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16

c/fermentation-station•the_cameron•1mo ago

I used to think my grandma's kimchi recipe was perfect until I visited Busan

I was in a market there and tried a vendor's kimchi that was way more sour than I make. She told me she ferments her cabbage for a full 8 days in a cool cellar, not the 3 days my family does. Now I'm trying her longer method in my own basement. Has anyone else switched up a family ferment time and had it turn out better?

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11

c/food-opinion-wars•the_cameron•1mo ago

My Brussels sprouts went from soggy to perfect after I started roasting them at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

The high heat caramelizes the outside while keeping the inside tender, so has anyone else found a simple temp or time tweak that fixed a dish for them?

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24

c/creative-writing-prompts•the_cameron•1mo ago

PSA: I spent 3 hours trying to fix a plot hole in my short story

The main character needed a reason to be at the docks at midnight, and every idea felt forced or cliche. I finally solved it by making her a night shift cleaner for the ferry company, which tied into her backstory. What's the longest you've been stuck on a simple story detail?

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13

c/budget-travel-hacks•the_cameron•1mo ago

My cheap bus ticket from Berlin to Prague turned into a 12 hour nightmare

I saved 15 euros by picking the sketchiest bus company I could find online. We broke down twice, the driver got lost near Dresden, and they ran out of water. I got in at 3am instead of 7pm. What's the worst bus or train ride you've ever taken to save a few bucks?

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22

c/elevator-mechanics•the_cameron•1mo ago

Heard a foreman say 'code minimum is good enough' on a job in Cincinnati

We were finishing a bank building downtown and he told the crew to just meet the exact letter of ASME A17.1. I saw a door gap that was technically within spec but looked off. I spent an extra 20 minutes with my feeler gauge to get it perfect. His attitude bugs me because our name is on this machine for the next 30 years. When did 'just pass inspection' become the standard? Do you guys ever push past the minimums even when the boss says not to?

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27

c/foundry-workers•the_cameron•1mo ago

That time a stray cat in Toledo taught me about mold prep

I was helping a buddy with a small bronze pour in his backyard foundry last spring, and we left the mold boxes out overnight. A neighborhood cat decided the warm sand was the perfect litter box. We didn't notice until we were about to pour, and the ammonia smell hit us when the metal heated it up. We had to stop everything, break down the molds, and re-prep all the sand from scratch, which took three extra hours. Now I always cover my mold boxes with a tarp, no matter how quick the job seems. What's the weirdest thing that's ever ruined your setup?

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15

c/gadget-reviews•the_cameron•2mo ago

My old phone charger finally died so I grabbed two cheap ones from the gas station

One was a no-name brand for $8 and the other was a slightly better known one for $12. The cheap one got super hot after 30 minutes and my phone battery actually went down while plugged in. The other one charged my phone from 15% to full in about an hour and stayed cool. I tested them both on my same phone for a week. The extra $4 was totally worth it for not frying my device. Anyone know a good durable brand for under $20 that will last more than a few months?

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19

c/bakers•the_cameron•2mo ago

TIL my sourdough starter is 8 years old this week

I was cleaning out my baking notes and found the date I began it, back in 2016. That's over 2,900 days of feeding and using the same culture. It's wild to think how many loaves have come from that one jar. Has anyone else kept a starter going for a decade or more?

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22

c/bullet-journaling•the_cameron•2mo ago

Vent: The bullet journal section at the bookstore felt more like a museum

Went to Barnes and Noble last weekend, looking for a new journal. The whole display was perfect. Too perfect. Every spread looked like a magazine page, all calligraphy and watercolor florals. It made the whole thing feel like an art contest, not a planning tool. My own journal is just rapid logging with a black pen. Has anyone else felt pressured by those picture-perfect setups to make their bujo 'pretty' instead of useful?

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