The Leopards Eating Faces and Unlubed Dildo of Consequences Thread

[GenXer 2839]

It’s my week to cook. My wife and I switch weeks.

This week I’m cooking chicken noodle soup, chicken piccata, pad see you, pasta and chick peas, tacos.

I’ll get 13+ meals out of this. My bill was $115 at market street.

[High Plains Drifter 11008]

4 hours ago, InkaUtexas said:

That sucks man. I was blessed with two kids who would eat anything by tomatoes. I love growing tomatoes.

But it is not BS what Brisket wrote. Go to a gas station near a construction site before or after work. See what the crews are buying for dinner. Go to a Dollar general and look at what they do sell. We can bitch about prices all we want, but we are overlooking a major reason for food inequality in this nation. Food Deserts do exist.

 

At my daugther's school they are having a food drive. Every week, she has to set aside 10% of her allowance for charity. She gets to pick the charity to donate to after the money has added up to a sizable donation. She decided to buy food for the food drive. 

We went to Dollar General thinking the money would go farther. They had plenty of hot pockets and shit, but no actual canned vegetable or canned tuna. Plenty of chefboyardee, but no plain pasta or pasta sauce. People shopping for food at the Dollar Store maybe buying cheap food*, but its shit food. 

*Or maybe its not cheap, I have no idea how much a hot pocket goes for at HEB vs Dollar Store. 

[TwiceHorn 31411]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

Seeing that reminded me of another aspect of the story I saw on Reddit of the gal who spent all her money on food and cookware and stuff in her first apartment.  That aspect being the COOKWARE.  She bought a brand new pot and pan set, brand new cookies sheets, etc., which set her back like $50-60.  And clearly you need cookware.  But the critiques were "why buy that new?  Goodwill is your friend." And that's damned true.  If I had to, I could outfit my kitchen with the essentials (pots and pans, baking sheet) for probably under $10-15.  And that reminded me of something I remember from back when we did garage sales: whatever kitchen equipment I had for sale, a hispanic family (typically not even speaking english) would swoop in and clean me out of all that stuff for a couple of bucks.

So what occurred to me was how recent hispanic immigrants knew how to be poor.  They immediately knew to hit thrift stores, garage sales, etc.  They would outfit a kitchen and clothe their family in the basics for a few bucks.  That is because they often came from a place/culture where REAL poverty was ubiquitous.  Compare that to Americans who - while MANY are poor - we maybe don't "know how to be poor" as well as folks from elsewhere.  Our years of postwar prosperity have beaten that out of us (compare that to the perspective your depression-era grandparents had, where they didn't throw anything else, were thrifty to an annoying fault, etc.).

Just an observation, which does tie into our "dissatisfaction with the status quo" that leads to people voting for the leopards.  We are PISSED because a fast food combo meal is $12.  But recall how most of us on this board....rarely got fast food growing up.  It was a treat.  Our parents were products of thrifty parents, and it showed.  The idea of "I'm deprived and money is too tight" is a very different idea in 2024 America than it is in much of the world, or even America of 50 years ago.  And it warps our fucking thinking.  We aren't getting enough golden eggs, so we resort to killing the goose.

It's been alluded to, by G650 especially, but we Americans are a bunch of fucking ingrates that have no idea how good we have it.

And practicing gratitude is probably a good way for us to cope with this shit.

[SydneyCarton 47990]

7 minutes ago, Horn Dogg said:

This crazy GOP infighting offers a glimmer of hope for keeping Trump from getting all his crazy shit done.

I don't think so. My money is that the Gaetz report doesn't get released, and MTG's threats (help) keep it quiet. 

[SydneyCarton 47990]

2 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

It's been alluded to, by G650 especially, but we Americans are a bunch of fucking ingrates that have no idea how good we have it.

And practicing gratitude is probably a good way for us to cope with this shit.

Gratutide for a bunch of ignorant, lazy fucks sending us back to the medical stone age and actively working to instil a Christian theocracy? Thanks, I do not actually think I'll practice my gratitude for this fucking shit. I was practicing my gratitude before when I worked to teach my son service, when we made care packages and handed them out to the homeless in our area as winter was approaching with things like warm socks, toothbrushed and toothpaste, and cash. I was practicing my gratitude by paying forward with my time and money.

I'm not paying forward or showing ANY fucking gratitude for this bullshit. 

[Captainant 27571]

15 minutes ago, GenXer said:

It’s my week to cook. My wife and I switch weeks.

This week I’m cooking chicken noodle soup, chicken piccata, pad see you, pasta and chick peas, tacos.

I’ll get 13+ meals out of this. My bill was $115 at market street.

Chicken piccata is a GOAT recipe for turning cheap ingredients into a delicious meal

[TwiceHorn 31411]

6 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Gratutide for a bunch of ignorant, lazy fucks sending us back to the medical stone age and actively working to instil a Christian theocracy? Thanks, I do not actually think I'll practice my gratitude for this fucking shit. I was practicing my gratitude before when I worked to teach my son service, when we made care packages and handed them out to the homeless in our area as winter was approaching with things like warm socks, toothbrushed and toothpaste, and cash. I was practicing my gratitude by paying forward with my time and money.

I'm not paying forward or showing ANY fucking gratitude for this bullshit. 

That's not practicing gratitude.

[G650 14200]

11 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

It's been alluded to, by G650 especially, but we Americans are a bunch of fucking ingrates that have no idea how good we have it.

And practicing gratitude is probably a good way for us to cope with this shit.

 

It is. And it's hard to do, we are human and we feel things. A bunch of which are irrational. But I don't take anything for granted and feel immense gratitude for my life.

 

7 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Gratutide for a bunch of ignorant, lazy fucks sending us back to the medical stone age and actively working to instil a Christian theocracy? Thanks, I do not actually think I'll practice my gratitude for this fucking shit. I was practicing my gratitude before when I worked to teach my son service, when we made care packages and handed them out to the homeless in our area as winter was approaching with things like warm socks, toothbrushed and toothpaste, and cash. I was practicing my gratitude by paying forward with my time and money.

I'm not paying forward or showing ANY fucking gratitude for this bullshit. 

I don't think he means like that

[Schulz2.0 28936]

35 minutes ago, Incredulity said:

I am broadly convinced that at least 80% of the population will immediately spend every nickel they have and are advanced in credit.  50% of those people are because they are catastrophically stupid and the other 50% don't have a choice(poor).

 

in other words, 60% of the time it works every time.

A decent percentage of guys I work with make $130-180k/year and live paycheck to paycheck. Gotta buy a new $80k truck every year. Gotta get a new four wheeler, fifth wheel, boat, etc.

[SydneyCarton 47990]

11 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

That's not practicing gratitude.

 

8 minutes ago, G650 said:

 

It is. And it's hard to do, we are human and we feel things. A bunch of which are irrational. But I don't take anything for granted and feel immense gratitude for my life.

 

I don't think he means like that

Oh, I know how he meant it. And I responded that way anyway, because I enjoyed the play on words.

But I'm also not getting a fucking journal and writing down all the things I'm grateful for as I watch, at least some of them, disappear. 

[Ojo Rojo 1929]

3 hours ago, Texaus said:

I’ve pretty well checked myself out of the news cycle and all of the bullshit since the election. These dumbasses are going to get what they asked for. I gotta tell ya though, I am not looking forward to family conversations during the holidays and especially the hunting lease . How do yall plan to approach this?

We were scheduled to spend Thanksgiving with my very large extended family on my mother's side.  They are small-town, South Texas, blue collar people for the most part.  They are 99% Trumpers.  As are my parents, who are single issue voters (abortion).  I don't discuss politics with them and find it pretty easy to avoid the topic if it comes up.  Plus, I'm pretty sure they all think that I think like they do. We have decided to just do Thanksgiving with just our immediate family - me, my wife and our three boys.  We rented a cabin on the river in the Hill Country and we're going to spend the week being together, fishing, canoeing, exploring, seeing the sights.  We're not doing this to punish my relatives, at all.  This is about us and doing what we need to do not to feel totally depressed and isolated.  But, there is a small part of me that hopes that some of them notice we're gone and understand why and regret it.

[SydneyCarton 47990]

8 minutes ago, Ojo Rojo said:

We were scheduled to spend Thanksgiving with my very large extended family on my mother's side.  They are small-town, South Texas, blue collar people for the most part.  They are 99% Trumpers.  As are my parents, who are single issue voters (abortion).  I don't discuss politics with them and find it pretty easy to avoid the topic if it comes up.  Plus, I'm pretty sure they all think that I think like they do. We have decided to just do Thanksgiving with just our immediate family - me, my wife and our three boys.  We rented a cabin on the river in the Hill Country and we're going to spend the week being together, fishing, canoeing, exploring, seeing the sights.  We're not doing this to punish my relatives, at all.  This is about us and doing what we need to do not to feel totally depressed and isolated.  But, there is a small part of me that hopes that some of them notice we're gone and understand why and regret it.

[DDD Dad 14311]

32 minutes ago, Captainant said:

Chicken piccata is a GOAT recipe for turning cheap ingredients into a delicious meal

When I was in law school I'd make a batch of chicken and yellow rice with peas and carrots.  Simple (i.e, even a law student can't ruin it), dirt cheap, and lasted like a week in the fridge.

[InkaUtexas 25804]

being honest. A cheap eats thread would be good.

[G650 14200]

31 minutes ago, Schulz2.0 said:

A decent percentage of guys I work with make $130-180k/year and live paycheck to paycheck. Gotta buy a new $80k truck every year. Gotta get a new four wheeler, fifth wheel, boat, etc.

 

One of the my favorite sayings, which I get to pull put every time someone  says "Man consumer spending is really holding up", is give an American 5 dollars, and he will spend 6. The truest thing I've ever come across

[CTC2 2777]

21 minutes ago, Ojo Rojo said:

We were scheduled to spend Thanksgiving with my very large extended family on my mother's side.  They are small-town, South Texas, blue collar people for the most part.  They are 99% Trumpers.  As are my parents, who are single issue voters (abortion).  I don't discuss politics with them and find it pretty easy to avoid the topic if it comes up.  Plus, I'm pretty sure they all think that I think like they do. We have decided to just do Thanksgiving with just our immediate family - me, my wife and our three boys.  We rented a cabin on the river in the Hill Country and we're going to spend the week being together, fishing, canoeing, exploring, seeing the sights.  We're not doing this to punish my relatives, at all.  This is about us and doing what we need to do not to feel totally depressed and isolated.  But, there is a small part of me that hopes that some of them notice we're gone and understand why and regret it.

Fuck them. You will make a lot of memories on that trip. Hope you and your family enjoy. 

[Evil Bill Obrien 3235]

9 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

being honest. A cheap eats thread would be good.

definitely would be interested in one of those, been trying to do more weekly lunch meal preps and could use more ideas than just the usual copycat chipotle bowls I have been defaulting to

[CTC2 2777]

34 minutes ago, Schulz2.0 said:

A decent percentage of guys I work with make $130-180k/year and live paycheck to paycheck. Gotta buy a new $80k truck every year. Gotta get a new four wheeler, fifth wheel, boat, etc.

And go on that Carnival cruise during the summer. 

[G650 14200]

2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Seeing that reminded me of another aspect of the story I saw on Reddit of the gal who spent all her money on food and cookware and stuff in her first apartment.  That aspect being the COOKWARE.  She bought a brand new pot and pan set, brand new cookies sheets, etc., which set her back like $50-60.  And clearly you need cookware.  But the critiques were "why buy that new?  Goodwill is your friend." And that's damned true.  If I had to, I could outfit my kitchen with the essentials (pots and pans, baking sheet) for probably under $10-15.  And that reminded me of something I remember from back when we did garage sales: whatever kitchen equipment I had for sale, a hispanic family (typically not even speaking english) would swoop in and clean me out of all that stuff for a couple of bucks.

So what occurred to me was how recent hispanic immigrants knew how to be poor.  They immediately knew to hit thrift stores, garage sales, etc.  They would outfit a kitchen and clothe their family in the basics for a few bucks.  That is because they often came from a place/culture where REAL poverty was ubiquitous.  Compare that to Americans who - while MANY are poor - we maybe don't "know how to be poor" as well as folks from elsewhere.  Our years of postwar prosperity have beaten that out of us (compare that to the perspective your depression-era grandparents had, where they didn't throw anything else, were thrifty to an annoying fault, etc.).

Just an observation, which does tie into our "dissatisfaction with the status quo" that leads to people voting for the leopards.  We are PISSED because a fast food combo meal is $12.  But recall how most of us on this board....rarely got fast food growing up.  It was a treat.  Our parents were products of thrifty parents, and it showed.  The idea of "I'm deprived and money is too tight" is a very different idea in 2024 America than it is in much of the world, or even America of 50 years ago.  And it warps our fucking thinking.  We aren't getting enough golden eggs, so we resort to killing the goose.

Preach

[InkaUtexas 25804]

Just now, Evil Bill Obrien said:

definitely would be interested in one of those, been trying to do more weekly lunch meal preps and could use more ideas than just the usual copycat chipotle bowls I have been defaulting to

Do you add listeria to yours?

[workswithseed 2060]

1 minute ago, Evil Bill Obrien said:

definitely would be interested in one of those, been trying to do more weekly lunch meal preps and could use more ideas than just the usual copycat chipotle bowls I have been defaulting to

Been trying to make meals that last about 3 weeks. 

[SubliminalHorn 6766]

13 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

being honest. A cheap eats thread would be good.

Definitely. I feel like I make slight variations of the same thing every week

[Horn Dogg 3840]

21 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

being honest. A cheap eats thread would be good.

[GenXer 2839]

5 minutes ago, Evil Bill Obrien said:

definitely would be interested in one of those, been trying to do more weekly lunch meal preps and could use more ideas than just the usual copycat chipotle bowls I have been defaulting to

I use Anylist app. I put my recipes in there with their ingredients.

when I’m putting my grocery list together, I can search by ingredients so that I can use the same ingredients on a few recipes.

It also reminds me of stuff to cook that I haven’t done for a while.

I can click the radio button to add ingredients from the recipe to my shopping list.

I use the app to check off stuff from my shopping list as I’m shopping.

In my opinion, the worst part and time suck of getting groceries is making the list. This makes it nearly frictionless.

 

[Evil Bill Obrien 3235]

11 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

Do you add listeria to yours?

Not yet...but I am furiously knocking on wood right now as to not jinx myself and end up with the brown rain at work tomorrow...

[flatdawgs 1276]

1 hour ago, Pato del Muerto said:

My cheapest grocery option

but I’m at costco once a week for gas or food so I do get my $5 ckn 

Jeez, Pato - now tell them what the minimum wage is here - soon will be $20.26 where you are; a bit higher in Seattle. I'm more than fine with that but it does make a difference in prices.

(We're basically neighbors; my Dad went to Bothell HS.)

[956 Worldwide 34637]

On the Europe vs. U.S. food prices discourse, you are all discovering that your money goes farther in places where people are much poorer than you; Americans are much wealthier than Europeans.  When you visit Germany you’re visiting a nation with the per capita GDP of West Virginia. Europeans are also paying insane tax rates to subsidize their farmers’ great produce (which is indeed better). Food is much, much more expensive for Europeans than Americans. 

[Pato del Muerto 52458]

8 minutes ago, flatdawgs said:

Jeez, Pato - now tell them what the minimum wage is here - soon will be $20.26 where you are; a bit higher in Seattle. I'm more than fine with that but it does make a difference in prices.

(We're basically neighbors; my Dad went to Bothell HS.)

Are you gonna sit there and tell me that consumer pricing is impacted by costs?  Is that what you’re gonna try and get past me?

[MissingInAction 24958]

I've noticed HEB offering more jumbo family meals over the past year. Also for thanksgiving you can't beat their oven ready feast.

After turkey day all their leftovers are dirt cheap. I stock up every year and freeze as much as will fit in my freezer.

[InkaUtexas 25804]

1 minute ago, MissingInAction said:

I've noticed HEB offering more jumbo family meals over the past year. Also for thanksgiving you can't beat their oven ready feast.

After turkey day all their leftovers are dirt cheap. I stock up every year and freeze as much as will fit in my freezer.

So you really like Yams and cranberry sauce. Noted.

[956 Worldwide 34637]

You can get a rotisserie chicken at HEB for five bucks.; that plus potatoes, rice, maybe some greens means you can make dinner for a family of four for about 40 bucks a week and barely cook.  Plenty of stuff like that out there even with overall groceries being more expensive. I don’t think people realize how limited the actual diets are of most regular people in Europe are. 

[MissingInAction 24958]

9 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

So you really like Yams and cranberry sauce. Noted.

Always plenty of stuffing, taters, green bean casserole, turkey, etc.

The rotisserie chicken is great for a giant pot of caldo. I drop the whole bird in the save the bones for broth.

Edited 1 hour ago by MissingInAction

[sidis 9805]

3 hours ago, Horn Dog said:

republicans paying hush money for sexual encounters? a shocking revelation? things that make you think. hmm.

[Brisketexan 104906]

7 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

You can get a rotisserie chicken at HEB for five bucks.; that plus potatoes, rice, maybe some greens means you can make dinner for a family of four for about 40 bucks a week and barely cook.  Plenty of stuff like that out there even with overall groceries being more expensive. I don’t think people realize how limited the actual diets are of most regular people in Europe are. 

My daughter related what was sometimes served for dinner at the home of a solidly middle class family she stayed with on an exchange on summer.  Sometimes, it was potatoes.  Just....potatoes.  Boiled.  Maybe some cream and parsley to put on them.  This wasn't some poverty-struggle meal, it wasn't what they served to just her -- the whole family sat down for it.  And overall portions/calorie loads weren't high, either.

The average weekly consumption of an American at the 25th percentile income line is probably more food, more calories, and more variety than the typical European at the 50 percentile mark.

[InkaUtexas 25804]

Food talk is great, but what are the leopards eating?

[MissingInAction 24958]

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

My daughter related what was sometimes served for dinner at the home of a solidly middle class family she stayed with on an exchange on summer.  Sometimes, it was potatoes.  Just....potatoes.  Boiled.  Maybe some cream and parsley to put on them.  This wasn't some poverty-struggle meal, it wasn't what they served to just her -- the whole family sat down for it.  And overall portions/calorie loads weren't high, either.

The average weekly consumption of an American at the 25th percentile income line is probably more food, more calories, and more variety than the typical European at the 50 percentile mark.

Ever had borscht? My Polish buddies makes that and blood sausage for parties. That and a fuckton of vodka.

[Incredulity 11609]

1 minute ago, InkaUtexas said:

Food talk is great, but what are the leopards eating?

$5 rotisserie chicken...?

[MissingInAction 24958]

2 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

Food talk is great, but what are the leopards eating?

Right. I think we are roundabout making the point of how Americans are spoiled, so not being able to buy enough food to feed an army, which they'll throw at least half away, is infringing on dur fredimz.

[G650 14200]

7 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

My daughter related what was sometimes served for dinner at the home of a solidly middle class family she stayed with on an exchange on summer.  Sometimes, it was potatoes.  Just....potatoes.  Boiled.  Maybe some cream and parsley to put on them.  This wasn't some poverty-struggle meal, it wasn't what they served to just her -- the whole family sat down for it.  And overall portions/calorie loads weren't high, either.

The average weekly consumption of an American at the 25th percentile income line is probably more food, more calories, and more variety than the typical European at the 50 percentile mark.

Not probably, definitely.

 

As I said, Europe, and pretty much everywhere other than America, had a wildly different food distribution system. We have industrialized it beyond any recognition. If you look at dollars per calorie, the US is certifiably insane in how cheap it is.

[SydneyCarton 47990]

7 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

Food talk is great, but what are the leopards eating?

Our healthcare for old people. 

[Horn Dogg 3840]

12 minutes ago, G650 said:

Not probably, definitely.

 

As I said, Europe, and pretty much everywhere other than America, had a wildly different food distribution system. We have industrialized it beyond any recognition. If you look at dollars per calorie, the US is certifiably insane in how cheap it is.

Just look at how fat all the poor people in America are, tells you all you need to know.

[quigley 1531]

1 hour ago, InkaUtexas said:

being honest. A cheap eats thread would be good.

Grad school diet: arroz, frijoles in a crockpot y huevos. Lots of tomatoes, oranges and peanuts. Fiesta market in HTown on $42 dollars a week. Went to Whole Foods one time because it was new and was with a rich friend. More than 80. Embarrassed, I paid it and vowed never to go there again.

Now I spent $40 buck for lunch a few times a month. I buy fresh squeezed OJ from Whole Foods and drink it while waiting in the checkout line. I'm embarrassed in the other direction.

[Doc Sam Beckett 5790]

8 minutes ago, Horn Dogg said:

 fat poor people in America 

 

[Pato del Muerto 52458]

32 minutes ago, MissingInAction said:

Ever had borscht? My Polish buddies makes that and blood sausage for parties. That and a fuckton of vodka.

16 years ago I spent a week in Czech. They serve some sort of onion soup there that is so good we would find a new cafe every day and I’d order it for lunch.  Had to be dirt cheap to make. 

[CooterBrown 17976]

 The concrete guys are definitely going to take an ass whipping

I’ve seriously never seen a white guy lay concrete. Is that even a skill Americans have?

[Captainant 27571]

 

[Brisketexan 104906]

1 minute ago, Pato del Muerto said:

16 years ago I spent a week in Czech. They serve some sort of onion soup there that is so good we would find a new cafe every day and I’d order it for lunch.  Had to be dirt cheap to make. 

If you removed the calories/bulk provided by potatoes, cabbage, herring, and cream from the average Swede's diet....they would starve in a month.

The French and Italians know how to eat.  The rest of Europe.....they have their moments, but as far as their general population, not so much.

[G650 14200]

2 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

I’ve seriously never seen a white guy lay concrete. Is that even a skill Americans have?

Not anymore

[G650 14200]

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

If you removed the calories/bulk provided by potatoes, cabbage, herring, and cream from the average Swede's diet....they would starve in a month.

The French and Italians know how to eat.  The rest of Europe.....they have their moments, but as far as their general population, not so much.

Sheeit. Spain crushes it.

[quigley 1531]

3 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

So what occurred to me was how recent hispanic immigrants knew how to be poor.  They immediately knew to hit thrift stores, garage sales, etc.  They would outfit a kitchen and clothe their family in the basics for a few bucks.  That is because they often came from a place/culture where REAL poverty was ubiquitous.

COMPLETELY agree with first part of this and will add that, when I was growing up in the 1970, it was OK to admit you were poor.

At some point, being one of the "poors" became bad.