Susan in FL

What Chris and Brooks said.

I haven't mentioned this, but I should, because I keep looking at this RED wine photo again and again. I love it! I don't have it in me to load the pictures from tonight's dinner. (I did remember to take some.) It's so good to have the boys here, but after waiting up for Michael to arrive last night at about 12:30, we talked and then I went to bed at about 1:45. I was on call and about 90 seconds later, my pager went off, and I had to go out. I got home and went to bed at 4 AM. Now I am done for. That's my tonight's dinner story. More later!

But of course! I bought Laura's beef once and it tasted horrible. Was that an exception rather than the rule? Do you buy it often? How about anybody else's experience with it?

Thanks for this post. It's one of my son's favorite bars and he spends [i guess that might should be the past tense now] a lot of time there. I've heard so much about it, and suspected that it would be gone. I'll show him this thread and your link when he gets here. He is driving here from Pensacola at this moment, and should get here in a few hours. He of course has not had the chance to see, on TV, all the devastation in his own town.

This is an extremely ambitious blog, and beautiful. Nice job! I thought I wanted to be picked to do one, but I hope if that happens, it's not after you. This would be the very toughest act to follow. Thank you for all the time and effort involved.

I made the lasagne and last night made Philly-style cheese steaks, two dinners I wouldn't have made if not by request. But I'm not complaining... it's fun. Tonight we ate out, happy hour food after work. I am thrilled: I'll have even more requests now, thanks to the silver lining of the monster cloud, Ivan. My son Michael is fleeing Pensacola and should arrive at about 1 AM. Tomorrow night we will have the all-time favorite of them both and their most requested dinner, steak and "your pasta with creamy sauce, mom." I've been so excited about the visit(s), I have forgotten to photograph.

Very buttery popcorn and cheap bubbly.

A perfect description for several people I know! Perhaps that is something I should keep in mind more often... of course I do my share of getting in trouble when I haven't had anything to drink, also. Maybe instead I should just do what Jason does... Great laughs here! And great photos to illustrate this thread, Spaghetttti.

Not new news to the majority of us on this board!

It is... This week I had some mixed in with a cannellini bean soup that I made, and with some white truffle oil drizzled on top. That might be good with Flageolets, too.

This reminds me of one of my favorite threads, What Are You Snacking On?. Recently I wondered if it will revive, and now maybe it will. I don't eat any meals at the computer. Maybe I would if I were alone, but probably not. I don't snack a lot, but when I do, it is likely to be while at the computer, reading eG, and some likely munchies would be popcorn, cheese, raw vegetables, or leftovers. And once in a while, Cape Cod Sea Salt and Vinegar chips. ...Same here!Another strange thing if I'm snacking at the computer is edamame and beer. LOL, I sure came up with lots of examples for somebody who doesn't snack often.

There are already a lot of good suggestions posted from experts here! If I were a beginner in learning to enjoy beer, I might find all this information at once somewhat overwhelming. I passionately love beer -- real beer, not swill -- and I am probably half way between a beginner and experts like cdh, okbrewer, and others who frequent this forum. I think the best idea for you so far is to go to a local brewpub and get the sampler that they are offering. And, take notes, so you can refer back and remember which ones you like best. You might be able to get more specific suggestions if you can remember and tell us which readily available bottled beers you have tried and had a real distaste for, and which you thought were pretty good. For example, whether you have tried Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Bass Ale, and what if any microbrews... Have fun, and I hope you turn into a hophead.

This blog looks awesome. I wasn't following blogs when you did the previous one, so I plan to read it when I can leisurely take the time to enjoy it. Meanwhile, I'll be following this one with great interest! Thanks.

Cool topic... I don't have much to add to what everybody here is posting... just wanted to chime in and say we raised three boys, so I know what you're talking about. Have fun!

Mmmm, that sounds good to me. Today I ate an avocado with salt, pepper, and lemon juice for brunch, which I often do when I'm home. On toast is a great idea!

I worked both jobs yesterday, so dinner at 9 PM after I got home was this quick and easy pasta with shrimp, edamame, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, etc. that Russ made for us. It was good, and light enough for late night eating. Tonight starts cooking by request, which I love! Our Danish son is flying to the States and will be here with us for a week and a half. Near the top of the list of what he wants is lasagne. I'm cooking ahead this morning, and this afternoon I'll be working while Russ picks him up at the airport. I'll be done with work by the time they get home, and then we'll eat, and talk way into the night I'm sure.

I can't suggest anything better than Johnnybird's Toast Dope. It's sweet, but not drippy sweet, or else I wouldn't like it as much as I do. Just cut back on the sugar, maybe....

Between snack time and appetizer time, I made some guacamole which we had with chips and Mojitos. Dinner was an Asian style soup, using de-fatted broth leftover from the weekend's duck cooking process and Walter Kei's Sweet and Sour Spareribs, which was a test recipe for Leite's Culinaria.

Of course!!! We used a plain ol' original Melitta for years and years. The only reason we don't now is I pushed for this electric Melitta Mill & Brew, because the night before we can set it to grind our coffee beans and make the coffee at 5:30 in the morning, before we get up.

On this night, the rice was cooked in chicken broth with a little butter and sesame oil added, and after that tossed with chopped fresh chives and toasted black and white sesame seeds. The ramekins were coated with sesame oil before packing the rice in them, but it was a bit too much of a coating... good, but it made the sesame taste a little too strong for us. I've loved having them at home, since discovering it's so easy to keep the rice intact!

I like that... The "grace" to be said before hurricanes.

I undertand that. We just took the storm shutters off the rest of our windows yesterday. Except for a couple that we took off mid-week, so we would have some natural light in the house, they were up for a week. Most of our neighborhood took down plywood just this weekend, too. Brooks, we surely wish you well. Take care. My son is in Pensacola and it's looking pretty bad for him, too. If we knew the thing was not going to take a right turn, maybe this would be how to get a visit from him. Plywood... now that has amazed me. I do not know how the Lowe's and Home Depot stores in our area have not sold out!! It seems impossible to me that so much could have been in stock. This weekend when we were in those stores, there were such long lines of cars and trucks... people picking up their orders, for doing repairs. The lines were as long as the gas lines around here. Keep us posted on your hurricane cooking.

Mild Bill, good for you... I admire your attitude. Frances took your power for a few days and you are still good-natured! I thought I did well through Frances, but we were without power for only a full day and had it been a few days, I might have gone nuts. I have friends here who are just now getting their electricity back. What are your local stations now saying is likely to happen in your area from Ivan?

Easy was important tonight. Today we more earnestly jumped into clean-up from hurricanes Charley and Frances, since now it appears that east central Florida will not be slammed by Ivan... Thick spaghetti with left-over-from-the-freezer Ragu Bolognese sauce Salad of tomato, avocado, onion, and Maytag blue cheese

Sweet! You are influencing your grandson's taste in food! So far I have only step-grandchildren and we hardly ever see them. I do have a new grandpuppy, though, and she loves to eat. When I visit her in Pensacola, and bring a present, it's food-related... like new bowls with a matching placemat or something.