Hi! Can any one think of a Cambridge/Somerville store that might sell candy thermometers? I've tried a few big supermarkets and they have meat thermometers but those don't go up high enough in temperature.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks!

Edited: Woo hoo! I called Tags and they say they carry them. Thanks for the suggestions all.

Now I can try my hand at these Fleur De Sel Caramels by Barefoot Contessa! :)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/fleur-de-sel-caramels-recipe/index.html

Hi All,

Looking for a recommendation for a local FTH Buyer class.

Thanks

I noticed in Modern Brewer a new sign has been put up behind the register. It lists a number for the main (NY) store, and says if you ever have a problem with one of the staff members, to call it. If the owner is not available, it lists another number for the Western MA store. It goes on to say that rude or disrespectful behavior by staff is unacceptable, so I wonder if they read messages here about the problems other have had.

I have to say that I've only had good experiences there, occasionally I get a sense of "I know what's right, but if you MUST buy that malt instead of the other I guess so", but that's something you get from any hobby store. Just stick with "I really would like to use this", and they'll move on pretty quick. Of course, I also happen to have a penis, so YMMV.

Okay, I know everyone hates travel questions, but I'm in a pinch and MBTA isn't really helping me. I'm trying to get from Hinghham (south shore) to Lowell (north shore). I can take the commuter rail from West Hingham into south station, take the t (red line to orange?) to north station, and take the commuter rail from there to Lowell. My question is, is there any other way to do it? Any alternative routes that I'm missing? Also, once in Lowell, I have to rely on a bus to get me to the exact street I'm going to (http://www.lrta.com/LRTA%20Bus%20Sched%2010410Final.pdf schedule here) which apparently stops running at 7pm. Basically I'll be leaving my house at 10, arriving at my destination at quarter of four, and leaving by 7 to do the whole trip home again. This costs roughly 35 for the day and is really stressing me out... I don't have access to a car, but any other options are really appreciated!!!

(PS: I'm doing this to visit a close friend who just got out of the hospital, so it's something that's really important to me, I just want to see if there's a way I can spend more time actually with her than traveling/stressing).

To help relieve my seemingly perpetual state of poverty, I'm selling a selection of books from my collection. Most of them have been sitting around my house for ages... It is time for them to go and I am selling them cheap.

If you like to read, please have a look! I'm a student currently working an unpaid internship, so I really need some extra cash. You know the story.

( Book list and details cut for courtesy. )

Plenty of books left. Check it out. :)

i_hope_that
For many of us, the holidays can be kind of rough. If you're searching for a network of understanding friends, this ultra-nurturing community encourages you to express your heartfelt wishes and offer other members encouragement and acceptance. Not for the terminally snarky or emotionally-challenged, this is a good-spirited place to lend comfort and support.

diygifts
Feeling crafty? If you've got a few last folks on your holiday gift list, this is a great place to seed your creativity and generosity. You'll also discover wonderful DIY tips to decorate your home and entertain guests. Offering a no-frills-no-skills attitude that welcomes the cash-challenged and arts-phobic, you're sure to get ideas and make friends in the process.

cooking_club
A fun and friendly community dedicated to those who love to cook, whether you're a meat-and-potatoes type, an aspiring gourmand, and/or a vegan. In search of a brilliant dish to use up those weekly leftovers? Post your ingredients and you'll be whipping up a feast by dinner. You can also share favorite recipes. For Type A chefs, you can spice up your culinary repertoire with exciting cooking challenges.

Can somebody clue me in about some weird Massachusetts stop lights?

We saw one that was a green light... with a flashing red on top. WTF is that?

I've heard of something similar, like a yellow light with a flashing red on top.

Any idea?

I have a completely ignorant question. I have a document that I need notarized by end of business tomorrow. How do I find a notary public? I have no idea where to even start, beyond a google search, which I did do. I'm worried that a lot of businesses that often have one 'on call' may not because it is a holiday week.

Thoughts? I'm in Davis all day today and nearby tomorrow as well.

ETA: thanks to all for the info!

Am overwhelmed with responses to my Red Velvet querie. Thanks so much. Forgive the generic "thanks" to all but I worked this weekend, and working tomorrow nite, and not sure I have time to repsond individually, but wanted to say thanks non the less.

They all sound so delicious, I can't wait to try them! And, I'll let you know which one I picked!

*throws flour and cocoa about the room*

Hi, I found a pretty nice camera while I was out sledding on President's Hill at Tufts and would like to return it to the owner!

- Casio Exilim with a 4 gig SDHC SanDisk card

- was found at the bottom of the hill, in the snow, had been there a while

- pictures of kids sledding earlier that day, a church/choir event with a banner in Portuguese, and what looked like a Christmas event at Medford High School

Please send this around to anyone you know.


( Do you know any of these ladies? )

The City of Somerville has lifted its snow emergency as of 4 p.m.,Sunday, December 20, 2009. Residents parked in municipal or school lots during the snow emergency have a two-hour window starting at that time in which to move their vehicles. Cars still parked in city lots at 6 p.m. on Sunday evening may be subject to ticketing and towing. Residents, landlords and business owners are required by city regulations to shovel their sidewalks but may not shovel snow into the street. For more information, please dial 311 (627-666-3311 from outside Somerville) or visit the city’s website, www.somervillema.gov

Next to Guru, in the space formerly occupied by Marinos Pizza (for what was it, all of 3 months?).

( photos )

Due to a mix up at Zazzle.com, I ended up with about 30 calendars (for 2010) for some dog-related business out of state. Zazzle sent out my real order, and told me to keep the calendars and I'd like to find an organization, elderly housing or something that might want them. They're not bad, but I don't need 30 calendars of dogs I don't know. I'd like to not drop off 30 individually. Any ideas?

I've been casually looking for them while out shopping the past few weeks, but to no avail. Even Hidden Sweets doesn't have them.

I'm new to Somerville this year, and wanted to use this storm as an opportunity to see exactly how snow procedures work here. Ten minutes before Tom Champion called, I had moved my car into a municipal lot. Then I sat back to see if we really could park on the streets, so long as it was on the odd side. (I'd prefer my car be within sight of my building, rather than two blocks away.)

5pm came around, and no one else on the street moved their vehicles. 9pm came around. A couple cop cars drove past, and a fleet of tow trucks a bit later, but none stopped. I woke up this morning to find every car still parked on the even side of the street (Linden, off of Somerville Ave- right across from the police station!) No tickets, no towing. The plows had just cleared the odd side instead.

So now I'm feeling a little gullible, having been the only person on the street to move. What if I had parked on the odd side like the city said- would I have been ticketed for blocking the plows because everyone else stayed where they were?

Which stores around here sell powdered chlorine bleach? Tired of lugging around bottles to do a wash. I've seen little single-wash boxes in vending machines at the cleaner's, but doesn't anyone sell a two-pound box of this? This isn't the same as color-safe bleach, which is fine, but once in a while I like to wash with actual chlorine.

At the time of the season's first snowstorm last December, the City of Somerville announced that street cleaning was to be suspended for the remainder of the year.  As far as I know, they haven't made such an announcement this time.  Obviously street cleaning will be impossible once the emergency is lifted (at least for several days), but could they still be ticketing for illegal parking per the street cleaning schedule?

You'd think that common sense would prevail here, but having recently been ticketed for parking near a fire hydrant that had been labelled "out of service" for weeks, I know that isn't always the case with the city.