Crazy Hot Chicken Chili

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So last week we brought home some canned Ancho chilis. We had never cooked with them before, and thought we would cool chili with them…only to discover they are stupid hot.

So I waited a week…and until the wife was out of the house to do it.

Step 1. lightly oil a frying pan

Step 2. chop up 2 white onions

Step 3. add 1 1/2 tbsp of garlic

Step 4. fry them until the onions are lightly see through and then add a 28oz can of Ancho chilis cook for approx 5 min(apparently the heat opens up the chilis oil)

Step 5. use a blender and blend them together until they are a puree

Step 6. add a 28oz can of chopped tomatos to blender and mix in with the chili

Step 7. next add / mix in

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tbsp chipotle

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tbsp chili powder (you can probably skip this)

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sour cream (NOTE: if you want it crazy hot…cut this to 1/4 cup of sour cream)

Step 8. pour contents of blender into a large pot, and add two 12oz cans of kidney beans and 1 cup of frozen corn.

Step 9. in another pan lightly brown chicken cut into 1/2 inch blocks and then add to chili mixture

Step 10. let it simmer on low/medium heat for 1 hour

It’s tasty…but will open pores and nasal passages shortly thereafter.

Amazon Alexa – Announce Feature (How to exclude a device from an announcement)

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This took a few minutes to figure out.

Basically you are making a standard timed announcement…but FIRST you need to set the Do Not Disturb flag to the Amazon Echo device (or devices) that you want to ignore.

In this example, I want to set up a bedtime alert for each kid. Before 10pm it’s perfectly fine to make an announcement on every device, but once 10pm rolls around, I want to make sure that my wife’s sleep isn’t disrupted in the bedroom. This means removing our Echo from the Announce listing…except that it’s not really an option.

So first, I set the Do Not Disturb flag for the Amazon FireStick TV and Amazon Echo that are in the master bedroom for a duration of 1 minute.

Then I have it play the required announcement. Confirmed, nothing plays in the master bedroom for 1 minute.

Once the 1 minute is up…I can send any required notifications to all devices as normal.

This is the way – The Mandalorian S2E01

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*** SPOILERS ***

OMG OMG OMG, The Mandalorian is such an amazing series. It’s hard to belive that it’s been almost a year since we’ve received a new episode…but here it was…and BOOM right out of the gate we get another 10/10 episode.

*** SPOILERS ***

Today we were gifted the Star Wards trifecta..in ONE episode of The Mandalorian. As I just told my wife…I’m screaming with happiness inside. There are literally fireworks in my head.

Growing up and moving around so much, I really attached myself to reading. The Star Wars books were my thing, the comics were my tomes. I am literally SCREAMING inside wanting to tell everyone about this episode.

I can’t…because…

So episode review…

  1. We return to Tattooine and get the classic “starship flying by a bantha”
  2. Peli Motto has R5 aka “RED” (R5D4). The droid that had it’s motivator malfunction (or if you read the books…you know it did this on purpose). It still bears the scars from it’s experience (ref.book->From a Certain Point of View).
  3. We meet “The Marshall” (Cobb Vanth), and get a backstory that “kind of” matches what has already been written (ref. book -> Aftermath). We also learn how he came across the armor of Boba Fett.
  4. We finally see a Krayt Dragon (no relation to the planet Crait), what I can only imagine is (thus far at least) the biggest and scariest monster in Star Wars (at least to date). How scary? We learn that they eat Sarlacc’s.
  5. The “Sand People” are back. I love that they have a relationship with Din Djarin that they seem to have with no one else.
  6. Anytime we see a Mandalorian I get giddy, but to see them in action…it always an awesome episode…to watch the Sand People, the Mandalorian, The Marshall and the village work together was pretty awesome.

BUT THEN…there was the ending.

Stick around for the final 2 minutes…and you’ll see that they are being watched by a very scarred Temuera Morrison…the actor that played Jango Fett in the prequels. We know that Jango is dead…and the only other clone that could be on Tattoine would be BOBA FETT.

That’s right. We just learned that after 30 years of hoping…Boba Fett is alive and well. That we saw him at the end, and we haven’t see Jin Djarin leave the planet yet…makes me wonder if Boba Fett will make an attempt to recover his armor in the next episode?

Time will indeed tell.

…and now the news.

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Perhaps something to think about.

What source of news is actually legitimate anymore? With companies like the CBC and CNN sitting so far “left”, and other outlets like FOX sitting so far “right”. When there are only the extremes…it would make sense that the truth is somewhere in the middle.

So…who covers the middle. Who covers, and provides the truth?

If we as a society can’t figure that out….How can a “news aggregator company” like Facebook, Twitter, or Google source legitimate news without being politically unbiased.

I don’t think it’s possible.

Raspberry PI – Wireless Scanning

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We stepped up to a wireless mesh network at the house this weekend. We’ve been having a lot of weird wireless issues in the last week or so…so we updated our old Linksys routers to a new wireless mesh.

Switching wireless id’s wasn’t the end of the world…I thought it would be a bigger pain in the butt…but it’s really not that terrible. Most applications have a method to be able to switch the wireless network they connect to “fairly painlessly”. Even the Ring doorbell (which has 2 extra steps) wasn’t terrible.

I did want to try and figure out how to wirelessly scan and confirm which networks the pi’s were on as they serve a couple of purposes for us.

wgetid will show you the network the pi is connected to.

sudo iwlist wlan0 scan | egrep “Cell|ESSID|Signal|Rates” will provide a quick wireless scan and show you the strength and rates available.

Playing with Amazon Lightsail

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I’ve discovered PLESK can be used right out of the game with an Amazon Lightsail instance to basically do what I am doing now with my hosting service to control multiple domains, etc. I just have to figure out what sort of bandwidth is being used so I can try and determine if it’s a better deal for us or not.

We bought a Traeger

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Rachel and I have been talking for the past few years about “getting a smoker”. With some many things going on, and such busy lives, it never seemed like the right time to do it…until now.

What else are we doing? Why not learn to do it right when we have nothing else to do?

So I returned to my “research phase” of smokers. I contacted the people that I know that have used smokers for years, as well as a couple of people that are new to it. The idea was to determine the pros and cons from people of varying experience levels so that I can go into this with as much knowledge as possible. The results determined that we should spend the money on a good unit, and not to buy one that’s too small (we might regret it).

There’s a lot to learn about smokers, and unlike BBQ’s the shapes and sizes really are a lot different.

There are vertical and offside style smokers. The offside style smokers tend to use wood pellets for fuel and smoke, while the vertical units seem to use more electric and propane usage.

Interestingly I kept reading that the vertical units might have a better heat range and moisture control…but I was really more interested in the offside smokers and their usage of pellets for smoke flavor.

After hearing about how you can’t go wrong with Traeger, and the amazing app they have (so amazing that other smoker brands recommend it). Then hearing how well built they are…I had to check them out…so I went and took a look at them over at Strodes Deli & BBQ in Brantford.

The very first determination was that the model we were looking at was smaller than I initially thought we would want…so we went a little bigger for our first unit. Our purchase wasn’t determined by “features” per se, but by the size of the smoking area.

Ultimately we settled on a Traeger Pro 575.

I would consider this to be a medium sized smoker, and as advertised…it fired right up and just did what it was supposed to do. The initial fire up was perfect with no issues, and and hour and a bit later we were good to start putting food on it.

Which is when I ran into a small issue with connecting the app to my grill and my wireless network. Yes…it’s actually a feature.

(warning IT speak to follow)

There are lots of people complaining about this one, and having gone through the same thing I think I’m able to explain it a little better now. So if you buy a Traeger grill that allows you to connect to your wifi (and you are having issues)…here’s what you’ll need in order to set it up successfully.

  1. a wireless G network running 2.4ghz
  2. a visible wireless name (no ssid hiding)
  3. a password to connect to your wireless
  4. an ios or google device with the Trager app loaded

When you open the app you’ll click to connect to your grill. It will ask you which wireless network you want to connect to which is where lots of people (including myself initially) get thrown off.

Accept the message that pops up, so that the grill will connect to your phone directly.

Think of it this way….the wireless unit on the grill doesn’t have a way for you to connect to your wireless network from the grill, so it connects to your phone. When you enter the information on your phone, you are likely creating a small file that the phone will then hand off to your grill (which will give it the login / password to connect to your network)…this is why the very first step is to connect from your phone directly to the grill.

When it gets to the next step…move indoors away from your grill and closer to your wireless network. This lets you phone get a stronger wireless signal for the first step…a firmware update.

I can’t belive there are firmware updates for a smoker…but there are. This will take approximately 5 minutes, but once it’s over…you can rename your smoker to a more civil name and then you are complete.

The Traeger is definitely a solid unit, although others will have more accessories that will come with them. It’s one of those items that I feel like the name is worth paying the extra little bit for.

Update April 27th,2020

I’m not even kidding with this one…but you can connect the Traeger 575 to your Alexa app so that you can control the temperature and get temperature updates with your voice. I’m NOT going to do this as the app works fine for me…but it’s hilarious to think that at some point down the road we can ask Alexa to fire up the grill and tell me when it’s ready to start cooking.

Home Automation

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Earlier this year I bought a couple of Alexa Echo Flex units to play with.

The idea was to get an idea of how home automation is finally starting to evolve.

The notion of home automation isn’t new, but with the evolution of wireless technologies, and the ever evolving world of personal assistants and home tools….well…it get’s very interesting indeed.

It was the Amazon Alexa Flex units that actually really intrigued me. They are smaller units that plug directly into a wall outlet, and as a result they blend directly into the background very quickly and easily. Due to their smaller size the sound quality that comes out is okay for voice command and acknowledgements…but not great for music.

BUT

They do have the option to connect to bluetooth speakers…which changes things drastically.

Next I purchased a pair of Teckin outlets from Amazon. They use the SmartLife application which is pretty alright, and works as an interpreter between the outlet devices and Alexa.

Basically…you tell Alexa what you want and it looks to see what it’s connected to in order to accomplish the demand. I created a group called Living room and Fireplace room and was able to use voice command to turn the lights on and off.

You can get very complex using the SmartLife app…it’s a very interesting tool.

The next add was an Amazon Echo…a bigger unit with much better sound, as well as a pair of Teckin wireless LED lights. So now I can go to bed…say goodnight and all of the lights in the house will turn off…I can even have Alexa arm my security system…

Pretty slick.

Frustration has set in…

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Work has been eerily quiet, which has allowed me to work in a bunch of things that I’ve wanted to document and get off of my work cheat sheets & quick reference guide and into “my work tome”.

Having the kids at home while Rachel and I work is quite frankly…exhausting. Perhaps the most frustrating is that I’ve returned to the “local IT guy” for both Rachel and the kids.

It continually amazes me how IT people look at things strictly from the IT perspective, and not from a usability perspective. No…not everyone understands the limitations of citrix, and what exactly is the point of sending people home with a monitor if you are forcing them to use Remote Desktop Access to work on everything? Isn’t this supposed to be easy and make sense? It’s not about how cool it is, or how the technology works. IT needs to realize that it’s all about workflow. It has to work smoothly for the end user….

Sending out 10 emails about a new phone system doesn’t help anyone. Send ONE email to everyone outlining how to set it up…and then follow up with a one on one email with the private information that each user needs. Keep it simple for the end-user!

The kids don’t seem to have it any better. The school board is…struggling…and attempting to figure it all out. Kudo’s to the teachers that are at least trying…although Rachel and I do wonder how it’s possible that our youngest has the most complicated work flow.

The school boards are in a tough spot…it would have been nice for the technical group that overseas this to send out a high-level list of requirements for the end devices that the kids are supposed to use for the lessons. I do understand that there will be the odd thing missing here and there…but working through a lesson and then determining that I need to download Google Slides after the fact is frustrating.

Which ironically makes me wonder if the kids are getting any basic education with regards to the Google tools and hardware they use at school. Until recently our oldest was using Google Slides for projects at school, but wasn’t even aware of Google Pages until I sat and explained that each Google tool has a specific use…and that…yes…you COULD use Google Slides for a project, it’s a whole lot more work to format, and won’t translate to paper very well.

The truth is overall I’m impressed with how smoothly we’ve been able to adapt technically from being onsite with school, to working remotely.

I’m sure all of us with kids are struggling in different ways. For us the struggle between schoolwork and free time is very real, especially with both parents working out of the house.

Like all of you out there on the interwebs…we’re all living cat posters…we’re just “hanging in there”

2020 Family Vacation

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…it just wasn’t meant to be I guess.

To be honest…I’m probably just super tired at the moment. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind of a week, and as I sit and type this out I’ll try and provide as much information as to what we were thinking at each stage of our trip.

As we were starting to pack the van for Florida, we became aware that Covid-19 was starting to hit locations in Europe, but there were still no concerns with regards to our vacation.

March 10th, 2020 – Drive Day 1 – Drive to Pittsburgh PA
We opted to try something a little different, and left in the evening for a one-night stay in Pittsburgh. This actually worked out really well, and the following two days of driving were actually pretty easy, and allowed us to leave a little later in the morning (meaning a better nights sleep).

March 11th, 2020 – Drive Day 2 – Drive to Pooler GA
We would normally stay in Moorseville NC as a halfway point, but as we already had a few hours under our belt, our location to sleep was able to be pushed to just inside the GA state line. I actually really liked the Pooler GA area, and we stayed at a good hotel, and were able to get both gas and Starbucks before jumping back onto I95 and moving for the morning. I’d definitely stay in this area again.

March 12th, 2020 – Drive Day 3 – Drive to Naples FL
Up bright and early! There’s nothing like getting to Florida, only to drive for ANOTHER 8 hours to get to your destination. We arrived just after lunchtime and were able to relax and chill out around the pool for the afternoon. It was great to be able to hang out in the sun…and NOT drive.

March 13th, 2020 – Vacation Day 1
We enjoy the pool, some light discussion with other Canadians around COVID-19 and its impact in Europe. The television has mentioned that the virus doesn’t seem to like temperatures greater than 26.4C. So perhaps if there is an issue we’re better to just stay in Florida?

We’ve just received notifications that sports etc will have no one in the stands due to the concern of Covid-19.

March 14th, 2020 – Vacation Day 2
So…there’s been an explosion of growth with Covid-19 in Europe. Canada is talking about closing the border to inbound flights from Europe. There’s still no mention of actions to take with regards to US travelers. Canadians Abroad and Miami Consulate services are unable to provide either information or guidance around COVID-19. Naturally…our travel insurance has a clause about health benefits not being covered if your country is telling you to come home. Ironically we Canadians on vacation in the US have had no such directions. There has been NO blanket statement for all Canadians to come home…just travelers to Europe.

We’ve also just learned that when we return we’re going to have to isolate for 14 days…that sounds…not fun.

We’ve also just discovered that hockey and cheer are likely done for the year. Turns out this might really be more serious than we all thought?

Frustration is setting in, and we’re trying to figure out what is best for the family vs the need for a vacation. Our main concern is if the situation locally deteriorates, or if we get sick…so we have some thinking to do.

We had to do some basic necessity groceries, and discovered that toilet paper, water, and cleaning products have completely disappeared. We’re decided that we are going to come home. Now we’re just waiting to see what the in-laws are going to do.

It’s official, we are rescuing the in-laws and going home tomorrow. That’s right…we’re filling up the Odyssey to the absolute maximum.

March 15th, 2020 – Vacation Day 3
It’s clean the condo day. I’m still not sure that I agree with “having” to clean the condo. It’s another 24 more hours in an area that is starting to annoy me a little bit. People aren’t distancing as much as I’d like…I’ve realized that I’m starting to get super protective of my family and am trying to be a little more relaxed. I’m starting to freak out a little about the 3 day drive with my in-laws…but it’s too late now! We’re committed.

March 16th, 2020 – Escape Drive Day 1 – Drive to Savannah GA
At least it’s an early morning, and we can get some miles under our belts. It’s actually crazy busy on the highway, like nothing is going on at all in the world. I’m really second-guessing myself…Are we making the right decision? I’ve got lots of questions and not a lot of answers. We’re staying in a slightly different area, but it’s close to the airport so if things go south…we’ll grab a flight. The in-laws survived the drive, and did really well. The kids are my hero’s today…they are crammed in beside each other in the back. All 3 of them.

March 17th, 2020 – Escape Drive Day 2 – Drive to Pittsburgh PA
Thank goodness for Elite benefits! I was able to score TWO hotel rooms with no reservations (they are full). I’m amazed, this area of Pittsburgh is now a ghost town…like the earth has suddenly stopped working. Again, the in-laws and kids did great, and the end is now in sight! We just have to make the border.

March 18th, 2020 – Home!
We are home. We made if quickly through the border and home (OMG did I just drive 5000km in 6 days?). While in the US, there were no US cars on the highway from Pittsburgh all the way to the border-crossing. I really feel like we’re threading a needle of some sort!

Perhaps most importantly…the in-laws (who never do the drive) and kids actually held it together, and we’re all still talking to each other. #winning

March 18th, 2020 – Self Isolation Begins…
So now our 14 Day isolation begins. At least I know it’s not us, and we’re starting to hear from more and more friends that are heading home…so I definitely feel like the right decision was made.

I’m seriously exhausted.