EllenC

Wow! My creative juices are really flowing now. I am just in awe of some of the things you all suggest. This is gonna be great. Thanks for all the ideas and feel free to keep them coming. i will let you know how it's going.

I knew if I put this question out on this forum there would be LOTS of great ideas. Irwin - if you could post your Almond Jelly recipe I would be grateful! The dessert sushi sounds fun too and I think I will start experimenting with that for next month. Thanks for all the ideas and please keep them coming! edited because I never seem to catch all the errors before I hit the submit button. Ellen

I'm teaching a class for a group of women in a couple of weeks on asian cooking. I was wondering if any of you had any ideas. I am not allowed to use alcohol or tea in anything... So can you think of something relatively simple with an Asian flavor? Edited to correct my hideous punctuation - I think. Ellen

I just read your blog and I have to say THIS IS AWESOME! Thank you so much for all the pictures and information. What a great holiday present for all of us! Ellen

BREAD! Cinnamon rolls in the morning with lots of cinnamon and brown sugar. Big yeasty rolls with butter in the afternoon. Roast Beef Mashed potatoes Clam Chowder Apple cider Peach cobbler

Tonight: Homemade spinach dip on top of crusty baguette with parmesan under the broiler and a glass of my own grape juice (this year's harvest).

I use basically this method for fancy cakes. I don't have a blow torch, however, so I use a REALLY HOT towel on the bottom of the muffin tin and press it between the cups of the muffin pan. Wendy is exactly right - they come out perfectly clean.

I am just a home baker but I make cheesecake all the time - both the large 11" cakes and one that are in muffin cups to mini muffin cups. I always use springform pans for my large cheesecakes (I don't have the small ones - I've been eyeing them lately tho) and I never use a water bath. Maybe that's just my recipe but I always get a cheesecake that rich and creamy and holds well in the fridge for days. (I actually hid one peice for a week before I got around to eating it). I use muffin or mini muffin cups for individual servings. If the occasion is informal and I am in a hurry, I use paper muffin liners. They pop out easy and allow for toppings if desired. If it's more formal and I want the sides to look really clean, I use the freeze method. I combine all of my ingredients in the blender. It makes a perfectly smooth texture and takes next to no time. I will note that my recipre uses less cream cheese than other recipes I've seen. It adds cottage cheese which makes it really moist and creamy. I have had many people who said they hated cheesecake that beg for mine. I am at the office now but when I get home I will PM you the recipe.

Maybe I missed a few posts... but I haven't seen anybody mention carrot cake or chocolate zucchini cake. My mom also made a KILLER chocolate chip oatmeal cake. Classic!