natasha1270

It's too bad these tv dinner trays don't come with a lid so you could stack them! http://www.amazon.com/BIA-Cordon-Bleu-12-Inch-Dinner/dp/B0000CCZCZ/

Here's a tip (not sure if it is mentioned upthread): plan how you are transporting it before you unmold. I unmolded onto a dinner plate and it was just a bit too small and the bottom edges got a tiny bit mangled. After we oohed and aahhed, I realized I hadn't thought how we were going to get it to the banquet because it is JELLO! I don't have a cake cover set up and saran wrap was out of the question so I upended a lightweight pot over it and had my son hold on for the whole ride as I fretted over every speed bump, stop, start and turn. If I had really thought about it, I might have just brought it in the mold and unmolded it onsite and taken the chance it wouldn't unmold cleanly.

I think this thread came up recently in another topic and inspired me to make a jello mold in school colors for the spring sports banquet. It was a big hit! berry blue & strawberry jello with vanilla yogurt for the creamy layers.

Nothing specially designated. Usually just use what ever empty can, cup, bowl, plate or counter/stove ledge I have handy at the time. I do have one of those pot clip spoon holders that works well when I remember it. eta: just remembered I used to use a fiesta utility tray thing... hmmn, where did it go??

Coconut Milk Caramels sound delicious! I wonder if there are any good asian confectionary recipe books out there? Here's a recipe for coconut milk caramels that I found off an internet search: http://dicedtomato.blogspot.com/2010/01/updated-coconut-milk-caramels.html I would love to try the David Lebovitz recipe it is based upon too: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/01/salted-butter-caramels/

Why not just ask the store for a roll?

In the scenarios mentioned up thread re: 6 oranges/1 bag each. I'd say if they are getting weighed and accounted for, you are buying them = not stealing but if you put 6 oranges in 1 bag and take 5, it's stealing. Yes? No?

Here's a new one to me (but I guess it has been around for a while): Fire Wire Steel Flexible Grilling Skewer Are these worth a try?

Stealing and hoarding! Well, I was going to tsk, tsk but then remembered I have a tendency to take an extra raw sugar packet at Starbucks. 2 for my latte and 1 or 2 for my stash at work. Same thing? ps. One of the large grocery chains I shop at has a sign that says grazing is allowed! I'm kinda phobic if I think about how many people have handled the produce and have never had the urge to 'graze' but I guess people do.

Relish/condiment or possibly corn on the cob dish depending on size?

Guess I'm just used to seeing them called dinnerware at stores but referring to them as plates, dishes or china at home. Am I upselling my flatware at home? They may be plain old stainless but I generally refer to them as silverware.

"Dinnerware" has been widely used in advertising since at least the thirties by Fiesta and many other dishware manufacturers and department stores. I wouldn't single it out as a Wm-Sonoma deal.

Haribo Red Licorice Wheels. I no longer know if I am just getting old bags of the stuff or if they really are intentionally tough and flavorless but disappoinment every damn time.

Chocolate Sriracha Shortbread sounds really nice. I have a jar of Sriracha Salt that would be great sprinkled over chocolate covered caramels.

A warm oven is supposed to help to unwarp these boards.

Chocolate shell type syrup recipes usually thin melted chocolate with oil. This recipe has a ganache glaze that you could experiment with to thin into a syrup: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/double-chocolate-bundt-cake-with-ganache-glaze 3 oz chocolate 1/3 c cream 1/2 tbsp corn syrup 1/2 tbsp unsalt butter

Linda - sad to hear of your fruit malfunction I hope you will give it another try. Heidi - I used the Murcott Mini-Mandarins from Ripe to You. Since you have your own trees, I wonder if you used lightly under-ripe fruit, you might have better luck with achieving uncollapsed candied fruit?

Good idea for a thread, Darienne! I like the La Morena brand Chipotles in Adobo but to be honest I have never tried any of the others (Embasa, Herdez, San Marcos, etc). Are they all pretty much the same or is there a specific brand better than most. A few may have one or two additional spices. I just buy it becuase I like the flavor and it has a great can graphic! Ditto Jaymes Rancho Gordo recommendation. They have great packaging graphic too but more importantly a great product.

Yes, for sheer storage volume the Metro shelves can't be beat. The canvas cover I linked to earlier is actually very attractive in person. You could probably find someone local to fabricate a version in custom fabrics to blend with your decor. There's is a book I have by Peri Wolfman and Charles Gold, A Place for Everything that has alot of great ideas for kitchen and other storage. If you get some of the shorter metro shelves, you could add a wood top and get some kind of table skirting to hide the storage below. Not sure what your taste is but maybe one of the wardrobe options from IKEA could fit the metro shelves or have shelves added?

Craigslist or some variant would proably be a good place to find an old cupboard or armoire. With perhaps an additional shelf support or re-inforcement, I don't see why it couldn't hold the items you mentioned. The baking armoire in MSL actually was used to store a Kitchenaid and much more.

We had a terrible, terrible experience with the refrig/freezer at our family vacation home. Like arriving a hot summer week later to find that the temp setting had accidentally been turned off! The stuff of nightmares... We no longer store any meat products in the freezer, ever and are fairly fanatical about clearing everything out at the end of summer. And this was over a decade ago! I recall we had to totally clean and deodorize the entire unit with healthy dose of a baking soda/water solution. There might have been bleach involved too but not positive. Making sure to get in all the gaskets, drip pan, etc. We also left some coffee grounds to absorb odors and eventually everything was back to normal.

Personally, I love the look of the unadorned Metro shelving in the kitchen. If you prefer a more furniture look, I think a better option would be to retro-fit an armoire to suit your storage purpose rather than tart up some wire shelving. If I had the room, I would have a dedicated baking armoire and free up my kitchen cupboards/pantry for cookware, etc. I think I saw it in an older MSL magazine. eta: I purchased a really nice canvas cover from organize.com for some metro shelving I have in a bedroom but I can't find it on their website any more. All they have now if a roll-up panel version. Just found it on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Metro-Canvas-Wardrobe-Cover/dp/B004EX0I3S

Oops! I thought it might have been in a thread about measuring cups but no such luck. Maybe it was from this thread that must have come up in a recent search that I remembered seeing or I don't know where but it made a lot of sense to me: I recently purchased a new scale supposedly accurate to 1g and tried it out with a nickel and it did register correctly.

In another thread, I think it was Andie who suggested that you can verify your scale's accuracy with a US quarter or nickel.

Where are you that your stores all have bulk spice bins?! I wish! I buy most of my spices from Penzey and often wish they would sell out of bulk or at least offer some packaging recycling program for the small jars. I suppose I should venture further afield but I think the transit cost would probably outweigh any financial savings.