I swear to god you could probably save 40% from any vendor if you just told them it was a party instead of a wedding.

Amen. Stuff is easier to grate when it is frozen too. As far as using the grater less, Vinh, I don’t see that as much of an advantage. Hell, just rinse the microplane and move on.

I guess I'm wondering more whether you could just use sugar water. Seems like everyone agrees it is the "electrolytes" that make these taste funny. I do remember when I went on a mountaineering trip in the Alps getting salt tablets that were supposed to help. I feel like they gave them to GIs in North Africa in…

I looked at the first three and I don't think they answer my question. I can understand how carbohydrate intake can improve performance. My question is whether the electrolyte replenishment is BS or not. I want to see the study that shows there is a measurable increase in the electrolytes available to the body as a…

Is there any evidence that the electrolytes in sports drinks are metabolized by your body in any meaningful way that improves performance in a long workout? I recognize you lose electrolytes. I recognize there are electrolytes in sports drinks. But just because you ingest them doesn't mean they are instantly…

French fit drawers took me maybe a day to do all told, but most of the work I did while sitting at the computer waiting for other programs to finish or things to print. Process was simple—trace tools on paper, scan on 1:1 scanner, open scanned PDF in Illustrator, draw over sketches with simple shapes, arrange…

Do you really think that shortening the sell by time period is going to result in a producer developing a "reputation" for fresher eggs? I could understand a marketing pitch to do that, but it sure as shootin' wouldn't be left to the vagaries of "hoping consumers notice"—it would be an advertising campaign and…

Melanie read the link I provided more carefully than I did and figured that out—it is 45 days under USDA regs for a "best buy" date, 30 for a "exp" or "sell by" date. So, maybe the Julian date is ultimately better, but the reason is not having to figure out whether you are judging the various terms for "sell by"…

Interesting—I missed the distinction too. I better make sure I'm comparing expiration date to expiration date and best by to best by if I go the carton route... Maybe the Julian date is better, but I'm still unsure I like the idea of a packing date, as opposed to when the egg was laid.

1. By my calculations, May 1 has a Julian date of 121 and April 25 a date of 105. Which means both packages violate USDA regulations, which call for a sell by date no later than 30 days from packing. But taking your hypothetical at face value, why would packager A use a sell by date that is 76 days from packing and…

Actually, see my post to Professor—the date (according to USDA) is no more than 30 days. And I can't think of a reason why anyone would use a shorter period than the full time allotted.

I realize that's what is written. But turns out that at least part of the statement seems wrong—according to the USDA, the "sell by" date cannot be more than 30 days from packing (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsi…). So tell me, if you are a commercial egg producer, what possible reason would you have for…

What is this tax "refund" you speak of? I am not familiar with the concept.

Perhaps I'm not twigging on something. I can accept that the sell by date could be 45 days after the packing date. But if I look for the latest sell by date, don't I still assure myself of getting the freshest eggs? If the julian date is sell by date - 45 days, looking at either will give you the same ordinal…

I don't think anyone is going to argue that French-fitted drawers are the most space-efficient way to store tools (although, if you build your own cabinets like I did, you can build a lot of thin drawers that help with efficiency). But, they have other benefits—like easy tool recognition, safer storage of delicate…

I feel like anyone who actually has a need for a bootjack should know how to do this. But maybe I'm conflating blue collar footwear with blue collar skills.

Now that you say it, that sounds like what Alton was arguing too. Interesting point about chest freezers versus the typical side-by-side. I've got a dedicated freezer, but also use a commercial chamber vacuum sealer to pack things before they go in it. I rarely see any freezer burn/ice on stuff I keep frozen even…

I can buy dry ice at my local Harris Teeter, which is a fairly large and common grocery chain...

I've never tried it, but for the freezing-on-parchment-paper-before-packaging-step, Alton Brown recommended flash freezing using dry ice and and ice chest.

I'm pretty serious about my tools. I have a huge basement that houses a full on cabinet shop, a warm glass studio, an electronics bench, and a general purpose area, as well as a metal shop in my garage. I spend my spare time building things because building things relaxes me and fulfills me in a way that I don't get…