Somehow this ad from a highly reputable retailer made me wonder if the high quality Sansa’s sold once upon a time got upgraded into “Smart Video” Doorbells.
@moondrake yeah, they’re not bad little devices. We’ve used one for dedicated christmas tunes and it still chugs right along on random. It loves the billy gilman.
@kasheyev That’s funny, my red one is also dedicated to Christmas music. That’s the one that was broken for a while. Wouldn’t turn off, wouldn’t go to the menu, would play only one song over and over till the battery died. I put it in a drawer for a couple of years, and when I tried it again it worked fine. I have two black ones, one is for peppy workout/housecleaning music and the other is for just generally good music for parties and board game nights.
@f00l Likewise. My biggest issue was them repackaging returns to resell (hence the acronym). That would be fine if items were actually tested and complete – except they weren’t. Likewise, wherever they got their refurb goods from gave refurb a bad name. It got pretty old after returning four tube monitors to get one that didn’t flicker – only because they gave me a new one at that point!
@f00l Try El Pinto Green Chile Sauce if you can find it. It started as table salsa in a NM restaurant and is still so authentic you have to sometimes pick out fragments of burnt green chile skin.
You can get a 6 pack on Walmart.com for $32, free shipping on orders of $50 or more. That’s a decent price, I pay $4.50 a jar at the local Albertsons. That’s a lot of salsa for most people (I can eat a jar in a day, but that’s me). But it is the holiday season, so if you are having company you could put it out with chips. It’s not terribly hot, just has a great flavor. If I want to kick it up I stir in some fresh pico de gallo.
@f00l I don’t think so, I don’t think I’ve been to Chimayo. Las Cruces is right next door so we are there a lot and frequently dine in Mesilla and in Hatch when we go to the Chile Festival. And of course Cloudcroft and Ruidoso when we go to visit art festivals, trees and snow. Otherwise most of my exploration of New Mexico has been driving through on my way to Arizona or Colorado for Sci Fi conventions. It’s a pretty state, much prettier than our part of Texas.
Didn’t try the coffee - was there with my Dad and brother a few times decades ago.
@moondrake:
it’s on the twisty “high road” between Santa Fe and Taos. Which is a great drive esp if you don’t mind backtracking a mile or so every now and then because the turns are kinda not well marked and if I didn’t have google maps I’d still be looking for Taos.
And totally worthy. Has been written up in food blogs and cooking lit, but still pretty unspoilt.
On the topic of salsa, I would like to say that I would encourage anyone who’s bought a Blendtec blender here to consider making their own salsas instead of buying them. A month or two ago I made fresh salsas and not only were they incredibly inexpensive to make they were fresher and the flavors more vibrant than anything I’ve ever bought in a store, plus you can tailor it to your tastes.
Oh, they also got rave reviews and, because they were homemade, there were no preservatives! I made fresh Salsa Verde, for example, and for under $3 I had an entire quart of the stuff!
@jbartus I used to make my own, from a coworker’s recipe. Then had to start reducing sodium & the flavor wasn’t the same. Tried other recipes but ran out of patience.
Currently buying a brand called Clint’s Texas Salsa; only 65mg sodium. Made in San Antonio so it must be good
@compunaut what are they replacing the sodium with though? I made mine with all fresh produce prepared in my own kitchen.
Any old blender probably would, but the Blendtec blenders excel at it and I have one and know other mehtizens have bought one so… plugging for Blendtec!
@compunaut I made three different recipes and all were hits. I made a Tequila Lime Pineapple Salsa, Salsa Verde, and a Black Bean and Corn salsa. IDK what the sodium levels were but I don’t remember adding much salt if any to them.
@compunaut I use minimal amounts of salt on my food, mostly I use True Lime. Ingredients Crystallized Lime [citric acid, malic acid, lime oil, lime juice], Maltodextrin. The flavor isn’t the same as salt but it fills a similar niche. There’s also True Lemon, True Orange and True Grapefruit.
@jbartus The old recipe I used blended fresh + canned ingredients. The canned stuff had added salt/sodium; using low-sodium replacements was a poor flavor substitute.
Many salsa recipes add 1-2tsp salt for 2cups product. Doing the math in my head (dangerous!) I think that’s about 200-300mg sodium per 2Tbsp serving.
@compunaut yeah I avoided canned ingredients for the same reason. Unavoidable with the beans and I couldn’t be bothered with the pineapple but corn was in season and such.
@compunaut depends on the tomatoes! What kind did you use? I find that if you want a chunkier salsa you should use something like plum/romas or heirlooms but if you like your salsas to be more ‘wet’ the vine tomatoes the grocery store sells tend to be more pulpy and thus contribute more liquid to the mix. I like a chunkier salsa, personally, but can understand the appeal of wetter salsas. If you like Salsa Verde have no fear about liquid, the tomatillos provide a surprisingly high volume of liquid!
@compunaut for your (and anyone else’s) culinary pleasure:
Ingredients
6 medium tomatillos (Should equate to half a pound by weight once husked)
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (Stems off! I used a jalapeno)
~6 cilantro sprigs, stem removed and finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
Directions
Two different options depending on personal preference, I like it the fresh, raw style but if you prefer the mellower salsa verde this recipe works just as well.
Raw, Fresh Style
Husk the tomatillos and rinse them along with the chiles. Roughly chop and combine in the blender with cilantro and 1/4 cup of water. Blend until a coarse puree forms then pour into a bowl, add your onion and mix well. Can add salt if you like though I’m just as happy without.
Mellow Style
Roast the tomatillos (husked and rinsed) and chiles (stemmed and rinsed) in a baking dish in your oven on both sides on high temperature broil mode until they’re well roasted and black spots begin to form. Dump it all into your blender including any juices, add the cilantro and 1/4 cup of water blending to a coarse puree. Pour in a bowl and add the onion, mixing well. Salt if you like to taste.
I find the romas to be meatier than optimal for a non-chunky salsa!
Doesn’t look much like any Sansa I’ve ever seen.
My three are still in service. One was broken for a while but it got better. It apparently just needed a vacation.
@moondrake yeah, they’re not bad little devices. We’ve used one for dedicated christmas tunes and it still chugs right along on random. It loves the billy gilman.
@kasheyev That’s funny, my red one is also dedicated to Christmas music. That’s the one that was broken for a while. Wouldn’t turn off, wouldn’t go to the menu, would play only one song over and over till the battery died. I put it in a drawer for a couple of years, and when I tried it again it worked fine. I have two black ones, one is for peppy workout/housecleaning music and the other is for just generally good music for parties and board game nights.
I’m out of the loop here, but from the description, did Woot sell Sansa mp3 players using a product thumbnail of the Ring video doorbells?
Their name is actually an acronym for frequently returning your shit.
@narfcake
I’ve bought almost as much stuff from Frys as I have bought from Woot.
@narfcake
Loved them before shopping on the net got big.
Now I haven’t been to the nearby one in several years.
@f00l Likewise. My biggest issue was them repackaging returns to resell (hence the acronym). That would be fine if items were actually tested and complete – except they weren’t. Likewise, wherever they got their refurb goods from gave refurb a bad name. It got pretty old after returning four tube monitors to get one that didn’t flicker – only because they gave me a new one at that point!
no salsas never had a knob like that.
@cranky1950
I like chunky salsa.
@f00l Try El Pinto Green Chile Sauce if you can find it. It started as table salsa in a NM restaurant and is still so authentic you have to sometimes pick out fragments of burnt green chile skin.
@moondrake
Know which chains might carry it?
@f00l Here, of course. But the shipping is something fierce.
You can get a 6 pack on Walmart.com for $32, free shipping on orders of $50 or more. That’s a decent price, I pay $4.50 a jar at the local Albertsons. That’s a lot of salsa for most people (I can eat a jar in a day, but that’s me). But it is the holiday season, so if you are having company you could put it out with chips. It’s not terribly hot, just has a great flavor. If I want to kick it up I stir in some fresh pico de gallo.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/El-Pinto-Green-Chile-Sauce-Medium-16-OZ-Pack-of-6/109593757
@moondrake
The combo of this and fresh pico sounds heavenly.
Have you ever eaten at
RANCHO DE CHIMAYÓ RESTAURANTE
300 Juan Medina Rd.
Chimayó, New Mexico 87522
505 351-4444
@f00l I don’t think so, I don’t think I’ve been to Chimayo. Las Cruces is right next door so we are there a lot and frequently dine in Mesilla and in Hatch when we go to the Chile Festival. And of course Cloudcroft and Ruidoso when we go to visit art festivals, trees and snow. Otherwise most of my exploration of New Mexico has been driving through on my way to Arizona or Colorado for Sci Fi conventions. It’s a pretty state, much prettier than our part of Texas.
@moondrake We love Santa Fe & Taos. Chimayo is on the back country, ‘scenic route’ between them.
@f00l YES! It’s one of my favorite places to eat anywhere. Kinda off the beaten path, but so worth it.
Do you know they sell their own pinon-roasted coffee? I don’t drink the stuff, but those that do claim it may be the nectar of the gods.
@compunaut I’ve been to Taos several times for white water rafting the box canyon, and to Santa Fe a few times for arts events.
@compunaut
Isn’t that place amazing?
Didn’t try the coffee - was there with my Dad and brother a few times decades ago.
@moondrake:
it’s on the twisty “high road” between Santa Fe and Taos. Which is a great drive esp if you don’t mind backtracking a mile or so every now and then because the turns are kinda not well marked and if I didn’t have google maps I’d still be looking for Taos.
And totally worthy. Has been written up in food blogs and cooking lit, but still pretty unspoilt.
On the topic of salsa, I would like to say that I would encourage anyone who’s bought a Blendtec blender here to consider making their own salsas instead of buying them. A month or two ago I made fresh salsas and not only were they incredibly inexpensive to make they were fresher and the flavors more vibrant than anything I’ve ever bought in a store, plus you can tailor it to your tastes.
Oh, they also got rave reviews and, because they were homemade, there were no preservatives! I made fresh Salsa Verde, for example, and for under $3 I had an entire quart of the stuff!
@jbartus I used to make my own, from a coworker’s recipe. Then had to start reducing sodium & the flavor wasn’t the same. Tried other recipes but ran out of patience.
Currently buying a brand called Clint’s Texas Salsa; only 65mg sodium. Made in San Antonio so it must be good
Also, any old blender will probably do for salsa
@compunaut what are they replacing the sodium with though?
I made mine with all fresh produce prepared in my own kitchen.
Any old blender probably would, but the Blendtec blenders excel at it and I have one and know other mehtizens have bought one so… plugging for Blendtec!
@jbartus Soylent
@compunaut I made three different recipes and all were hits. I made a Tequila Lime Pineapple Salsa, Salsa Verde, and a Black Bean and Corn salsa. IDK what the sodium levels were but I don’t remember adding much salt if any to them.
@compunaut I use minimal amounts of salt on my food, mostly I use True Lime. Ingredients Crystallized Lime [citric acid, malic acid, lime oil, lime juice], Maltodextrin. The flavor isn’t the same as salt but it fills a similar niche. There’s also True Lemon, True Orange and True Grapefruit.
@jbartus The old recipe I used blended fresh + canned ingredients. The canned stuff had added salt/sodium; using low-sodium replacements was a poor flavor substitute.
Many salsa recipes add 1-2tsp salt for 2cups product. Doing the math in my head (dangerous!) I think that’s about 200-300mg sodium per 2Tbsp serving.
@moondrake Have some TrueLemon; wasn’t that great for drinking. Might have to try it in some recipes
@compunaut yeah I avoided canned ingredients for the same reason. Unavoidable with the beans and I couldn’t be bothered with the pineapple but corn was in season and such.
@jbartus IIRC, I was using canned tomatoes; fresh tomatoes actually didn’t have enough juice but adding water dilutes the flavor. Sigh…
@compunaut depends on the tomatoes! What kind did you use? I find that if you want a chunkier salsa you should use something like plum/romas or heirlooms but if you like your salsas to be more ‘wet’ the vine tomatoes the grocery store sells tend to be more pulpy and thus contribute more liquid to the mix. I like a chunkier salsa, personally, but can understand the appeal of wetter salsas. If you like Salsa Verde have no fear about liquid, the tomatillos provide a surprisingly high volume of liquid!
@jbartus I don’t remember trying anything but Romas when doing fresh.
I guess I might need to try your Salsa Verde recipe
@compunaut for your (and anyone else’s) culinary pleasure:
Ingredients
Directions
Two different options depending on personal preference, I like it the fresh, raw style but if you prefer the mellower salsa verde this recipe works just as well.
Raw, Fresh Style
Husk the tomatillos and rinse them along with the chiles. Roughly chop and combine in the blender with cilantro and 1/4 cup of water. Blend until a coarse puree forms then pour into a bowl, add your onion and mix well. Can add salt if you like though I’m just as happy without.
Mellow Style
Roast the tomatillos (husked and rinsed) and chiles (stemmed and rinsed) in a baking dish in your oven on both sides on high temperature broil mode until they’re well roasted and black spots begin to form. Dump it all into your blender including any juices, add the cilantro and 1/4 cup of water blending to a coarse puree. Pour in a bowl and add the onion, mixing well. Salt if you like to taste.
I find the romas to be meatier than optimal for a non-chunky salsa!