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That is one of the few "hacks" that I have tried - it is definitly easier on the old arthritic wrists than the convential way. That being said - one of my husband's contributions to my cooking is that he is The Grater of the Cheese. He doesn't have hand or wrist issues, so is happy to comply!

I'm in Amarillo, Texas -- the panhandle part. This is turning out to be a good stopping point, and I'm glad I've had a few extra days here.

I've never tried the box grater on its side, either. I'll have to try that and see what I think! It does make sense.

I haven't heard of tea leaf salad either! Guess I need to Google!

for fun, I like to use (Pepperidge Farm) puff pastry - sold in a frozen roll-up. takes a little coaxing to keep it from sliding down the pan on pre-bake, but makes for whimsical presentation

Amazing hacks. I've saved the website for future use (I'm at the beach right now but will need this when I get home). Very clever!

Whereabouts are you, @Smithy?

I checked my lemon extract, almond extract, and liquid smoke ... all three caps held the same amount, just a skosh below the lip of my teaspoon measure. And if I'm not mistaken, they looked exactly like the measurement in the video.

I had a look at my vanilla and the top is not conducive to measuring 1 teaspoon. I have trouble with plastics not drying in the dishwasher so will try the towel trick next time I run a load. And, I'm embarrassed to say that I have never thought of putting the box grater on it's side. Makes perfect sense, so thanks @Shel_B for posting this.

Here's my recipe; the exact quantities are just a convenience. The only thing you have to be precise about is the temperature. You need a decent instant-read thermometer. 250g sucrose 120g water (approx) 0.25 – 0.5g citric acid or cream of tartar (tartaric acid) Mix ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. When it boils wash away any sugar crystals stuck to the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Additional water has no effect on the final outcome. Without stirring, boil the mixture to 237°F (114°C). Remove from heat and cover. Let it cool until it’s easy to handle. transfer to plastic container. Store in fridge; should last at least 6 months. End result should be about 83% sugar, 17% water.

Yeah it's turned cold with a strong wind from the north here, too. I highly recommend searching out that salad if you're up for it. @pattiis the one that introduced it to me several years ago. I went through a phase where I couldn't get enough of it! I bought several "kits" off of Etsy and also Amazon. I found a picture of one of them that I made--the tomatoes were my addition and probably aren't traditional: edited to add I'll try to dig around in my cabinets--I bet I still have a mix stashed somewhere

egg and avo breakfast sammie-- sriracha

Panko Cod w/ Lemon and capers

Well, maybe I'll have to go check out a tea leaf salad. I've never heard of it before now! I'm here for at least another day. The wind has shifted around from the southwest to the north, in a classic "Texas Norther". The temperature right now is 43F, which isn't bad compared to what I came from but not much fun to be out in, since the wind is 25 gusting to 33 mph. I'll leave that crosswind to the professionals. And it would definitely be a crosswind for me today. Breakfast this morning was from the yogurt I bought yesterday, and a healthy dose of frozen blueberries. The only plain Greek yogurt I could find yesterday was Chobani nonfat Greek yogurt. I don't know for sure whether it's the brand or the fat content, but this yogurt is thin and disappointing. I usually get Fage 2% or 5% fat content. This yogurt is certainly edible, but I won't get it again if I can help it. The blueberries are Wyman's wild blueberries, and they're wonderful. I generally find cultivated blueberries to be hit-and-miss as far as flavor; wild blueberries have more intense flavor. This frozen food is a nice product. My best friend, who lives in San Diego, says she can't find it there.

I'm sure she was filming in a studio set! I have never seen a freezer that empty, and I wonder who among us has that kind of space? That's what I was giggling about. I'm certainly going to check the vanilla extract bit, next time I use vanilla in something. I think she's mistaken about that being a universal rule. Let me know what you find out too, please.

Ive never had a soup that resembles a stew. Soups can be thick or thin, but the ingredients are cut in much smaller pieces. Not usually whole chicken legs or breasts, or whole vegetables that are eaten with a fork and knife.

For pre-shaped crusts, I’ve used Marie Callender’s and Pet-Ritz (which I believe is now part of Pillsbury) both of which come frozen and offer a “deep dish” size. The “regular” versions don’t accommodate the amount of filling I like in a quiche. These aren’t my first pick for a quiche but I’ve used them when I needed to make multiple quiches to take to an event or when I’m cooking away from home. I’ve since picked up enough reusable pie pans from thrift stores and garage sales that I can make quiches for friends, etc without worrying about getting the pans back so I haven’t purchased the pre-shaped products in years.

ME TOO!!

@Smithy I was wondering where you were with all the food options, I didn't expect Amarillo! Your goat looks so good, Ive had it a number of times and not found it strong (aka, tasting of billy goat). If you can find someone that is cooking the goat wrapped in leaves, in a dirt pit, with fire...charm them with music, a plate of brownies and if necessary, cash, so you can get a plate!

I second @blue_dolphin's recommendation; I'm pretty sure the only premade pie crusts I've ever bought have been Pillsbury or Pepperidge Farm. I seem to recall finding premade pie crusts already in the pan. Maybe those were Pepperidge Farm? But they tended to be smaller, so her idea of buying them flat to fit your own pans makes sense. @blue_dolphin, thanks also for your comment about the egg:dairy proportion for your larger pans.

We went to Rudy's a few times and generally enjoyed it. It took a bit of doing to get to the one in El Paso but we thought it was worth it. (We had to park and walk in.) That is, we thought it was worth it until we discovered Cooper's Old-Time Pit Barbecue in Llano (and elsewhere). That's even better! Llano became a regular stop-and-stay for us, partly because of the wonderful park and cycling opportunities but mostly because of the excellent barbecue. I'm not planning to go that way this time, but eventually I'd like to go again.

Huh. Chicken chitterlings. Chickerlings? Chicklin's?

There's a place in Newfoundland, just outside of Port aux Basques (where the ferry docks), called Wreckhouse. The coastal hills have a way of funnelling the winds into one particular pass, there, which means on random days with no particular weather going on, you'll encounter gusts of up to 200km/h (120mph) on the highwayLocal tourism guides encourage people in RVs to hasten through that stretch, lest they find themselves on their sides in the ditch, but a surprising number of them stop instead to take a photo beside this sign: (I couldn't find a better photo, but it gets the idea across). There are a few other places around Newfoundland where that kind of thing happens. Shipping containers get blown off flatbed rail cars, etc.

Tea leaf salad! I would SO stop for a tea leaf salad at a Burmese restaurant. Also, I love reading about your journey. Thanks.

Grilled pork chops and air fryer roasted cauliflower