kel

Maybe I'm just really picky about the coffee I'll drink (but who isn't?), but I don't like Starbucks, Tilly's, SB, Deitrich's (well, they're ok), or any of those places. The coffee is always too strong, too bitter, and tastes like it's been sitting there all day long, even when they brew it fresh. But this reminded me, I heard a rumor from the guy who delivers our coffee at work. He said that he heard that Starbucks is coming out with a new roast for regular coffee, and that it will be a much lighter roast than what they serve right now. The stuff they serve now is over-roasted on purpose, because most of what they sell is espresso-type drinks, not regular coffee. Maybe the new stuff will actually be drinkable.

Oh, I do that all the time. Fortunately, I haven't had any major disasters - mostly just end making things a little hotter, or with more onion, than the recipe calls for, and that's always ok. I just hope I never do that while I'm baking.

Mmm, I love cilantro! I never thought it tasted like soap, but I guess I can understand why someone would be put off by it's strong flavor. You know what I think tastes like soap and can't stand? Cardamom. It's awful!

The first time I read this, I was planning on making a dish in the cast iron skillet, and I was petrified that I would grab the handle after pulling it out of the oven. The entire time I was muttering to myself, "Do not grab the handle...do not grab the handle..." Amazingly, I didn't! I'm sure it will happen at some point, though.

Mmmm, flour tortillas for me. I eat quesadillas all the time, maybe more than any other fast meal. I like mine with black beans, fresh pico de gallo, and mushrooms. Of course, most of the time I end up with plain ol' cheese, but that's just fine too. I like to cook them on my little electric grill (I live in an apartment - not allowed to have the real thing) - it gives them a nice bit of color, and its really fast. Man, that sounds so good!

Exactly what I was going to say!

I used to make smoothies all the time. I love to use orange and pineapple juice, a banana, and some assortment of frozen berries. If you use the frozen fruit, there's no need at all to add ice. Also, sometimes I would add vanilla or plain yogurt, and sometimes applesauce. They make a great light meal or snack. Plus, I'm hypoglycemic, so fruits like bananas are really good for me because they release their sugars slowly, over a period of time, so my blood sugar stays stable. Nice.

Oh, god...I miss See's Candy so much now that I live on the east coast!! Having grown up in CA, I'm am completely helpless when I think about those caramel suckers they make. Every single time I go home I come back with a few boxes of chocolates and suckers. Of course, now that I know you can order them online, I'm in some serious trouble...

Green beans. Cannot get enough of them. I like them steamed till slightly crunchy, with sweated onions and butter, and lots of fresh cracked pepper. I could live on this. On second thought, I could live on that, as long as I had garlic mashed potatoes to go with, and ice cream for dessert. That would be a perfect life.

I agree, I absolutely hate Starbuck's coffee!! But the worst coffee I've ever had, by far, was at work - we had that Green Mountain French Roast. 1) I can't stand French Roast, and 2) for some reason, that stuff smelled like fish!! I couldn't even stand the smell of it, let alone stomach a cup of it.

Trader Joe's is great, but like a lot of you, I only like certain items. I looooove their coffee - it's the only kind I will let in my kitchen. (It's the TJ's brand Mexican & Peruvian Organic Blend.) I also really like their olive oil, sauces, beans, etc. And we're hooked on those Cafe Twists. Yum! But it's true that it's impossible to get out of there without spending less than $50, and then you get home and wonder what you bought. Oh well. It's so much fun to go there, even if I do have to drive about an hour to get there now that I live in NJ and not SoCal. In fact, I'm going this weekend. Time to get some more coffee and stock up on the 2 buck Chuck!

Wha?? A vegetarian who wolfs down a beef burger? That doesn't make sense in any way. Tell her to go eat some beans or quinoa. Why in the world would she call herself a vegetarian? Oh trust me, I know - I'm a SoCal native.

Using fresh herbs. I can't believe how delicious fresh parlsey is! It's so wonderful to be able to go outside get some fresh parsley and basil for whatever I'm making. Next year I hope to grow more herbs. (I tried cilantro this year, but it didn't make it... ) There are others, like seasoning as you go, using kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, etc. A real biggie is cleaning up during and after cooking, so that the next night I don't have to try to clean before I can cook - which always leads to picking up a pizza instead.

Is anyone awake enough to want anything unusual first thing in the morning? Weekend brunch, maybe, but not on a daily basis. As long as I have coffee, I'm fine. And an english muffin with peanut butter. Yum.

Mmmm, beer. I like beer. Especially dark beer. But I'm not picky. Depending on what I'm having to eat with it, I tend to favor Harp, Killian's, or Corona. But I also really like a lot of the microbrews that are available now. We're lucky, there's a place right here by work called Triumph Brewing, their food is so-so, but the beer they brew is pretty darn good. First time I ever went there, I got a Coffee & Cream Stout, black as tar, and absolutely delicious. Made my father-in-law proud. (Kinda scared my grandfather-in-law though - he made the mistake of ordering the same thing, without realizing I'd just ordered the darkest beer on the menu - he's a light beer kinda guy.) Man, that sounds good right about now. I could use a good beer.