lesfen

Heh heh... awesome. I just caulked and sealed my windows for winter while my husband played Madden. I'm heading over to the DIY site to post "Men Can't Winterize!!" Why can't we ALL just settle on the fact that it's all about interest? People that aren't interested in cooking aren't going to cook... yet. In my group of 30-somethings, there are two of us that actually cook for the love of cooking. We seek it out. Magazines, gourmet markets, ethnic markets, cooking classes, etc. The others seek out good food. They know what's good and what isn't. They eat in fine restaurants. BUT, when it comes to entertaining or feeding their families they turn to ready made, take out, or Sandra Lee short cuts. They don't enjoy "cooking" and you know what... they don't HAVE to! You can look down your noses at people who don't cook as much as you do, but cooking is fast becoming a hobby, much like sewing. Are you going to give your friends a rash of shit because they can't sew a button on their jacket, mend a blowout, or hem their pants?! No! We live in an era of convenience and cooking may just be casualty of our time. (Mental indulgence... foodie popping up in an episode of The Jetson's to give Jane Jetson a good tongue lashing for serving her family food pellets. ) As far as you youn'uns go, cut these girls some slack. Just because they're not cooking now, doesn't mean they won't. Jesus, when I was in my early twentys I was more concerned with crafting a bong out of a squash than I was with cooking the damn thing! You have your whole lives ahead of you. Simma down. If they know good food, they're already on the right track. My best friend in the whole world says to me on a monthly basis, "you know, when I settle down you're gonna have to teach me to cook." When she's ready, I'll be here. As far as GR goes... who gives a shit? We really need to stop feeding these egomaniacs with reaction.

Throw some fresh sage, fresh parsley, and a miriad of dried bread cubes (sourdough, wheat, baguettes, store brand white, etc... pretty much whatever I've been saving up in the weeks leading up to Turkey Day) in there and you have my Thanksgiving stuffing. I love all variations of stuffing/dressing, but this recipe just screams Thanksgiving to me. Oh, and you gotta put it in the bird! Come on! There's nothing better than fighting over the crusty stuffing cap with your siblings!!

Wow... that's, um... wow. Wow.

I said, "Seven up." I don't want chunks in my beverages. A bit of pulp in a fruit drink is acceptable, but not particularly wanted. I don't really consider milkshakes a beverage so chunks are welcome.

OH... MY... GAWD.

Interesting topic... lots of variables. I'm a woman and I can cook. I have a full time job, a family, and a pretty active social life. I still cook. I love to cook. In my case it stems from my mother, and her mother before her. My mom worked full time (still does) and if you wanted any of her attention after work, you could find her in the kitchen... and hey, since you're here, make the salad for me. Hey, could you measure this for me or open that for me? She never made cooking seem like a chore and we all talked and caught up on the days news and activities while we were doing it. She got excited if she tried a new recipe or if the fat on the pork roast was really nice and crispy. We tasted and shared and we enjoyed it and I'm trying to pass that along to my daughter. My two-year-old loves to watch me cook. She drags her little chair up to my island, pulls herself up by the towel bar, and asks the usual toddler questions... "What's that?"... and I tell her what I'm doing and what ingredients I'm using. She can already identify 5 or 6 spices in the spice rack. I think she's gonna do just fine and hopefully she'll never look at cooking as a chore or something beneath her.

I'm so glad someone started this topic again. I feel like a total moron because I'm just discovering that you CAN freeze leftovers. I'm so ashamed. I have a small family and I was wasting so much food. Oh yeah, pork shoulder. Pulled pork from the slow cooker. Hell yes. I love me some chuck roast but I just can't bring myself to pay for them. I can't believe how expensive beef is, around here anyway. But damn, you can't beat the smell of a chuck roast with 'taters, onions, and carrots that have been in your crock pot all day when you get home. But, economically speaking, right now my local chain has been running chicken legs or thighs for $.94/Lb. You can't beat stocking your freezer for less than $9.00, but then again I don't know how many folks you're feeding. I'll second the suggestion for BJ's and Sam's tho'. I bought a giant boneless pork loin about 6 weeks ago ($11.35 total price, can't remember the poundage) and I'm still eating from it. Now, granted, I'm only feeding two-and-a-half people, but I managed to get 4 small "roasts" and (I think) about 9, 3/4" chops out of it. For the roasts, I've just been studding them with garlic, giving them a healthy coating of S&P, browing them in my cast iron skillet, and then throwing them in the oven (same skillet) for about 50 minutes. The meat is very good and you can't beat the pan gravy. Come to think of it, that's what I've been doing with the chops too. I love gravy.

Tako was actually my first introduction to sushi and I haven't turned back. It was a good first choice for me because it was so mild. I have to say that our local sushi joint's octopus salad (aka Chaipus, courtesy of The Golden Dragon) has turned into a serious addiction for me. My two-year-old even managed to snag a bit out of my bowl and proptly gave her approval with a resounding "mmmmm!".

Oh the horror! Whatever that burrito thing is (with the Mexican Gravy) may be one of the most repulsive things that I have ever seen.

Not really trickery, but definitely mean. My parents didn't really have much money when I was growing up so we didn't get many "bought" treats. When we would travel anywhere in the car and pass a McDonalds or a custard stand we would always ask, "Mmooommm... can we get some (McDonalds/ice cream/candy)? Plllleeeeaaaaase???" Her reply... "No, but wave as we go by." What the hell? To... this... day I still give a sad, half-hearted wave whenever I pass a custard stand and she still tells us to do it if we're in the car with her.

I think I've only actually eaten lamb twice and it was made in the same way by the same person both times. Marinated then grilled. I liked it a lot... can't say that I loved it, but I did enjoy it. Sometimes I see it in the grocery store and wonder what I could do with it. Sounds like a project to me. It's funny... I didn't even try lamb until I was about 24. My mother says that she hates it ("It tastes like sheep smell.") and won't even think about eating it, much less cooking it. I'd be willing to bet that she hasn't tried it in 45 years.

During the week I cook in my P.J.'s. I usually come home from work and bust out the jammie pants right away. We usually have guests of some kind on the weekends so I wear whatever is appropriate for the occasion with the addition of an apron. I have two. One is very heavy duty, black, and a little cumbersome. The other one is also black but is thinner and lighter with a red Soprano's logo on the front. I would LOVE one of those cutie-petootie retro style aprons tho'. Very cute. I can't have a half one tho'... my boobs seem to attract drips.

Wow... that's pretty sparse! They might wanna put out a few more issues and get some content on the site. Looks VERY promising tho'.

All we get here in Akron is Jane Snow in the Beacon Journal. Lame. We have to rely on Scene and the Free Times out of Cleveland. Their reviews are always entertaining.

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. At the urging of my husband, I actually ended up going with a chicken and spinach lasagna recipe that I had tucked away a few years ago. It was a big hit with my guests, but I think it needs some tweaking.

I do love me some fast food, but I'm kind of a puss about what I order when I do go (which really isn't that often). I don't like to deviate too much from the familiar. McDonalds? I get their double cheeseburgers... plain. That way, I know that they have to make it "fresh" (ha ha). (BTW... has anyone noticed that McD's has been adding copious amounts of salt and pepper to their patties? Yum.) The thing is, I don't want to eat any kind of "special sauce", "tangy sauce", "chipotle mayo", or ranch dressing. Ga-ross. Special sauces keep me from trying the new things on the menu. That being said, there is an exception... Taco Bell. Spicy Chicken. Oh baby. I took a chance on it and it paid off, big time. It's best enjoyed in it's soft taco incarnation. Spicy chicken, lettuce, cheese, and pico. They're a dollar. I love them. There is also a burrito, but they put they're foul jalapeno funk sauce on it and I can't deal. I also really like Baja Fresh. They're always really good for a quick snack and since we don't have Rubio's here in NEO, I'll take it.

I put mine in the George Foreman. We refer to it as the George Forman Pork Machine. The only things I ever use it for are hot dogs, bacon, and sausage patties. Anyway, it keeps the bacon long, straight, and it cooks really fast. If I don't feel like dragging it out, I throw it in the cast iron skillet and fry it up the old fashioned way.

Daniel... that is, by far, the most mouthwatering thing that I have seen in a looooong time. Gorgeous.

Wow... these all sound fantastic! I don't have any vegetarians that I'm trying to appease so I really just wanted to mix things up a bit. The Pamela Sheldon Johns recipe sounds like a winner. I'll let you know how it comes out! I'm also gonna tuck that butternut squash and sage idea away for a cold Sunday at home with my husband. That sounds so good!

Could someone volunteer a tasty recipe for a veggie lasagna? I'm having a birthday party for my friend on Saturday and I thought lasagna would be a good choice to feed a crowd. I'm comfortable with my recipe for a Bolognese-style, but I'd like to also serve a white-sauce veggie one. I've Googled quite a few recipies but the most of the reviews included words like "bland" and "gelatinous". I think I'd like to steer clear of that so I've come to you eGulleteers! Anyone have a good one? Thanks! Les

She's still drinking milk, right? Plenty of protein there. I wouldn't sweat it. ← Oh yeah. Lots of milk flowin' in there.

Yeah, she really does have her mother's tastes. Last weekend I asked her if she wanted Cheerios or eggs for breakfast.... she said, "I want bacon." Mommy's girl. Clickity But, as my pants will tell you, you shouldn't live on bacon. I do think that it's a texture thing tho'. I made some really nice spinach meatballs (beef/pork/veal mix) last night and after eating around them for a while, she gave them a shot and seemed to enjoy them. She is only two... I'm going to calm down about it and be happy that she'll eat around a french fry to get to her cottage cheese and baby carrots.

Ooo... ooo! I have a question! I have a two year old and I am having a hell of a time getting her to eat meats that aren't coated and deepfried or stuffed into a casing. She loves her veggies and cheeses, but I can't get her interested in meats... or dried beans, for that matter. I'm worried that she's not getting enough protien. Any suggestions?

Oh man... yeah. I still have a tossed salad once a week at my mom's houae. Iceburg lettuce, fork scored (sp) cucumber, tomatoes (they grow their own in the summer but go mealy in the fall/winter/spring), onions on the side. Everyone has their favorite dressing tho'... mom and I go for the Good Seasons made in the caraffe, dad and hubby for for French, and brother, sister, and BIL go for the ranch. I'm not going to front... I love it. There's something about the crunch of iceburg that I love. Their leaf lettuce is used exclusively for wilted lettuce salads with the bacon grease/vinegar dressing.

This is so funny to me... I'm paranoid and I won't drink it after the date that's been stamped on the carton, but I will cook with it. My husband, however, will drink and use milk that's about 3-5 days beyond that date. He thinks of it more as a suggestion. Unless old milk causes laziness, I'm pretty sure he's ok.