EllenC

I would like to know more about your staffing requirements. Please approach it from the standpoint of management. I am most interested in how you decide how many and what type of people to hire as part of your business plan. Believe me, I am not looking for a job, I am just curious how that part of the process works. Thank you.

I like this discussion and the evolution of your logo. Thank you for allowing us to watch the process. I have just one thought - Your symbol appears to always be moving away. That may just what you want, but have you considered having the motion of the symbol go the other direction? This might make it more personal for the viewer. As though the changes were coming to them - for them. Just one thought...

May I suggest that if you are using apple wedges, you soak them in pineapple juice instead of lemon juice? Many people find the flavor much more appealing - especially with the chocolate. People always ask me what i do to keep my apples so fresh and taste so yummy.

I have a 16 year old son who consumes somewhere between 5000 and 8000 calories a day. (It depends on how much weight lifting he is doing at the time and whether or not it's wrestling season.) His average daily diet consists of several pounds of fruit, generally 4-6 eggs (I keep at least a dozen hard boiled eggs in the 'fridge at any given time), around 3 large glasses of milk (I keep Hershey's chocolate syrup on hand because he says chocolate milk fills him up faster - yes I understand the sugar but he rarely drinks soda and NEVER eats chips). I make homemade granola bars which we have customized to his tastes - he goes through a 9X13 pan about every 5 days. I load them up with dried apples, cherries, raisens, etc and next to no sugar so they work pretty good. Pasta is a huge thing in our house as is rice. I have taken to using calrose rice because - again - he says it fills him up faster. Chili is always with either rice or pasta as are most soups and stews. Whenever I can I make homemade pasta because it's more filling (are you seeing a theme here?) I also keep potatoes on hand in large quantities because you can put them in lots of dishes, and because he will nuke one and throw cheese on it for a quick snack. I keep lots of bread on hand for sandwiches, toast, etc. Quick and easy. My son refuses to eat ramen, kraft Mac & Cheese, or pretty much anything out of a box. I plan for lots of leftovers and then plan for them to be gone the next day. I agree 100% with Mayhaw Man in that they will eat whatever is around. Be prepared. edited for errors and to add that I also shred any kind of veggie I can and throw it into everything from spaghetti to soup to sauces.

Thanks everybody for the great replies. This is exactly the information I needed. I received a recipe that meets all these criteria nicely so I will test drive it and let you know how it turns out. Thanks again. Ellen

So tonight I had a craving for caramel sauce on my ice cream. I found a recipe: 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup cream Heat everythng over medium heat until it boils and let it boil 1 min, then cool for an hour. I cooled it in the refrigerator. When I pulled it out, it was grainy. I hate that. What did I do wrong? Or is there some better recipe for caramel sauce that stays saucy over my ice cream. I would also like to be able to heat it up sometimes. What do you do for caramel sauce?

Go to RecipeGullet and on the left are options for browsing and searching recipes. Feel free to explore.

It's really simple. Just click on the RecipeGullet link at the top of the page. Or better yet, here it is. Then click "Add a Recipe" on the left. Read and accept the terms, and the screen that pops up to add your recipe is so user friendly I can't understand why more people don't do it. Try it - you'll like it!

I like them with zucchini, carmelized onions and mushrooms. Use lots of butter. As FG says, "Butter is your friend here, folks."

We have the same tradition here. All my friends bring food whenever someone sneezes loudly in Church. (Though I find I get less than some because of the phenomenom on I'm the second coming of Julia Child!. ) I usually try to bring bread fresh from the oven. I find that even in the most ill or depressed person wonderful bread (I especially like Challah) still warm from the oven will encourage them to eat. And there's something that feels sacred about the act - for both of us.

I am a "Temple Recommend" Latter-Day Saint and I wouldn't have any problem eating at your house while you drank wine (btw what time is dinner?) For all of my friends at church, our dietary restrictions are intended to help us grow closer to the Lord, not make our friends with other beliefs uncomfortable. I imagine they might be just as concerned that they don't make you feel uncomfortable in your home, so they are probably right now talking to their child to explain how what we believe should never be used as a club against anyone else's behaviour. I am sure that if their child says something about it (you know how children are) they will be more concerned about your feelings. At least that's the position I have been in before... My advise is: Enjoy your meal, enjoy your wine and most of all enjoy your friends! Ellen

I don't really mind talking or standing or whatever in the kitchen. I don't even mind if you get in the way as long as you don't get huffy when I say, "Move!" I can even handle a certain amount of "helping" particularly if you actually know what you're doing. However, to go back to the original post, if you startle me while I am in the kitchen, you - literally - take your own life in your hands. When I am playing with sharp objects and fire be careful! And if you completely tick me off when you surprise me you may get either burnt or stuck and you WILL go home hungry. That's pretty much a guarantee. Even the little darlings - mischievous as they are, don't touch mommy in the kitchen. Or at least not without warning. Edited for clarity.

Thanks for the essay Torakris. I always love to see your posts. This is a great program. I wish school lunches wee more like this in the US. Then maybe I could get my kids to eat them.

Adele, What a great idea. I think it will be fun to watch you "convert" to baking in its truest form. Bring on the bolg! Ellen

What an awesome blog! Keep up the good work.

This is so totally cool. Please keep going. Ellen

Why can't you use "froth" or some such?

Thank you everybody for the great responses. I am totally having fun looking at all the links and information. I knew eGulleteers would have answers.

I have a friend who recently found out she is allergic to gluten. Wheat is now a complete no-no in her diet. However, she is a normal human and wants dessert. She eats flourless chocolate cake and I have converted a wonderful butter cookie recipe to use rice flour but the reality is that woman cannot live by shortbread alone. I am kinda taking this as a fun challenge and thought I would start by asking my favorite website full of foodies - do any of you have ideas for recipes (I know Marlene - I will take responsibility for putting them in the archive.) or how to convert recipes to other types of flours. I am at a loss here because she wants pastry, and flour (and gluten!) is one of the key building blocks. Please help. Thanks.

Devlin - Welcome to eGullet! Seth, galette sounds good. I need to figure out a way to stay home for a couple of months to bake like you!

So I finally baked the brownies, but stupidly put them in too small a pan and they never really baked all the way through. However, the Little Darlings and I picked off all of the overdone top and scooped out the delicious center with our fingers. Some friends came to dinner Sunday and one of them wanted to try it, but I was forced to explain that activity was for family only. I need to get back to bread. The epis look awesome. I made twice baked brioche again and it is definitely a new family fave. I didn't have enough almond filling for all the slices, so I took the other slices I had soaked in that terrific syrup and made french toast out of them. It was SOOOO good!

Everybody's bread looks beautiful. The loaves in our house got gobbled almost right out of the oven with butter smeared over everybody's faces. (I think they got some on the bread too.) Brownies sound good this week. I have meetings every night so I may not get to do both brownies and x cookies but I am trying to keep up. This is fun. Thanks Seth for starting this thread.

I am so glad she is doing well. Tell her I'm pulling for her.

Dahomechef - Welcome to eGullet and this topic. Dive right in! Arbuclo - I'm with you - I could use the week off and the baking.

arbuclo - all your stuff looks good. Do you deliver? I think the potato loaves are the thing I most want to try this week.