boyfriend has and he quite loves it. I’m hesitant about making the switch on my own computer, but it is tempting. The thing that makes me nervous about it is I’m still not sure how much maintenance it will require. I don’t think it will be a lot, but I see my boyfriend dealing with stuff that ends up being not Linux-compatible, but then again, he tends to poke around and experiment with things a lot more than I do, and he uses a lot of different sites and programs that I don’t use. So for my purposes, I might not even notice a difference other than that all the toolbars will now be on the top of the screen. I’ve also learned that there are a gazillion different Linux platforms and it depends on which one you use. My boyfriend is using Ubuntu and talking about switching me over to that.
I couldn’t say about Windows 7. I bought this computer just at the tail end of the Vista run and honestly, I’ve had no issues (knock on wood).
Blender: The glass part is called a carafe. I’ve had good luck with Cuisinart appliances, so I guess I’d recommend Cuisinart.
Same here. I replaceed my 8 yr old cuisinart a few weeks ago with another just like it.
No problems with Windows 7 so far.
For blenders, I have a KitchenAid and really like it.
They even replaced the glass jar part for free once when I dropped it.
Have a good couple days off and be good to yourself.
Hmm, can’t really give any advice on the blender or OS…but your computer crash, well, my PC has also started acting very strange. Freezes. Has to be shut down, rebooted. Something is wonky, and I’m worried it’ll be a permanent crash soon. However, I’ve noticed it seems to be connected to FireFox browser. Not sure why. I am worried there’s a virus out there getting into computers. I lost a PC to a virus in the past, had to buy another computer. Ugh.
Good luck with getting the computer up & running.
I sympathize with your bad day. If it helps (it probably won’t) a bunch of similar things happened to me, including having a cat hair stuck in my left eye and stepping in a blob of cat poop while I was blindly stumbling toward the eyedrops. Overnight I got up to take the window fan down because I woke up freezing and knocked my water bottle on the floor where it glugged all over my bedroom rug.
They SAY the full moon has no effect on these things, but when they all happen in clusters like this, it’s hard not to wonder.
Under the circumstances I’ll refrain from giving advice, since I’ll probably pour coffee in my lap while I’m at it 🙂
Regarding the whole switching to Linux thing – DON’T DO IT! Don’t cave to the pressure! My husband is a career computer geek, and I’ve heard NOTHING for the past year except about how MARVELOUS Linux is, you NEVER get viruses, it NEVER crashes, Windows is the devil’s own creation, and on and freaking ON. I finally threw my hands up and told him to go ahead and switch my computer over, on the condition that if I didn’t like it, he’d put it back.
WELL. They (the nerds) will try to tell you that “you won’t even notice a difference, other than the lightning-fast SPEED, that is…hehehe…” Don’t you believe it. Nothing is where it’s supposed to be, nothing acts like it’s supposed to, and it’s a huge fucking ordeal to perform even the simplest task.
I suffered for a week, just to be fair, then told him to switch me the hell back. He’s just biding his time until my system crashes (which he says is “inevitable, since I refuse to stop drinking the Microsoft Kool-Aid”), when he says I’ll either switch to Linux or do without. We’ll just see about that.
Maybe you’re more open to change than I am and you’ll love it, but you asked for opinions and that’s mine, missy.
I LOVE this meatloaf:
http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/2001/dinosaur/meatloaf.html#axzz10MVFUrXS
Dinosaur BBQ is a NY thing, so you can just put your favorite BBQ sauce in place of their Mutha sauce, and I’m sure it would still be good.
Or, if you’re feeling really ambitious, they tell you how to make the Mutha sauce. I don’t think I’d ever feel that ambitious, though. 😀
Vista is the bloated piece of crap. I even upgraded my netbook (running xp at the time) to 7 and I adore it. I’ve put it on all but one of our machines, it’s excellent, especially in a household where you have a network and want to share things between machines.
Don’t do linux, unless you, yourself are of a certain tech experience. I use it on one machine, and it’s ok, but it’s not meant for someone that doesn’t know every nook and cranny of a machine.
No advice on anything; I just want to sign up for ALL COMPUTERS MUST DIE Thursday. Everything ran fine for YEARS, then the desktop: BLAMMO. Brought out the laptop, had to install all fresh new software on it (in several cases, paying for the shit all over again). Couldn’t transfer any of my old files, so recreated everything from scratch. Ran like stink for two or three weeks, then BLAMMO on the laptop.
I have been up all night, sobbing, trying to get caught up on my work enough to where I can call it a day and find somewhere to take it. Somewhere where their “solution” won’t be simply to completely reformat it, and start the whole cycle over again, that is.
I’ve got Windows 7 on my laptop and it’s nice and fast, with none of that “are-you-sure-you-want-to-do-that-thing-you-just-asked-me-to-do” crap. 🙂
Although I agree with the Mac comment 🙂 I have to say that Windows 7 is a nice change. I use it in school and I like it. Yes it is slightly different, but hey, change is good….. I like Vista too, Idk what everyone was complaining about 😉
My dear. You simply haven’t LIVED until you’ve made my meatloaf. I am very, very serious about my meatloaf.
oh wow, that looks like a great recipe. I especially like the crockpot part. Thanks!
Sorry, hate Macs, LOVE Windows 7. I actually got used to and liked Vista, then was switched to Windows 7 from my hunny and to quote Martha Effing Stewart (bleh) it’s a good thing. Try it, you’ll like it.
I can’t give you an exact recipe for meatloaf, as mine comes out a little different every time. I basically put in 3 amounts of lean ground round to one amount of pork sausage. Then add a few eggs, rolled oats, chopped onion, bread crumbs, grated carrots and/or zucchini, or any other veggies I happen to have in the fridge. Also Worcester sauce, some V-8 juice, ketchup, and salt. Maybe some garlic powder and paprika. You can pretty much leave it at that or spice it up more – whatever. Don’t make it too gloppy, but also not too dry – watch the amount of V-8 that goes into it to control the texture. Mix it with your hands, so the sausage gets incorporated into the rest of the meat.
I always make enough for six or seven small loaves,enough for the two of us and maybe a couple sandwiches the next day, bake them at 350 on foil on cookie sheets (all the fat goes onto the pan), pat them dry with paper towels once they’re cooled down, and then wrap in foil and put in freezer bags. They freeze well, and can be reheated in a low oven, or defrosted and heated in the microwave. Those meat loaves are life-savers on the days I can’t cook or just don’t feel like it.
Windows 7 is WORLDS better than Vista. DO IT.
Get an Osterizer. They invented the home blender, and I have had the one sitting in my kitchen for 45 years (YES, 45 years OMG!)and it is still working like a champ. I have replaced the carafe, but that is it…
Windows 7 is LESS bloated than Vista, in my experience. Make the switch!
And I’m looking forward to the blender suggestions, I need a new one to replace the Oster (maybe?) that I got as a wedding gift oh so many years ago.
I had to convert one of my computers to linux for a job I was doing and I LOVED it! It had some great features and it never once crashed on me or gave me problems. I had a few initial setup problems but that’s what you have Fred for, right? Once it was setup I truly never had another issue with it again.
When our computer went kapoot a few years ago, I thought we had lost all our itunes, photos-we don’t have an external storage drive, and I was so upset. Anyhow, I took it to Best Buy to see if the geek squad could help us out. They had to reformat the hard drive, but before they did that, they were able to save our itunes library. They gave us a disk we could load once the computer was all cleaned and scrubbed. It is weird because I was just thinking about this when I woke up this morning, how we really need to get some kind of external storage dealie. Do you or your readers have any recommendations for that?
Western Digital My Passport USB powered HD’s are awesome. I have 4 of them. They’re around $100, depends on the size of them really. I think you can get a 2Tb one for about 130-ish and a 500Gig for about 75 or so.
I skipped over Vista and went from XP to Windows 7. I haven’t had any problems so far, although it does take some getting used to because W7 is quite a bit different from XP. I heard nothing but bad things about Vista, so I purposefully waited until W7 came out before getting a new computer.
I love my kitchenaid blender:
http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KSB560OB-5-Speed-56-Ounce-Blender/dp/B000CSNVE2/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285254532&sr=8-1
It’s huge and it works really well. No problems yet!
Windows 7 is a million times better than Vista. Everyone I know who had Vista was scrambling to install Windows 7 when it came out and it worlds happier.
I never really cared for meatloaf because I don’t like the mushy bits in it. When the older kids were little and I had 3 under 3, I heard/read somewhere to make meatloaf in cupcake tins and freeze them for individual servings. Anyway, I used the recipe on the back of the Progresso Bread Crumbs package, not sure if plain or Italian seasoned but it is still on the package, and it is fabulous. No unidentified chunks either! It uses a couple of eggs, bread crumbs, and marinara sauce in it – among a few other things. I could not fathom oatmeal in meatloaf. I love oatmeal and am famous for no-bake cookies but not in meatloaf. ick
I’d second Kristina’s meatloaf. I’ve not seen the recipe, but I make mine like I make meatballs–beef (we use elk), plain bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic and for meatloaf, I use a little ketchup instead of marinara. Oh, and egg. Don’t have measurements cause I just throw it together until it looks about right.
Oh, and last time, I mixed in one spicy Italian sausage that I had to use up and it was G O O O D!
SO sorry on your bad day.
Ilike mixing 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 sausage my meatloaf
You might want to try this.
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground turkey (or lean pork)
About 3/4 cup rolled oats (instant is okay)
About a 1/4 package of onion soup mix (it’s too salty and strong if you put the whole thing in….or just use chopped onions.
Add worchestershire sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, 1/2 cup of grated parm. cheese, ketchup and about 1/4 cup of milk (enough to incorporate the oats in the mixture).
Put in a loaf pan and cook until about 1/2 way done, drain off some of the fat, and then add 1 tin of Campbells Golden Mushroom soup over the top. Cook until done. The Golden Mushroom soup makes a wonderful gravy.
I never use eggs in my meatloaf, I find it makes the loaf kind of rubbery, and I like it soft and moist.
Hope this helps…and it’s good!
I recommend a Mac—not because I’m a member of the cult but rather because in almost 3 years mine has not crashed once (knock wood), saving much marital discord. Of course, the technonerd Linux-using husband likes to remind me that this is because the Mac OS is essentially Linux. On my work PC, I am holding onto XP for dear life, thus I have no personal advice regarding Vista v. 7; however, it was Vista that drove the husband to Linux, so it’s probably time to retire that one…..
I had both Vista and Windows 7. I heart Windows 7. I think what I like best is the fact that you can drag a window to the edge of your screen and it magically resizes to fix exactly 1/2 the screen (but you can only do it if you have 2 or more windows open). I do quite a bit of multitasking and I just love it. Also – sometimes I watch a movie or TV episode on 1 side and play on the net on the other (OK I play on Facebook). Also the fact that it never crashes is another plus.
I can’t suggest a blender. I’m not too keen on mine – it is a Black & Decker. I did not want to spend a ton on the blender, and what I got was a blender I don’t like. I still miss my Mom’s Kitchenaid that she got as a wedding present (52 years ago). It was handed down to me when I was 18 and I used that sucker until the engine blew about 2 years ago. So yep, the blender lasted 50 years and chopped ice like a pro until the very end.
I will say what don’t like about mine – the blender glass is too small and narrow at the base. I never can get the stuff from the bottom of the glass out because the blades are too tight in the glass and I can’t get a rubber scraper down there to scrape. Also – not enough power. I can’t make a shake with ice for the life of me. It just leaves huge chunks of ice cube.
Sorry about your painfully sucky day. I hate those days. 🙁
You can’t go wrong with Oster for blenders and juicers. Even I can’t break them (and that’s saying something, believe me).
Can’t help you with the computer issue…we’re still using XP and doing fine (for now).
I’d hesitate to switch to Linux, too. The few people I know who tried it weren’t happy with it. With Fred being a very computer-savvy guy, though, you’ll probably be fine. Fred knows how to troubleshoot computer problems. Many other people think they’re computer-smart, but aren’t and screw everything up. That’s why the human race is doomed.
I had Linux on my netbook for 2 years (before I got my most awesome thing ever iPad :-)) and it never crashed once. NEVER. Of course, I only used it for email, surfing the internet, reading PDFs and occasionally doing something in Google apps. My ONLY complaint was the flavor was too Windows-like and I’m a Mac girl, but I was too lazy to every load one of the Mac-like flavors of Linux on it. I have no idea how it would handle other things like music.
i have a 1938 oster that’s still blending away after all these years. the good thing is you can buy just the blending carafe by itself and all the grinders will fit. mine is so old, it only has a 2-speed toggle switch- blend and crush, with off in the middle.
you might want to look into a food processor if you are doing lots of chunky or hard to cut things. we have a small one- probably a one cup capacity- we use often. i think you might need the BIG mama-jammer food processor.
my husband makes great meatloaf from the back of the lipton soup box, but he doubles the recipe without adding a second box of soup mix and he subs out the water for milk. he always uses seasoned bread crumbs that come pre-packaged (i think he uses progresso italian style) rather than making his own.
it’s just about the only thing he can cook. i hate ketchup on top, so we use heinz jarred beef gravy on top.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/italian-mini-meat-loaves-with-mac-and-three-cheeses-recipe/index.html
Wow, so many meatloaf recipes! We have this one, because it’s now my guy’s favorite. It’s very easy to make, and I always through some extra crushed red pepper in there. Reheats well, and still delicious in sandwiches. Oh, I also still put ketchup on top, because meatloaf needs ketchup!
Meatloaf Recipe
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 egg
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
4 slices stale bread
2 tsp salt
tomato sauce
Combine all and mix well. Shape into loaves in greased pans.
Topping (this is the best topping I’ve ever had)
1/2 cup catsup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground all spice
1 tsp dry mustard
350 degree’s. Bake the meat for 15 minutes, then add topping. Bake 30 min more.
I LOVE meatloaf, this one I made with turkey but I think it would be just as delicious with beef or pork or a mix.
1lb ground turkey (dark)
1T sriracha (chilli garlic sauce)
1 onion (diced & sauteed with 1 clove of garlic)
1/4C Tomato sauce (I didn’t have any so I used pizza sauce from trader joe’s and it was GOOD. If you have only tomato sauce I would use 1T tomato paste as well)
1/4t. salt / 1/4t pepper
2T brown sugar (for top)
ketchup (also for top)
1 egg
2/3C dry bread crumbs (plain) – if the meatloaf is too loose – add a few more.
Toss everything in a bowl, mix it. Sprinkle brown sugar on top and squeeze ketchup over that.
Bake in the oven on 400 for 1 hr.
We have Windows 7 and I love it. It’s my fav version so far.
Oh, I should have said – I never put my meatloaf in a loaf pan – I just put it on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and shape it that way. I feel like you get more of the crusty parts which I love – and I feel like it takes less time to cook, which may or may not be true.
Switch to Linux. I run Mint which is ridiculously similar to windows but has less issues. I can leave my laptop running for days on end and never have a problem. I’ve been running Linux (or dual booting{ask Fred he’ll know what I’m talking about}) since I met my husband(almost 3 years ago). And the best thing is updates don’t take forever and almost any program you could want has an equivalent in Linux and is 9 times out of 10 free ( think open office and even some photo editing programs).
Linux is very very good if you’re technical and it’s basically fine as a user, but if you’re used to Windows, the transition can be a little tough. Most of the issues that still remain are around third party hardware compatibility. And, you know, if you do have a problem with connecting to the internet or something, getting it to work is both easier and harder than getting it to work on Windows. On one hand, it doesn’t have as many friendly wizards, but on the other hand, half the time the wizards don’t work anyway, and you’re just screwed – in the case of Linux you can get your hands on everything.
I’m currently a Mac user at home and a Windows user at work, but have loads of Linux and Windows user experience. Mac is my favorite – most of the stability and flexibility of Linux since it’s Unix based, but far better usability than both Windows and Linux. And most open source programs (such as open office) run on Macs too.
http://allrecipes.com/
I have a Breville blender because my husband likes the look of stainless steel appliances – no, really. It works a charm, except that one time where he blended a huge chunk of frozen strawberries which loosened the blade from the bottom of the carafe and smoothie oozed onto the base. (And then he flipped it over and got smoothie on the engine through the holes in the bottom of the base.) Then it didn’t work for a few days, but once it dried out it went back to crushing ice and frozen strawberries real good.
Also, please save your sanity and avoid Linux unless you’re keen to pose a lot more entries where you’re really pissed off at your computer. Win7 is good, go with that.
i’m on the hunt as well!
i’ve been eyeing this recipe since it was posted: http://www.lifesambrosia.com/2010/09/rosemary-and-roasted-garlic-meatloaf-recipe.html
i’ve also considered making PW’s bbq meatballs in meatloaf form (cause them meatballs are good. good. good!!)
Finally! A post with Sugarbutt in it!
Sorry your day was so awful, but I’ve been missing Sugarbutt posts! I was starting to worry that he was buried under a pile of kittens never to be seen again.
If it’s possible to have a favorite cat you’ve never met, Sugs would be it for me!
Ask Fred to partition both your Windows upgrade and a copy of Ubuntu (Linux) – you can boot to either, so when you first turn on the computer, you can choose Linux and hopefully love it and never need Windows, but if it’s too foreign, you can easily switch to Windows. Best of both worlds!
I run Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) because the more recent one seemed less stable. Haven’t had a single issue on the laptop (an old IBM thinkpad) since switching to Linux. OpenOffice will seem identical to MS OFFICE, and you have all sorts of opensource software (the Linux equivalent of PhotoShop, etc) that you can make Fred get you for free.
Sorry you had a crap day yesterday, but thanks for the hearty chuckles!
(long ape arms – ha ha!)
I can’t help you with a blender cos I live in Orstrylia and we have different brands (or same brands with different names, maybe). And I can’t help you with a meatloaf recipe but I’m looking forward to trying some of the many recommended here. I have a mac but I wouldn’t dream of advising anyone – I just do what I’m told by my geeky husband and offspring.
I do wonder, though, what it is about September 23 cos looking down the entries from previous years they all seem a bit sucky!!!
Hope your computer is fixed, you find a blender, you make an awesome meatloaf and you achieve Sugarbutt Zen.
I’m sorry you had such a rough start to your day. I am happy with my Osterizer blender, and my husband wants me to switch from XP to Linux but I won’t let him because I fear change.
When I bought my laptop last year it had Vista with a free upgrade to 7. I heartily recommend 7. I love it and have had no problems with it whatsoever. At first the support for it was lacking but that has improved and for the most part anything that ran on Vista will run on 7.
Another thing that is new and absolutely wonderful in my opinion. In place upgrade! You come out with Windows 7 and all your stuff intact. It’s really great. Applications, settings, the whole works. You don’t have to reinstall anything. You can also roll back if you decide you don’t like it.
I am useless for all of this. I HATE meat loaf because it was my dad’s favorite and shoved at me my entire childhood. I think I’ve made it twice in 30 years-my Mom’s recipie which people seem to like. My sister makes it all the time. It has ground beef (sis uses what they sell here as “meatloaf mix” 1/3 each beef, veal and pork). They use stale bread,eggs, raw onion, salt and pepper and I know they put bacon on top. I guess it’s a pretty basic thing. Maybe I should try some of the different recipies and see if I could like it better now. My husband likes it well enough. Mean wife I guess.
I have a cheapie blender and would like to upgrade to a better one. I think my Aunt has an older Osterizer she loves too. She makes her toll house cookie dough in it.
I am envious of everyone with the techie husband/boyfriends. We know almost nothing and get a friend to help us!
Sorry about all the frustration and injuries Robyn. I want to be all zen like a cat too. I came dangerously close to smacking someome in Walmart tonight. I swear every slow stupid person in the world was there. I know it wasn’t just me because I heard another women telling her friend she had to skip an aisle because of those ridiculous people in it. Parking lot was just as bad and I let out a howl of frustration in my closed up air conditioned car. Maybe it is the full moon!
I recently bought a new KitchenAid mixer from Amazon (this one: http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KSB560OB-5-Speed-56-Ounce-Blender/dp/B000CSNVE2/ ) and I think it’s grand: the jar is polycarbonate instead of glass, which I didn’t think I’d like – but now that I’m using it I think it’s great. It does everything I’ve tried to make it do – it even does a great job crushing ice. The only thing I wish it had was a smaller jar for making small batches, but that’s not really all that big a problem. I highly recommend this one: I’ve had several brand-name blenders that weren’t worth what I paid for them. I think this one will be, even though it’s the most expensive one I’ve bought yet. My grandmother has a Oster that she loves, but the Osters made today (even/especially the “classic” ones) just aren’t built as well as the older ones. I’ve looked at them, and I can’t recommend them. But if Grammie ever lets her attention wander, I might nab hers and substitute one of the new look-alikes: she never uses it anymore, anyway, so she’d never notice…
As for Windows 7 vs. Vista, I prefer Windows 7. In my opinion, it’s Vista with most of the bugs fixed.
I have to agree with those who recommended a Mac. I made the switch to Mac nearly 15 years ago and have never looked back. 🙂
Here’s a meatloaf recipe we have enjoyed several times:
http://www.cooksrecipes.com/gmeat/classic_meatloaf_recipe_2.html
Late to the party, but I love Windows 7. I never had Vista. Went from XP to 7. Have XP at work and wish I had Windows 7. Don’t know nothing about no Linux. Nor blenders. I have one. It has lots of buttons. It’s now gathering dust, but it has margarita and smoothie potential just waiting to come out.
I don’t really use a recipe for my meatloaf, but I use about 1 1/2-2 lb ground beef, a pound of ground turkey, and a pound of ground sausage (we don’t like spicy, so we use the mild kind) and then add any mix-ins… usually oatmeal or panko to bind it, onions, and my latest favorite has been to add about half a bottle or so of Mr. Yoshida’s sauce (you can also pour some over the top about halfway through the baking)… it’s yummy :). Teriyaki baste and glaze sauce is another good mix-in. Oh, but if I don’t use that, I add worcestershire and whatever other seasonings I want. Anyway, that’s how I like my meatloaf 🙂 BBQ sauce is sometimes a good mix-in, too!
I do a lot of pureeing of food for the old peeps that I take care of and we have an Oster… it works quite nicely! I more often use our magic bullet because it’s for smaller amounts of food, but when I’m doing something large scale, I pull out the Oster.
Oh yeah, and I, of course, add eggs to the meatloaf to hold it together, too (saw that in someone else’s comment and realized I’d forgotten to add that to the list of ingredients).
1. Switch to Mac. It’s frustrating for a week or so, but then you’ll LURVE it, and wonder why it took you so long to come to the dark side.
2. I have a great meatloaf recipe, but it looks like you’ve already got way too many recipes, so my helpful comment is to cook your meatloaf in muffin tins. It’s great! Cooks in only 30 minutes, and you have portion controlled little servings – perfect! And, so easy to store leftovers.
All my poor meatloaf has to do is taste better with hickory smoke b-b-que sauce instead of tomato sauce. Heathen, I know. And might I suggest a tiny little ball peen hammer for personal use ? NO- not that !! Use it to whack the Hell out of something (Not Fred. Not kitthehs. Not chickens. Not doggys either. Boy my list is shrinking ain’t it ?) A tree maybe ? A fencepost ? Yeah, a fencepost !! Thats the ticket !
Get them frustrations out of you system. Poor little thing…
xoxo
I have used Paula Deen’s recipe for meatloaf for several years … I love this one!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/old-fashioned-meat-loaf-aka-basic-meatloaf-recipe/index.html
Oh, btw, I was going to recommend that instead of using olive oil PAM, you might want to check out the pump-type oil sprayers they have on Amazon (since you’re already shopping for a blender) or the one I picked up at Williams-Sonoma years ago for about $10 and still use all the time. You just add your favorite oil, pump, and spray—and without any added chemicals/preservatives, etc.
Have a great weekend!!!!
Your questions compelled me to finally leave a comment….
1. I always have good luck with this meatloaf (even when I overcooked it by about 25 degrees last time, heh heh):
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-meat-loaf-recipe/index.html
I usually make a half recipe, and it’s just as good if I don’t have a bell pepper to use. Husband loves it. Works great even when I make it the day before, or the morning of, and keep it in the frig.
2. Perhaps a little more than you are looking to spend, but this blender kicks major butt:
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CBT-500-SmartPower-600-Watt-Stainless/dp/B00006F2MJ/ref=sr_1_3?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285335253&sr=8-3
Put this on our wedding registry 7 years ago, and everyone who sees it in our kitchen says “oooo, where’d ya get that?” I’ve seen it show up on several registries since, and everyone else lurves it as much as we do.
3. I’d love to have a Mac, but can’t afford one. Purchased a laptop this summer that came with Windows 7, and while I’ve never been a huge fan, this is definitely the best version I’ve had to use.
Hope that helps!
I don’t suppose you could be convinced to switch to a Mac…. I use a PC at work and Mac at home, and that PC is forever crashing and corrupting and getting the viruses and generally being a huge pain in the asshole. My Mac at home? It just works. No drama, it just works. Yeah, they are more expensive, but think of it like this – you’re willing to pay more for a blender that isn’t a piece of shit right? To pay more for a piece of equipment that just quietly does what it is supposed to do without causing you problems or drama… well worth it in my opinion.
And the Mac OS these days looks and feels close enough to windows that the switch would be easy.
Blenders – I love my Ninja http://bit.ly/cGxAvX
Mushroom Meatloaf – http://recipes.robbiehaf.com/M/261.htm Ya gotta like mushrooms though (excellent with mashed potatoes)
I actually had Windows 7 before most of the world (I hosted a launch party for Microsoft) & after showing all of my friends how it works, how fast it is & how little memory it uses, they all upgraded, too. I have never, in the year I’ve had it, ever had a blue screen of death. It is the most stable OS I’ve used in many years. I highly recommend it!
We are happy with our Oster. However, if you do decide to spend an arm & a leg- I hear raves about the Vitamix constantly.
I don’t have time to read all the preceding comments to see if someone else mentioned this, but you should really unplug all the small appliances like blenders, coffee makers, toaster ovens, etc. when not in use. They have been know to cause fires during a power surge. Maybe you had just been using the blender – I don’t know that. Just a heads up. Not meant as a criticism at all. God, I got slammed for making a perfectly innocent comment (at least I thought it was), so I’m always leary to comment now.
My fiance’s mother runs Linux on her desktop without much problem. She is not tech savvy but with him available to help her and maintain things she does fine. Actually, she probably asks more tech questions about cell phones. So, I’m not willing to learn to use Linux because I’m stubborn but it must not be too bad!
Okay, I’m a skimmer, but if you’re running vista? Get thee to Windows 7. My network engineer partner says it is MUCH better. And end-user me says its faster, smoother and generally all-around better.
I absolutely do not regret moving from Vista to 7. Vista is a bloated piece of FAIL.
Windows 7 is great, actually. Have you considered using Linux? It’s awesome, and that’s a strange thing coming from me, as I’ve been a Mac girl forever, but I love Linux.