Morgan Baker (u/the_morgan)

Posts

Butter vs shortening for super flaky pie crust, I picked butter and it worked out way better than I expected

Used butter instead of shortening for my apple pie last Sunday and got those big visible flakes I've been chasing for months, but now I'm wondering if shortening holds up better when you're working with a really wet filling?

2 comments

c/apartment-composting•

the_morgan•1mo ago

Shoutout to my neighbor who told me to freeze my scraps before adding them to my bin

I was worried about fruit flies, but after trying her method for a week, my countertop bin has zero smell and the frozen scraps break down faster in my tumbler.

3 comments

c/budgeting-wins•

the_morgan•1mo ago

Update: My grocery bill in Phoenix went down by $40 a week

I was at the checkout line last Tuesday and the cashier asked if I wanted to sign up for the store's digital coupons, which I always ignored. I said yes just to be nice, and she scanned a code that cut $15 off my total right then. Has anyone else had a store worker just hand them a win like that?

3 comments

c/electricians•

the_morgan•1mo ago

Unpopular opinion: I thought those $40 thermal imaging attachments for phones were just a gimmick until I found a hot spot in a panel that my regular meter missed.

Honestly, I was ready to return it after a week, but it flagged a loose neutral on a 30 amp circuit in a Denver apartment rewire last month that felt normal to the touch, so has anyone else had a tool surprise them like that?

2 comments

c/diesel-mechanics•

the_morgan•1mo ago

My neighbor's kid asked why we still fix old trucks and it got me thinking

He's 16 and wants an electric car, said diesel is 'just loud pollution'. I told him about the 1995 F-350 with 400k miles I got running for a farmer in Cedar Rapids. That truck will outlive three of his future cars. It hit different because he wasn't being rude, he just didn't know. How do you guys explain the value of our work to people who don't get it?

3 comments

c/coding-for-beginners•

the_morgan•1mo ago

I was at the library in Springfield and saw they only offer Python books for beginners

I mean, idk, maybe it's just me but starting with something like JavaScript for web stuff feels way more rewarding. Has anyone else felt pushed toward one language when you wanted to try another?

3 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

the_morgan•1mo ago

My pork shoulder bark went from pale to perfect in just 2 hours

I was smoking a 9 pound shoulder on my offset last weekend and the bark looked weak after 6 hours. I moved it from the top rack directly over the firebox, where the heat is more direct. The difference was crazy, it formed a deep, dark crust in the next 2 hours without burning. The key was that radiant heat from the coals, not just smoke. Anyone else find a sweet spot on their smoker that fixed a bark problem?

3 comments

c/furniture-finishers•

the_morgan•1mo ago

My uncle swore by thinning shellac with denatured alcohol for a 2-pound cut, but my test board showed major adhesion issues after a week.

Switched to a 1.5-pound cut with fresh flakes and the difference in durability was huge. What's your go-to ratio for a durable topcoat on oak?

3 comments

c/cnc-operators•

the_morgan•1mo ago

A new guy at the shop in Tulsa told me he'd rather run a manual lathe than babysit a CNC all day.

He said it while we were both cleaning chips out of a Haas VF-2 last Tuesday, and it made me wonder if anyone else has met younger operators who prefer the old iron.

3 comments

c/everyday-life-hacks•

the_morgan•1mo ago

I was putting my cast iron pan away wet for months until my friend saw me do it

He pointed out that even a little water left on it will cause rust spots, so now I dry it on the warm stove for a minute before putting it up. Anyone have a better way to keep theirs in good shape?

3 comments