We tried the Cozy Kitchen recipe and Mr wtg has pronounced it a winner and even better than his (former) favorite from Panera. I ended up making half a recipe.

I think the Smitten Kitchen recipe is actually quite similar in terms of proportions. Maybe a tad less butter and flour and a little more liquid, which might make it less thick. Though I have to say the CK version was not absurdly thick.

I would definitely stick with fresh broccoli. You can really taste the difference.

This will be an ongoing experiment in the wtg house. Not sure whether to try the SK recipe first, or to stick with CK and change up the cheese. This time around we used a Cabot cheddar that was a limited edition/special reserve/whatever. Excellent cheese all around, but not something that's stocked all the time at Costco.

Or we could use the same cheese and try the SK recipe. I do like the little additions of the seasonings in the CK recipe: mustard powder, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and nutmeg. You don't really taste any of those ingredients but I think they add "something" to the overall flavor.

@ShiroKuro said in Package thieves stealing iPhones:

How do they know that it's a phone that's been delivered?

One theory is that someone on the inside (of ATT, for instance) gets hold of the tracking numbers for phone shipments.

Watch the video.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliekatz/2024/11/15/introducing-daisy-an-ai-granny-outwitting-scammers-one-call-at-a-time/

My best friend Pat is arriving early evening on Thanksgiving Day and is staying with us for a few days, leaving Monday.

What about you? Are you hosting or being hosted? Staying put, or traveling?

Whisker Labs has enhanced its industry-leading grid monitoring technology by introducing Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) measurements, providing unprecedented insights into the health of the U.S. electric grid. THD monitoring enables identification of homes and regions experiencing elevated levels of ‘distorted’ power. These disturbances reduce energy efficiency, damage home appliances, and harm critical grid infrastructure, ultimately leading to higher costs for homeowners. This advancement not only provides benefits at the household level, but also offers valuable insights to utilities, government agencies, and researchers addressing challenges faced by modern power grids.

This exclusive, impactful data set is powered by Ting, a DIY plug-in sensor that detects and mitigates electrical hazards that lead to fires. While a single Ting sensor monitors a home, the network of Ting sensors monitors power quality and the resiliency of the electrical grid across the nation. By integrating THD monitoring into Ting, Whisker Labs is bringing this advanced power quality assessment directly into homes and communities for the first time, helping to better understand and address grid issues on both a local and national scale.

https://www.tingfire.com/news/enhanced-grid-monitoring-with-total-harmonic-distortion-measurements/

Los Angeles illustrator Daren Jannace spent an entire year making this simple yet impressive Post-it note animation. Creating around 30 simple Post-it doodles per day, he created nearly 11,000 over the course of a year, and a fun, never-stopping animation.

The animation itself includes simple stick figures, blob-like creatures that bend and expand, and much more. But it’s the dedication from Jannace’s entire year of progress that stands out the most to us.

https://mossandfog.com/nearly-11000-post-it-notes-come-together-for-this-years-worth-of-animation/?utm_placement=newsletter

All Aboard the Most Festive Holiday Train Rides in the U.S.

Live out your Polar Express dreams on these holiday train rides across the country.

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/best-christmas-train-rides?utm_placement=newsletter

(pssst....I've never seen Polar Express.....should I make it a point to watch it this holiday season?)

How One Woman Became the Scapegoat for America’s Reading Crisis

Lucy Calkins was an education superstar. Now she’s cast as the reason a generation of students struggles to read. Can she reclaim her good name?

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/12/lucy-calkins-child-literacy-teaching-methodology/680394/?gift=KA3KGfYfSJuXahz57d8Ku0Zo1HOvRsAPOrgUN2O2Ahw

I'm not familiar with Lucy or her methodology for teaching reading to kids. Any thoughts from those of you with kids and/or who are in the teaching profession?

In my state you don’t have to register with a party in advance of the primary. You just ask for the ballot you want when you go to vote.

I think part of the problem is also that turnout for primaries is pretty low. Motivated voters show up in force, and they are often at the fringes.

I found this little bit of history about how primaries have evolved over time. It’s a Vox piece that was written in 2016 before DJT got the GOP nomination.

https://www.vox.com/a/presidential-primaries-2016-republican-democrat

@Cindysphinx is right. We need some changes.

An excellent possibility. Looks a lot like the Panera broccoli cheddar soup, down to the shredded . And I actually do have half-and-half, too.

Am baking sourdough tomorrow, so may give this recipe a whirl!

Thanks @Steve-Miller !