For those who have asked for the recipe. You're welcome :)

Recipe from: Ramen: Japanese Noodles and Small Dishes

​

Pork-Chicken Broth (Results in 2.5-3 L):

- 4 L water

- 1 boiling fowl (chicken)

- 400g pork bacon (fresh back fat)

- 2 pieces Kombu (6-8g)

- 8 dried shiitake mushrooms

- 1 piece ginger (10cm), in slices

- 6 spring onions

- 4 tablespoons bonito flakes (Katsuobushi)

​

1. put all ingredients except the bonito flakes in a pot
   
2. bring to boil and skim off after the first boiling up
   
3. add the bonito flakes and simmer without lid for 3-5 hours
   
4. strain the finished broth
   
5. salt before use, or season with tare as desired
   
6. the broth can be kept for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the deep-frozen state. It is therefore worth preparing several portions for storage.
   
   ​
   
   ​
   
   Ramen Noodles (12-16 portions):
   
   - 2.5 Teaspoon Kansui or roasted baking powder (Bake the baking powder at 135° C for 35 minutes)
   
   - 500 ml cold water
   
   - 1 tablespoon salt
   
   - 500g wheat flour (Type 550)
   
   - 550g Italian flour Tipo 00
   
   - corn starch or potato starch for flouring
   
   ​
   
   
7. mix baking powder/kansui and water in a bowl until the powder dissolves in the water. Add the salt and dissolve.
   
8. Mix both kinds of flour in the bowl in a stirring machine and add the liquid with the dough hook at a low speed. Continue stirring for about 15 minutes until a rubbery, fairly firm dough is obtained. If the ingredients have not combined into a dough after 10 minutes, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and continue stirring.
   
9. Knead the dough for 5 minutes on a work surface floured with starch using your hands and elbows (it is difficult to work with).
   
10. Put in a bowl covered with cling film for 1 hour at room temperature.
    
11. Press the dough flat and cut into 16 equal pieces about 4-5 cm wide.
    
12. for medium-thin noodles, turn the dough to level 4 (Kitchenaid kitchen machine) through the pasta machine; for thinner noodles, set a higher level. Dust the dough plates with starch.
    
13. cut the dough into fine strips with the machine. Dust again with some corn starch and knot into bundles.
    
14. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for about 45 seconds shortly before serving. Then rinse immediately under cold water so that they do not become too soft and do not stick together.
    
15. can be kept for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and up to 6 months when frozen. It is therefore worth preparing several portions for storage.
    
    ​
    
    ​
    
    Ajitsuke Tamago (Marinated Eggs) - Marinate for 6 eggs:
    
    - 6 eggs
    
    - 100 ml Japanese soy sauce
    
    - 50 ml Mirin
    
    - 100 ml water
    
    - 1 tablespoon roughly chopped ginger
    
    ​
    
    
16. boil the water in a saucepan, reduce the temperature slightly, put the eggs in and cook for 6 minutes. We want the egg yolk to remain soft/liquid.
    
17. rinse the eggs under cold water until they have cooled down
    
18. Bring soy sauce, mirin, water and ginger to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.
    
19. allow to cool slightly and pour into a large screw glass. Peel the eggs and place in the marinade.
    
20. Marinate for 10-24 hours in the fridge.
    
    ​
    
    Chashu (pork belly) 400g
    
    
21. salt the pork belly well (especially the fat rind)
    
22. sous-vide the pork belly at 85°C for 6 hours (optionally let it cool down and then leave the pork belly in the fridge with the vacuum bag for up to 12 hours)
    
23. Take the pork belly out of the bag and cook it with the fat on top in a small baking form in the oven for 25 minutes at 220°C circulating air with the fat on top and spread Teriyaki sauce from time to time (if available, switch on the grill function for the last 10 minutes).
    
24. Take out of the oven and cut into pieces or slices of any desired thickness.
    
    ​
    
    ​
    
    Miso Ramen (4 servings)
    
    - 1.8-2 L Pig-Chicken Broth
    
    - 4 portions of ramen noodles
    
    - 2 tablespoons red miso
    
    - 2 tablespoons white Miso
    
    - 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
    
    ​
    
    Topping:
    
    - 400g Chashu (roasted pork belly) in slices or pieces+
    
    - 2 baby Pak-choi in pieces
    
    - 3 spring onions, cut into fine strips
    
    - 4 Ajitsuke Tamago (marinated eggs)
    
    ​
    
    
25. simmer the Pak-Choi with garlic for about 5 minutes
    
26. boil the broth in a saucepan, then reduce heat. Stir in the miso and ginger.
    
27. Cook the noodles for 45 seconds in boiling water. Rinse immediately with cold water, drain well and distribute into the bowls.
    
28. spread the pak-choi on the bowls
    
29. serve with the chashu, the egg halves and the finely chopped spring onions.

Beef Bourguignon is my favorite.. This recipe is really good, we just back off on the pearl onions at the end and simply don't use quite as many as suggested. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beef-bourguignon-recipe-1942045

​

Also, if you're into hearty soups this book right here is excellent! Great for a little variety instead of a stew one week. https://www.amazon.com/New-England-Soup-Factory-Cookbook/dp/1401603009

Hello, egg fast day #2 is in the books. I broke after work and indulged in 1 tablespoon of hwc in a glass of cold brew coffee. I am down 1.5 lbs in two days! I will be sticking with it through Thursday dinner! One huge benefit is I am rarely hungry, and I could not finish my 3-egg omelet last night! The grilled cheese chaffles are a keeper and I think I could do them every day at work for lunch, and try to change my daily keto plan to be more egg-based.

I bought Carolyn Ketchum's Keto Soups and Stews book and I will buy everything to make her Taco Soup on Friday for dinner. It looks amazing! It is my first Keto cookbook. I usually just browse google if I want a particular recipe.

Lunch was egg salad and a grilled cheese chaffle with some moon cheese, a Babybel, and a cheese stick. Dinner was a 2-egg omelet with Havarti cheese. I had one cappuccino cheesecake in the afternoon.

Today will be much of the same, although I hope my afternoon hunger is less. I have tea to enjoy after my coffee is finished. Sparkling flavored seltzer is definitely a big help for me.

I'm below flair weight!

KCKO ♥

This is the book I've heard the best things about, but I haven't cooked any recipes from it yet to know if its really good:

https://www.amazon.com/Pho-Cookbook-Adventurous-Vietnams-Favorite-ebook/dp/B01F2IW9EO/ref=sr_1_1?crid=190OJJFNJ9WSD&keywords=pho+cookbook+andrea+nguyen&qid=1562854645&s=gateway&sprefix=pho+cookboo%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-1

My sister bought us a cookbook called Love Soup; it's basically a hundred-odd soup recipes (all vegetarian), many hearty enough for a meal, many pureed or naturally smooth.

The vegi thing may be a turnoff if she's a serious carnivore, but it may also force you to try new vegetables/flavors you otherwise wouldn't cook with. The three soups from this book that we've made thus far are a cold avocado/cucumber soup, and asparagus bisque, and a (wonderful) cauliflower soup with goat cheese. It might be worth checking out.

It's rare that I get to a page on my frontpage that threads like yours appear. I guess it's your lucky day!

Last year I bought a ramen cookbook after reviewing what was available here in Germany. In the end I chose "Ramen: Japanese noodles and small dishes" by Tove Nilsson. What I liked most about it was that most of the book focused on actual Ramen you would find in Japan. You might think: what else should a ramen cookbook contain? From my observation: a lot of weird stuff that you'll never try that will be completely useless for you. Tove Nilsson covers the basics, the traditional dishes, some new and funky ones and shows a bunch of different ways on how to do certain recipes (what kinda broths you can use, three or four different ways to make chashu and so on)

Last December I finally made my first ramen from the book! And it was delicious. Classic Shoyu Ramen with a chicken-pork broth, homemade chashu. I still have to post the pics on /r/ramen ...

Bonus points for a bunch of Japanese side dishes like Gyoza, a lot of topping recipes and so on.

I used recipes from Tove Nilsson's Ramen: Japanese Noodles and Small Dishes, which I got from my Secret Santa during last year's exchange. I used Chicken-Pork Broth, Garlic Tare, Chashu Pork, and Soya Sauce Marinated Eggs.

EDIT: Here's a wee album of the progression throughout the day: https://m.imgur.com/a/ti8Jm

Would one that is largely plant based and easy to modify when it isn’t work for you?

Twelve Months of Monastery Soups: A Cookbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/0767901800/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_90BCDb58WTAT9

This soup cookbook, written by a French monk, is designed around the months of the year based on what is in season or what you might have in your pantry at that time of year.

As an example, we have the Tomato Florentine soup almost every week. As an example of a modification, we just leave the Spanish sausage out of the Caldo Gallego and it’s a great soup regardless.

Inspired by u/epicnormalcy’s delightful NSV, I too went to the salon and got my hair cut. Not quite a pixie cut since it’s the middle of October and my ears need a little coverage, but shorter than I’ve been comfortable having it cut in over 3 years. FH is very excited that this could mean the bows will be returning since skinny!Kate-o was a lover of hair bows in all varieties. They always made me feel pretty and I guess I kind of just... gave up on that as I gained weight. Maybe this weekend I’ll see if I still have any of them.

It’s the tiniest bit of progress, but I did in fact cast on the left sleeve of my cardigan. And that’s the hard part! I could have picked up the edge stitches seamlessly, but I kind of like that it’s sunk in a bit. Hoping to get about halfway done today while binge watching something on Netflix.

Game night may or may not be happening tonight but either way I’m making jalapeño poppers and the chicken broccoli Alfredo soup that u/shakatay29 shared earlier this week. I went ahead and pre-ordered Carolyn Ketchum’s new book Keto Soups & Stews so that I’ll be extra-ready for the cold and also for my new job since for the first couple of weeks I’m hoping to do a batch of soup for lunch prep to keep things easy.

Enjoy your weekend and KCKO, y’all! ❤️

Recipe came from here:

http://www.amazon.com/300-Sensational-Soups-Carla-Snyder/dp/0778801969

not sure if it is online...

Oh I wish you were opening a GF cafe in my area! I would be there everyday!

I definitely like the idea of the GF cinnamon rolls. I haven't had a cinnamon roll in about 15 years.

For inspiration for soups you can serve check out this cookbook of gluten-free soups. It's inexpensive ($3.99). It's an ebook but you can read it on the computer with Amazon's Kindle reader app which is a free app that works on nearly all computers, tablets, and mobile phones.

https://www.amazon.com/Delicious-Gluten-Free-Soups-Stews-Chowders-ebook/dp/B07DVX643V?keywords=B07DVX643V&qid=1539459506&sr=8-1&ref=sr_1_1

My favorite recipe is the Easy Vegetable Beef Soup which tastes just like the Campbell's Vegetable Beef soup I used to eat before I went GF. It is a super easy recipe because it uses a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and a can of diced tomatoes.

The Chicken and Rice Soup is also super easy. You just cut up some chicken breast, celery, and carrots. It uses converted rice (Uncle Ben's style rice) that holds together and doesn't get mushy in the soup.

Good luck with your cafe! Wish it was in my town...

Since we are all a little lazy... Here are links to all of the books in my stack:
Betty Goes Vegan (my mom got this one for my boyfriend - so not strictly mine - in hopes that he would cook for me. I am pressing the tofu right now at his request, so far so good)

Vegan Eats World

Eat Drink & Be Vegan

The 30 Minute Vegan

Thug Kitchen

The Lusty Vegan (my sister bought this one for me)

One-Dish Vegan

Fresh From the Vegan Slow Cooker

Vegan Brunch (second most used, the muffin recipes in here are crazy easy to customize)

Vegan Yum Yum

Twelve Months of Monastery Soups (not blatantly vegan, but almost entirely so)

The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook (My most used, and longest owned, the best of all. All super simple ingredients, only non-vegan ingredient mentioned is honey on occasion)

Medium Rare (although now that I've looked up Pittsburgh, I think that sounds pretty awesome)

I'd take /u/missmercy87 because her post is right below mine and and sometimes the best conversations are with total strangers.

No soup for you!
Okay, soup.

My mom has this cookbook and loves it. It looks like they've written a bunch of other ones, as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Months-Monastery-Victor-DAvila-Latourrette/dp/0767901800


Other than that, I might suggest some wine or beer or other foodstuffs from a local monastery?

I own this book, and it's really awesome: The Pho Cookbook: Easy to Adventurous Recipes for Vietnam's Favorite Soup and Noodles https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607749580/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0RHLAb9M1M6BV

I'm reading a book about how kids learn best through playing, and how our modern education system holds kids back. The book is called Free to Learn. I recommend it to anyone interested in education or raising kids.

Love Soup by Anna Thomas (https://www.amazon.com/Love-Soup-Recipes-Vegetarian-Epicure/dp/0393332578/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549567362&sr=8-1&keywords=love+soup) is organized into thematic chapters mostly by season, with some additional ones (e.g. big pot soups, a chapter on breads, salads, accompaniments, etc.).

Absolutely love this book, and if you're in the US near any markets you'll probably have access to the same kind of produce she talks about - up here in Canada we have different emphasis (e.g. less Mexican influence in produce & seasonings).

I know a soup book probably doesn't sound that exciting, but it's really lovely and includes a fair bit of narrative as well as recipes.

Drinking with the Saints

The Vatican Cookbook

12 Months of Monastery Soups if you're also interested in that

I bought this book from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Pho-Cookbook-Adventurous-Vietnams-Favorite/dp/1607749580 and it is very good. Many recipes for different types of pho.

Cut the salt:
Cut the bouillon cubes, ketchup, sun chips, tuna = find a low sodium tuna packed in water, Vegetable soups/stew = I can only assume that you will buy these in cans- which is major sodium and preservatives - I would suggest making your own with a store bought low-sodium broth base and lots of veggies: my favorite soup/stew book:http://www.amazon.com/Love-Soup-All-New-Vegetarian-Recipes/dp/0393332578 (you can probably check it out from the library) -I will allow the hummus and bacon - but don't overdo it...Also- careful with canned beans- they pack a lot of sodium in there.

Get rid of the frozen pizza - those probably have more sat.fat and sodium than your bacon! (And they're pricey)

Not sure what what "Jar'd Vindaloo Curry" is- but if it comes in a jar- it probably isn't so great... I would suggest making it from scratch - try: http://www.currydishes.com/indian-recipes/chicken-vindaloo-curry.html

Ground Beef- try the leaner cut
Cut the fat: skim instead of 1% milk - time to make the switch
I also don't find nutrigrain bars very filling- but that is a personal preference.. To me- those are pretty much empty calories that will lead you to more bacon covered with hummus in the end. I would suggest something with higher fiber- like an apple and some almonds/walnuts.

Great thing to do: Make a lasagna with whole wheat pasta, frozen spinach (for your budget), ground turkey or beef, etc. : http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--3779/light-and-healthy-spinach-lasagna.asp (not a bad recipe) - then cut it up, and wrap individual servings- and throw them in the freezer- they will be good for about 6 months. Take one to work and you're good. You can freeze some of those soups too.

Best of luck- I find that even when I'm tired- making time to cook is the best thing to do... tasty and healthy foods are awesome.

I am mostly vegetarian, so I will offer some suggestions.

1. Stir fry rice and vegetables - just make your favorite asian style sauce. I like restaurant style teriyaki or hoisin.
   
   
2. Pretty much anything with potatoes. I like to peel, cube and boil potatoes and then simmer them with sauteed garlic and onions along with a can of Rotel. I'll then throw some cheese on top. You can also try many other versions of potatoes with cooked vegetables and cheese. It's delicious!
   
   
3. Pretty much any kind of italian style pasta can be made vegetarian. I like pesto sauce, butter sage sauce, and the classic marinara.
   
   
4. It's cold outside, so soups are great. Check out 12 months of monastery soups for lots of great vegetarian soup recipes.
   
   
5. When I'm in a hurry, I eat a refried bean and cheese burrito with salsa. I know you said you don't like beans, but I love refried beans and I eat a lot of refried bean and cheese burritos.

How are your basic cooking skills? Can you brown some meat in a pan on the stove? Chop some vegetables? Open a can of broth or tomato juice? Pretty basic skills are really all you need, so don't worry, you'll be able to manage something tasty without a huge investment of time or energy. Simmering the soup takes the longest. (If it doesn't I switch recipes.)


Better than Boullion chicken base is actually pretty good stuff. If a recipe calls for chicken stock or broth, use some of that instead.

Take a look on Serious Eats for some inspiration. My own efforts at finding basic soup instruction weren't great but maybe I was using the wrong search terms.


Other potential sources? Alton Brown (though his website is being renovated, lots of his recipes are on foodnetwork.com and youtube.
Ina Garten's basic technique seems to be quite good, but I admit I haven't looked to her for soup ideas.


Websites I browse for inspiration?

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/?s=soup+ (just recently made her newer 'best taco' soup and forced myself to put the last bit of leftovers in the freezer for some day when I need a quick meal. )


https://www.youtube.com/user/foodwishes/search?query=soup+ Chef John's youtube videos


America's Test Kitchen has a ton of videos on Youtube. I've been watching them while on the treadmill at the gym where internet access is sporadic. https://www.youtube.com/user/americastestkitchen/search?query=soup+







​

I've enjoyed using the ideas in this book https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0778801969 300 Sensational Soups.

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

Looks good, also available at Amazon UK.

Tomato and red pepper or butternut squash are my go tos, depending on the season. However, a few months ago I picked up this soup cookbook and have made several of the recipes in it. I have yet to be disappointed.

Hm. I've been lead to believe that at school you don't learn real social skills, just how to become part of a peer group (or be bullied by a peer group) your exact age. Even some atheists believe in HSing I just read a book about it https://www.amazon.com/Free-Learn-Unleashing-Instinct-Self-Reliant/dp/0465025994?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_sw_r_pi_dp_FVZFvb0W2DFPH. Think about primitive cultures, the kids ran around in groups of all ages, not segregated into classrooms.

This info is from non witness sources. I don't know any JW in our area who HS, most are actually against it (kids are supposed to be a witness, have their faith tested etc.)

I have no issues with holidays etc although I know DH would. Not trying to argue with you, just share my viewpoint.

Basically gonna echo most of the answers already posted, but just to pile on:

• 8" chef's knife. 10" is longer than may be comfortable and 12" is longer than necessary, but 7" may start to feel a little short if she's ever slicing large melon or squash. I'm a casual knife nerd and I have knives by Wusthof, Victorinox, Shun and Mac. My favorite.
  
  
• This Dutch oven. Enameled and cast iron just like the Le Creuset that a few other comments have mentioned, but much, much cheaper. I own two and they're both great. I also have the non-enameled version for baking bread, but I don't recommend it for general use unless you're a Boy Scout. Here's an entertaingly-written blog post comparing the Lodge vs. Le Creuset in a short rib cookoff.
  
  
• This cutting board and this cutting board conditioner. The importance of an easy and pleasant to use prep surface can't be overstated. I'm listing this third on purpose; this is one of the most important things your kitchen can have. A recipe that calls for a lot of chopping is no fun when you're fighting for counter space to do the chopping, or doing it on a shitty plastic board.
  
  
• A cheap scale and a cheap thermometer. Seriously, these are as important as the cutting board.
  
  
• Just gonna crib this one right off /u/Pobe420 and say cheapo 8–10" (I recommend 10–12" but that's my preference) nonstick skillet. One note I'd add is that pans with oven-safe handles are a bit more dual-purpose than pans with plastic or rubberized handles. You can't finish a pork chop in the oven in a skillet with a rubberized handle. But one could say you shouldn't be cooking a pork chop on a nonstick pan to begin with. The important thing is to keep this one cheap: you're going to be replacing it every couple of years, there's no getting around that. For my money $30 or less, and $30 is pretty expensive for these things.
  
  
  

• Cookbooks
  

  Nothing inspires cooking like a good cookbook collection. The great news about cookbooks is that they're often bought as gifts or souvenirs and they make their way onto the used market cheap and in great condition. Here are my suggestions for a great starter shelf:
  
  

1. The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt. I kind of hate that this is my number one recommendation, but I don't know your wife and I do know J. Kenji López-Alt. This one is brand new so you're unlikely to find it used and cheap, but as a catch-all recommendation it has to take first place. Moving on to the cheap stuff:
   
   
2. Regional French Cooking by Paul Bocuse. This is possibly the friendliest authoritative book on French food out there, and a hell of a lot easier to just dive into than Julia Child (Julia is the expert, and her book is an encyclopedia). Bocuse is the undisputed king of nouvelle cuisine and people like Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain (so maybe a generation ahead of you and I) came from him. Paul Bocuse is French food as we know it, and yet this book—an approachable, coffee-table sized thing—still has a recipe for fucking mac and cheese. It's outstanding.
   
   
3. Theory & Practice / The New James Beard by James Beard. These will completely cover your entire library of American cooking. Nothing else needed until you get region-specific. When you do, go for something like this.
   
   
4. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. When she died, the NYT ran a second obituary that was just her recipe for bolognese.
   
   
5. Christ, top five. Who gets 5th? I'm going with From Curries To Kebabs by Madhur Jaffrey. Don't get bamboozled into buying "Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Bible" which is the same book, repackaged and priced higher. You want the one with the hot pink dust jacket, it's unmistakeable. This is one of those end-all books that you could cook out of for the rest of your life. It covers almost every diet and almost every country that Beard and Bocuse don't.
   
   
6. Honorable mentions: Here come the downvotes. Pok Pok by Andy Ricker. If you're American and you want to cook Thai, this is the one. Ten Speed Press can go home now. The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Rosen (so close to making the list). I shouldn't need to say much about this; it's the book of diasporic Jewish food, which means it covers a lot of time and almost every possible country. It's a no-brainer. Thai Food by David Thompson (a perfect oral history of Thai food for English speakers, only it doesn't include Pok Pok's precise measurements, which in practice I've found important). Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish. Not for someone who just wants to become a baker, this book is for someone who wants to make Ken Forkish's bread. And for a casual bread baker I can't imagine a better introduction. Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table by Mai Pham. Andrea Nguyen is out there and Andrea Nguyen is awesome, but I really like Mai Pham's book. It's accessible, reliable and regional. You don't get the dissertation-level breakdown on the origins of chicken pho that you get from Andrea, but the recipe's there, among many others, and it's fucking outstanding. Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. This vegan cookbook is dope as hell and will really expand your imagination when it comes to vegetables. This could actually have been number five.

Yeah, I refer to myself as a recovering A-student. Good at getting A's and doing what others told me to do. Bad at really learning and following my own interests.

I know Peter Gray (blog and recent book) has done some research on self-directed learners and unschoolers. He's very approachable, so feel free to email him and ask. Let me know what you find!

Also, Sudbury Valley published these books about their graduates... Legacy of Trust and The Pursuit of Happiness.

> No, in principle I'm arguing for socialism in some matters.

In reality, I'm not 100% against a ratio of capitalism/socialism, provided we don't violate fundamental rights as outlined by the constitution and the people get what they vote for.

> That's because private security doesn't have to take the role of police departments. It's not unreasonable to think that if there were no police that the nature of private security would change.

I'm not going to continue arguing this point because in reality, I do (presently) think that police/military are necessary; I was really just poking holes in your logic, but this gets exhausting going down that path.

> Science innovation is a factor which drives the economy. The US government currently provides nearly half of the funding for basic research (although this is a new low; in the 60s, the government provided ~70% of basic research funding, and this share only fell below 50% in 2013, through a combination of less funding for science and more private sector funding for science). If we got rid of government funding of basic research, either private industry would have to double what they provide for research, or research will slow, which will slow economic growth.

Could you provide some sort of source to back up these statistics? I'm very interested to learn about this in full color. On its face, it does seem perplexing that the trend is decreasing and yet it's being used as an example for support of government rather than private industry, but I'll have to make my own judgements.

> If your argument depends on magic to work, your argument doesn't work.

Really? Obviously I wasn't saying there was actual magic. I was saying it more in the sense that the money would stay in my bank account where I could figure out how to spend it rather than relying on other people to figure it out for me.

> I'm pointing out that you wouldn't actually have more money to spend because you'd be putting what would have been tax dollars toward to procuring private services for yourself. Since those private services aren't subsidized by having everyone else paying for them, you would be paying more for the private services than you currently are. Unless you forgo all such services, but at that point you wouldn't have enough time in the day to work a paying job anyway.

Ok, since I'm essentially conceding the point on replacing police with security services, I'm going to skip to your next point.

> Are you arguing that more money would fix the problems with education?

No, as I previously established, I do not believe money is magical.

> I agree that there are problems with education right now. But I also believe that everyone should have access to education, and that's not going to happen unless people who don't have children pay part of the tuition for people who do have children but who can't afford private education otherwise.

Your first argument here is that subpar education is better than no education at all, and sure, I'll grant you that. Your second argument is that subpar education won't happen unless education is subsidized socially, and based on the current system, this is true inside the current set of conditions.

But the current set of conditions, as far as education is concerned, is terrible. I come from a family containing a number of teachers and a recurring issue is that they get burnt out because they can't do their jobs because they are forcing kids to parrot things out of books in a specific way, repeat them for tests and never learn things in an in-depth way. Classes are also geared toward the lowest common denominator. And it's no secret why -- our school system was created to breed factory workers!

This is why we've seen a surge in parents choosing to home school utilizing programs like Khan Academy. Even schools are partnering with Khan Academy for their AP programs. The idea here is that the free market (Khan Academy was started by one man filling a need in a largely unregulated way) provides a SELF-DIRECTED education system of far superior quality than our publicly-funded education ever could. Through the Internet (which came about through government funding, I'll grant you), every person (not just children) in the WORLD (not just the US) has access to a world-class education.

Read Free to Learn by Peter Gray. This is a book that talks about letting kids self-educate altogether (skipping homeschooling and any form of education). Now tell me why skipping all forms of government-run schooling would lead to a situation where more children go on to university than they otherwise would?

I think people put far too much faith in the system without questioning it. This is certainly one of those cases.

> Privatizing education might fix some problems, but it would introduce worse ones.

I'm sorry, but how does Khan Academy introduce worse problems? I think you're arguing with the traditional idea of a private school which is somewhat straw-manish of you. There are a variety of types of private school choices.

> We need to find ways to address the problems with the current educational model which preserve guaranteeing access to everyone.

Agreed, and I think we can do that by bolstering these free education systems and increasing expectations rather than lowering them to meet the status quo.

> We also need to ensure that everyone gets the same quality of education. These are difficult problems, and I don't have a solution for them, but I am confident that privatizing the whole system won't fix everything; just look to history - entirely private education systems saw the majority of people simply never getting an education. That's why public education systems were developed in the first place.

Uh, no. That's just false. Public education systems like ours were modeled after factory model schools. In some specific cases, this model was used to increase literacy but mainly, it was to treat children like parts on an assembly line. And that includes throwing out the misfits. Slowly, we've built on it, but building on something terrible doesn't guarantee a good outcome. Compare that to building on something amazing that is imperfect (the U.S. constitution), but generally helps to provide a good outcome.

> They wouldn't have to [compete for your business]. They could be like the cable company, and have it be a race to see who can screw customers over the most without losing them.

They could be like the cable company, except the cable company is a known patchwork of local monopolies. There are certainly ways around this, but lobbying from cable companies has seen that this water has become extremely muddy.

> Capitalistic competition doesn't work as well when what's provided is essentially a necessity for life (in the appropriate time period).

Please provide some cases where pure capitalism in a society/culture like ours has failed to meet the demands for the hierarchy of needs.

> Capitalism isn't about competing for the lowest price, it's about competing for the highest profit.

Agreed. The motive is profit.

> In some cases this can be done by getting more people to pay a cheaper price. But once everyone is buying the product, you can start raising the price until people start to change their provider. If every provider does this, prices go up and people don't have real incentives to switch.

You're describing monopolies (either via one company or via multiple with price fixing). Monopolies are why we have antitrust laws -- the question is whether they actually get exercised and since it's generally not profitable for politicians to carry them out, they don't even go through the motions. Yay for big government, amirite?

> And so you would have less money. I'm not making a moral argument, I'm just pointing out that not paying taxes won't net you more money at the end of the month. The money that you would have paid in taxes would still have to be paid.

Having less money because of paying for things I choose to pay for is far superior.

> I believe that freedom of choice ends when you start harming other people. You don't have the freedom to choose to harm someone else.

Define "harm" here. I maintain that government taking money out of my paycheck without my permission is certainly harmful as it violates some fundamental rights. Few people seem to care about that harm. I think many people see it as "you live in the neighborhood, you pay the dues," and then fail to see how that's like the mafia who offer "protection" in return for "a small monthly contribution."

Try not paying taxes for a year. Men with guns show up. They put you in prison. A prison not meant for rehabilitation, but in reality, made for punishment and trending toward recidivism. You tell me how that's not harmful when you really get down to it.

Sure, this is more roundabout and less direct than, "well, we started paying for everyone's healthcare and now you want to take that AWAY?" But it is skipping its response to a very necessary question: which rights did you violate to begin paying for everyone? This question deserves A LOT more thought, because it's just getting painted right over with the idea that the ends will justify the means.

That's how empires fall.

I see you like cooking, could you be interested in trying to make some Japanese Dishes? Or perhaps we could try colouring a book each with Watercolour Pencils?

​

Maybe I could interest you in Pocahontas (Amazon is out of stock ATM but you can still order from them).

​

Anyway- GOOD MORNING. :)

You've received a lot of great comments and tips. My two cents: instead of a crockpot/slow cooker, consider getting an electric pressure cooker. I have the Instant Pot, which is primarily an electric pressure cooker but also has a slow cooker function. Best of both worlds in one unit! Then, you can make all the excellent slow-cooker recipes you have here on top of the quick and super-easy pressure cooker ones. My favorite pressure cooker sites are:

[Dad Cooks Dinner] (http://dadcooksdinner.com/)

[Hip Pressure Cooking] (http://www.hippressurecooking.com/)

Favorite PC cookbooks - either [Great Big Pressure Cooker] (https://www.amazon.com/Great-Big-Pressure-Cooker-Book/dp/0804185328/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1483205095&sr=8-5&keywords=pressure+cooker+cookbook) cookbook, or any of the Lorna Sass books like Cooking Under Pressure, etc.

Best of luck to you!

https://www.amazon.com/Free-Learn-Unleashing-Instinct-Self-Reliant/dp/0465025994

Carolyn Ketchum.

Here's the link: Keto Soups and Stews

If you want variations on that theme.
http://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Months-Monastery-Victor-DAvila-Latourrette/dp/0767901800
has a number of good potato leek type soups. and lots of others.

The best advice that I can give you is what really got me into pressure cooking with my new Instant Pot...a really good cookbook! The best one that I've used so far is:
The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book: 500 Easy Recipes for Every Machine, Both Stovetop and Electric https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0804185328/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6N7XCb2F3HSKB

This wonderful book has so many great, simple recipies with easy to follow instructions. I've done many recipes from that book and I feel like I'm eating like a queen! 👑 Also, I learned what Compote is and just how wonderfully delicious it is served over vanilla ice cream!!

I disagree with this article, personally.

More on this subject:

http://reason.com/blog/2015/03/19/giving-kids-help-at-the-end-of-a-gun#fold

http://www.amazon.com/Free-Learn-Unleashing-Instinct-Self-Reliant/dp/0465025994

My favorite and easy: Great Sausage and Kale Soup: http://bit.ly/1tB55OR

I LOVE soups, hubby gifted me this book and I've not made a recipe that didn't turn out great. http://amzn.to/1rwu6p6