Subj : Monetize To : Sean Dennis From : Dave Drum Date : Fri Jan 05 2024 06:21:51 -=> Sean Dennis wrote to Dave Drum <=- DD> Illinois Bell is trying to con its subscribers into switching to the DD> cell based landlines. I'm keeping my hard wired phone service so they DD> have to maintain their decaying infrastructure. SD> Around here, the POTS system has been bought and sold so many times I'm SD> losing track. Looks like it's CenturyLink but it's now a DBA for SD> another company called Lumen. Other than when I lived in Californica I've always been on good ol' Ma Bell for telephone. Even through all the anti-trust bust ups and reformations it has been some form of AT&T. And once fiber came to my part of town I told the cable ($cumca$t/Xfinity) about that place where the sun never shines and went with AT&T fiber. Since I qualify for the Gummint's "Affordable Connectivity Program" ..... SD> My ISP is actually my local power board and I'm getting 300/300 fiber SD> for $20 a month with an extra $5 going towards a public-facing IPv4 SD> address (without it, I couldn't run the BBS). I'm very satisfied with SD> my service and when I can afford it, I'll switch to 1GB/1GB fiber for SD> $80 a month. SD> Loocks like with an ACP account, you can get free DSL but this service SD> I get is so much better and stable. What would they charge/rent on modems, etc. When I ditched $cumca$t they began dunnung me to return their modem and router. At which poin t I told the agent (who spoke heavily accented Engrish) to re-check the records, I never rented a single piece from them. SD> I can't get a price quote on a simple POTS line without "chatting with SD> an agent". CenturyLink is notorious for its terrible customer service. SD> Since it's 27F out right now: That's nippy for your area. I'm looking at 31F - but the sun isn't up over the eastern horizon yet. Supposed to go all the way up to 38F by lunchtime. SD> MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 SD> Title: Cottage Stew SD> Categories: Crockpot, Soups & ste, Beef SD> Yield: 1 Servings MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Easy Cottage Pie Categories: Beef, Potatoes, Vegetables, Herbs Yield: 4 Servings 2 lb Potatoes; peeled, quartered 8 tb Butter 1 md Onion; chopped; 1 1/2 cups 2 c Mixed vegetables; diced - carrots, corn, peas 1 1/2 lb Ground beef 1/2 c Beef broth 1 ts Worcestershire sauce Salt & pepper, seasonings - of choice BOIL THE POTATOES: Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in medium sized pot. Cover with at least an inch of cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender (about 20 minutes). SAUTÉ VEGETABLES: While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until tender, about 6 to 10 minutes. If you are including vegetables, add them according to their cooking time. Carrots should be cooked with the onions, because they take as long to cook as the onions do. If you are including peas or corn, add them toward the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat starts to cook, as they take very little cooking time. ADD THE GROUND BEEF, THEN WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE AND BROTH: Add ground beef to the pan with the onions and vegetables. Cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Add the worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth if necessary to keep the meat from drying out. MASH THE COOKED POTATOES: When the potatoes are done cooking (a fork can easily pierce), remove them from the pot and place them in a bowl with the remaining 4 Tbsp of butter. Mash with a fork or potato masher, and season with salt and pepper to taste. LAYER THE MEAT MIXTURE AND MASHED POTATOES IN A CASSEROLE DISH: Preheat oven to 400ºF/204ºC. Spread the beef, onions, and vegetables (if using) in an even layer in a large baking dish (8" x 13" casserole). Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef. Rough up the surface of the mashed potatoes with a fork so there are peaks that will get well browned. You can even use a fork to make creative designs in the mashed potatoes. BAKE IN OVEN: Place in a 400ºF/204ºC oven and cook until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. If necessary, broil for the last few minutes to help the surface of the mashed potatoes brown. VARIATIONS: Put a layer of creamed corn between the ground beef and the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top of the mashed potatoes before baking. The original recipe comes from Frances Hochschild, and her mother. RECIPE FROM: http://recipesource.com Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen MMMMM .... Cooking, like love, should be entered into with abandon. Or not at all --- MultiMail/Win v0.52 * Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (1:18/200) .