In which I am not a Chinese sweatshop worker

[Sapphire Silk]

Well, the yarns were getting kind of frayed, so let's call it a wrap.

Get down, get down!

And a good thing, too. The topics under discussion have gotten rather tangled.

[Seshat]

Thansel, thank you for the ice cream advice. (And everyone else who's chipped in.)


On 'make your own' vs 'convenience':

If I were fully healthy, and we had enough income coming in for one of the three of us (3-adult household) to stay at home and work making stuff, we'd probably go for 'make your own' for many things. Clothing and cooking, at minimum, simply for quality, fit (for clothing), and matching-our-intolerances (food).

I'm not. We don't. And therefore, we don't.

Besides, frozen plant-based food is usually 'fresher' (in the sense of having lost fewer nutrients) than 'fresh' food that's been shipped hither and yon before reaching supermarket shelves.

[Gurndigarn]

If I were fully healthy, and we had enough income coming in for one of the three of us (3-adult household) to stay at home and work making stuff, we'd probably go for 'make your own' for many things. Clothing and cooking, at minimum, simply for quality, fit (for clothing), and matching-our-intolerances (food).

I'm not. We don't. And therefore, we don't.

One thing I've found, though, is that cooking can often be less expensive than buying pre-packaged stuff. It takes time, though (though not all of it has to be spent in the kitchen), which you may or may not have.

I can make a pizza as good as the best I've ever gotten from a restaurant for between $2.50 and $4, depending on the toppings (for a two-to-four topping, 14 inch pizza). It just takes ten minutes of my work, and about an hour and a half for the kneading, rising, and cooking for two pizzas.


And back on the original topic: if you have someone insisting on insanely lowball prices, my response would be "If you want to pay sweatshop prices... and don't mind sweatshop quality, I recommend Wal-Mart."

[Seshat]

Time, I have. Endurance is what I don't have. Repetitive actions (cutting, chopping, kneading) cause 'trigger points' which reduce my ability to function until they get (very painfully) treated.

However, a bag of frozen chopped veggies is comparable pricewise with the same amount of the same vegetable, unchopped/fresh. Saves on me having to do the repetitive action, and as long as it wasn't intended for a salad, tastes just the same.

(Mind you, I detest frozen spinach. I've never found a leafy green that tastes right, frozen. So leafy greens are going to be our first veggie-patch vegetables.)

[Mishi]

(Mind you, I detest frozen spinach. I've never found a leafy green that tastes right, frozen. So leafy greens are going to be our first veggie-patch vegetables.)

I'm sure that you've grown spinach and silverbeet before, but just in case... don't be surprised if it appears to stop growing for a little while. Mine get 'stuck' at the 4 leaf stage for a few weeks and then suddenly take off. Just keep watering and feeding them, don't get frustrated and pull them out like my best friend did.

Back on topic:
Kanalah, your prices are insanely low! Nanna B sent a quilt away a few years ago to be machine-quilted, it was all done except for the quilting and it was cheap at $150 for a queensize. *Hugs* I hope you find some decent customers soon.

[protege]

Even better, are the tools that decide that your prices are "too high" and that they can do "better" for less. Such as the case when my brother wanted me to build him something...but bitched about the price. So, I handed him an unbuilt kit, and told him to prove it. I'd removed the clear plastic from the box, but the kit was still a box of raw plastic castings. His reaction? "Uh, no...that's OK..." In other words, unless you can do better, shut the hell up.

This sort of thing isn't limited to arts and crafts either. I forget how it came up, but my boss and I were talking about how I'd built a computer...and had repaired most of his. He was curious as to what I'd spent on mine...and actually choked on his cigar when mine would blow his away, and I'd spent less than 1/2 of what he did. Granted, I had some help, and not all the parts were new (I'd scavenged and recycled a couple of things)...but still. I'm no expert by *any* means, but I do know how to find bargains, and I'm not afraid to source out things for my projects...or find alternative ways to do things.

Along those lines, that's why the one-way valve in my MG's windshield-washer system...is actually something that you'd use on a fish tank's air line. It's the same part as I'd find at the vendor (no really, I checked it against the old one), but was a fraction of the cost.

[ArcticChicken]

I'm thinking of just making a batch of maple ice cream to see how the sugar substitution works in terms of sweetness and consistency (I'm worried about it freezing harder than I want it).

I've never tried it, but I've hear you can substitute maple sugar (crystallized maple syrup, not maple flavored sugar) one for one for white sugar, and it tastes pretty maple-y.

[thansal]

that probably makes more sense...

However!

I have my cream and milk and maple syrup, so here it goes, I'll mention any results :P

Ninja Edit:

Well, the flavor is good, but yah, the consistency isn't creamy enough. when I make maple bacon ice cream I just make sure I have some maple sugar.