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The best way to clean a teapot that has been infected with mold is with hydrogen peroxide. Pour it in and leave it in the pot for at least an hour, rinse several times with hot water and follow with a vinegar rinse to neutralize any peroxide that may remain. There are many molds that are resistant to bleach - it will remove the color of the mold, but will not kill the spores so the mold comes back and these spores can hide in microscopic crazing inside a teapot. Bleach will destroy bacteria and viruses and is excellent for removing stains from tea. You can also use full strength distilled white vinegar and if the pot is microwave safe, heat it in the MW for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of the teapot, then allow it to cool in the MW. This has the advantage of also doing some cleanup of the MW interior - just wipe with a paper towel. Don't open the door while the stuff is still hot, you will get a sinus-clearing jolt of vinegar steam. You can also fill the pot with vinegar, place it in a larger vessel pour hot water around it and put it over low heat to keep the water hot but not boiling. An hour is optimum. Denture tablets are fine for removing mineral deposits and will kill certain bacteria but will not kill all mold spores - some molds actually like some of the compounds that go into these tablets. The bubbles are produced by sodium hydrogen carbonate. You can combine this with hydrogen peroxide to get a very effective cleaner but it will also remove the glaze from pottery, porcelain and etc. Not a good thing. It's very effective in removing mineral deposits from stainless steel. I have tried it - outside - in a stiff breeze to carry away the fumes. I don't recommend it. Oxygen bleach? Not so much effective on molds. I had a box in my garden shed - for scrubbing plant pots - it got damp and the top and end of the box had a fine crop of mold growing on and in it. We gingerly bagged and sealed it and put it in the hazardous waste bin at the local fire station.

I use coupons for things that I am going to buy anyway. I occasionally try something new if I get a coupon for a free product or for a significant savings. However, I do save coupons for things I certainly do not use (Pampers, for instance) and once a month donate them to a local food bank to be given out to their clients. There are a lot of people, especially families with children, and especially the military families around here, who could not subsist as well as they do if it were not for coupons. I print out online coupons from online coupon services, mostly couponbug.com both for the food bank and for people who don't have internet service or a printer. I don't mind standing in line behind people who use a lot of coupons because times are hard and this is how some people have to survive. There were times in my earlier life when I had to scrimp and save and use every coupon and I don't remember anyone criticizing me.

That's definitely not hoarding. That is being frugal as well as exhibiting generosity to those who are on the receiving end of the presents. I have multiple batches "working" - mostly in quart jars but two are 1 1/2 quart - that I started about two months apart. That way when I use one up or distribute it as gifts, I have another coming along soon, and usually mature enough to use. I now have a batch made with some very old extra anejo 100% blue agave tequila that was a gift I received several year ago and as I don't drink, decided I could get some use out of it this way. I have since been told what it probably cost (not by the giver) and have felt a mild twinge of guilt about that, but really, if someone is going to give me something with no strings, why wouldn't I use it the way I wish?

When I got my newer Vita Mix, it came with the extra dry grinding container and the blades are different and are engineered specifically to grind dry grains. The directions are specific in that the dry container is not to be used for grinding nuts for nut butters, etc. I used mine quite a bit for grinding wheat, barley, rye and etc., (not corn) and it worked very well for me, however I wanted a greater output because it did take a bit of time to grind the grains in the quantity I needed. So I retired the Vita Mix dry container and bought a Nutrimill. I could certainly have gotten along fine without the Nutrimill but as I have the room and am a bit of a gadgeteer I went for it. I still have the dry container, just in case the Nutrimill dies.

Yeah! My chicken fryer is never used for anything else. It was my grandmothers and has an 80-year build up of fried chicken "essence" which I am not about to disturb. People rave about my fried chicken and I am not going to do anything to "jinx" it.

to avoid this kind of thing. Apparently it is difficult to discover just how much this is being used. This video is not in the U.S. but who knows. Just how can one test for transglutamase in meats. Knowing some of the tricks of the trade that have been perpetrated in recent years, this makes me wonder.

So why don't "foam 'haters'" dislike "traditional" foams just as much as modernist ones? I have yet to see a cogent explanation of why whipped cream on pumpkin pie is acceptable, but bone marrow foam on steak is not. I just don't see a fundamental difference between the two. Your stated reasons upthread for disliking foam are that: Because one looks like whipped cream (which is unctuous and lovely and, well *creamy*) and the other looks like something my dogs hork up after they've been eating grass.... Which is most certainly NOT unctuous and lovely and creamy. Nor is it something I choose to put in my mouth. What's that line about "eating with your eyes as much as your mouth...."? If it looks like dog barf, *I* don't want to eat it. If you do, groovy. Enjoy your foams and airs and spumas (that *word* even sounds gross). But don't force it on me. And don't tell me I'm a dolt, or unsophisticated, or a rube, or somehow less than you, or not into good food and spirits because I don't share your taste. Yeah! What Roberta said. Foams I like? Meringues - baked till done or poached till done. Whipped gelatin stuff. Looks sort of like foam but it has structure and density.

I agree if all you want is plain peanut butter. I don't so I make my own. I like to blend different nuts together for health benefits. I add some oils for the same reason and I don't add sugar or preservatives. I've been making my own for decades - first using a manual meat grinder with a "nut-butter" blade and later a Vita Mix blender and now I use my Thermomix31, which is even easier. I like a more intense "roasted" flavor so I roast the nuts more than any commercial product. I have complete control of the product and as I am something of a fanatic about it, it suits me. That being said, there are many fine commercial products out there that are perfect for the person who doesn't want the hassle. One of my friends is addicted to Better'n Peanut Butter sold at Trader Joe's.

I've used annatto seeds to colour a paella. It affected the flavour slightly, but not in a bad way-- just gave a slight 'bite', for lack of a better word. The seeds are like rocks and I had a hell of a time grining them down to the texture I wanted. The colour was a lovely... orange? LOL My neighbor just cracks them and simmers them in a little water - she also steeps some in tequila when she only needs a few drops. Same with the tamarind and jamaica - a combination of these can yield a range of reds.

I get honey granules and honey powder from Barry Farm (scroll down half way on the page) to use in dry spice mixtures and tea mixtures, etc. The honey gels made with agar agar (also with gum arabic and gum tragacanth) do not contain fruits. I just cited that page because I thought you could get an idea of ratio volumes. How much agar agar to how much honey, etc. There are any number of chewy candies made in the middle east, some are made with these "gum" thickeners with honey that is just briefly simmered. Others are made with honey that has been boiled to the soft boil stage. Honey brittles are made with honey that has been boiled to the hard crack stage. The granulated honey products are made with honey that has been boiled, poured onto a sheet to "dry" and then crushed. It has to be kept away from any moisture or will attract it and become a gummy mess.

There are different varieties of tomatoes and the leaves are distinctly different. Those closest to the nightshade ancestor can be quite harmful, some hybrids have less of the atropine alkaloids. The "potato leaf" varieties contain more of the tropane alkaloids and tomatine than the rugose or compound leaf varieties and consumption of the leaves of the former can definetly cause illness. Symptoms are the same as ingestion of other nightshade plants, dizziness, blurry vision (dilation of the pupils), nausea, tachycardia, dry mouth and confusion. Quantity is a crucial point. One or two tomato leaves might be okay but more could be problematic. I lost a great dane puppy that chewed on a tomato plant and ate some of the stems and small green tomatoes so the stems and leaves are certainly toxic. The puppy was 5 months old and weighed 60 pounds.

I think you mean "under cabinet" appliances. Black & Decker are the ones that are affordable for most people. There are some extremely high end appliances but the cost is out of reach of most. Smeg makes a built-in coffee machine.

There is a huge difference between a 2-cup or 1-pint jar and the 64 ounce/2 QUART Vita Mix jar For most drinks the smallest functional jar is one quart or 32 ounces, if ice is included but larger is much better, particularly if mixing drinks for several people. When I have guests, both blenders are ready for use.

Prune whip is composed of prunes stewed in a small amount of water or other liquid (I use ruby port) then put through a sieve and the puree cooked a bit more with some sugar and a bit of lemon juice. Egg whites are whipped, the puree folded into it, then the stuff is transferred to a buttered baking dish and baked until done. It is often served with a custard.

It's been more than two decades since I last moved. At the time this house was not quite ready as the previous owners were doing some work that was part of the deal so I discarded almost all of my pantry stuff and prepared to buy more once I was settled in here. As I discarded the stuff, I made a list of the staples I would be needing immediately and optional ones that could be added later. I made up menus for the first couple of weeks and from that made a list of items I would buy as soon as the kitchen was ready for use (new fridge, new freezer as I did not want the previous owner's). As soon as the movers were finished, I made up my bed, set up the bathroom and made some initial set up in the kitchen (plugged in the fridge and freezer) and then I went to the supermarket. At that time there was an Alpha Beta just 3/4 of a mile away, with an excellent meat department with live butchers. I stuck to my list but still managed to spend over to $200. (1988 prices) but I did not have to shop again for a couple of weeks. I would probably have had to shop sooner but the neighbors here were very welcoming and brought me casseroles, cakes, pies and other goodies - including lots of tomatoes from their gardens.

Me too. My ancient Vita Mix with the stainless steel jug and the odd-looking T-dowel "pusher" still works just fine and when I was catering, it got an extra-heavy workout. From time to time I dust it off and use it when I need more than one blender at a time. The "Pantry Pals" 1983 on the right, 1997 on the left.

Soft honey jels are made with agar agar. I don't have a recipe but this site should help with some ideas of how to start. A Mexican candy, also made with agar agar and either honey or fruit syrup is made in sheets and actually hung to dry and the flexible sheets are cut with patterns and formed into flowers on wire "stems" so the stuff must be fairly stable.

When I was catering, and wore white jackets and my helpers wore white aprons, I washed them myself if they weren't too stained, using bleach in a pre-wash and then regular detergent. Every three or four wearings, and if they had tough stains, I took them to a professional laundry. I don't know what they used but they were returned brilliant white and I did not have the hassle. It wasn't all that expensive. I have some large, white damask tablecloths and also napkins - I take them to a laundry because I don't like to iron and they return them in a plastic wrapper for ease of storing and they are stain-free, wrinkle-free and white.

Natasha, I missed your comment about honey. Possibly hoarding could be a problem if you had an excessive number of the same type of honey - but if you use a lot and daily, this is simply being prudent. - You wouldn't want to run out at a critical time, would you? I've got several types of honey because I like the different flavors. I cook with honey so I buy big containers from Blum Ranch because I like to support small, local businesses. I have a lot of sorghum because my family in Kentucky still grows and processes it and sends me at least a gallon each year. Free! Have you ever noticed that some things you get for free taste better than similar things for which you paid? I've been watching the TLC Channel "Extreme Couponing" shows and their supplies put mine to shame. Some have very large families but not all do. I rather think that some of these people have tipped over the line into hoarding. But who am I to judge!

How about some Jaggery? I guess this does look a bit like hoarding but it was on sale (99¢ for each 2.2lb. 1kg. loaf) so I bought five last December. One has been grated down to a nubbin. Another sugar is rapadura, which seems to be very popular in Australia and after I got my Thermomix31 and joined a forum, I bought a bag of it. It seems to be quite similar to the sugar sold by Rancho Gordo.

I really don't care for whipped cream as a topping for most things and use it sparingly. I prefer clotted cream or slightly whipped and sweetened sour cream. I seem to recall that a few years ago there was a brief discussion on warm foams and one was asparagus foam, with a photo that convinced me I never wanted to try it. If one likes (or loves) foams, they should be able to have them. It's a matter of personal preference, just not mine.

I have the Atlas Marcato 180 - I wanted a wider sheet of dough. So chose it over the 150. It works just as well as my old Atlas that got lots of use over twenty-some years and still works, it's just too narrow for my use.

I really don't care much for "foams" on foods that are not inherently soft, sweet concoctions made with whipped cream, egg whites or similar foods. Classic Sauces are the way they are and I like them in the traditional manner. A year or so ago I had dinner with friends at a somewhat trendy restaurant on Ventura Blvd., in the Valley and was served an appetizer of foie gras with some kind of frothy stuff on it and I couldn't eat it. And I love fois gras. It reminded me of the foamy exudate that one sees after sprinkling salt on garden slugs or snails. Yuck! I have a strong stomach but it was all I could do to avoid looking at the plate while one of my friends summoned the waiter to remove the plate. I can't even recall what else I had for dinner, all I remember about that evening was the unfortunate effect the appearance of that stuff had on me. Not as bad, but a somewhat similar incident a few years ago when a dessert was served with a sort of balloon of something on top of it. It was not unattractive but my friends and I, all teens in the '50s, with no discussion, chorused as one, "It's the Blob!" - It looked just like the scene in the theater. We had a good laugh but wondered why a perfectly lovely peach charlotte had to be "decorated" with something so odd. P.S. If bacon goes, so do I!

When they began putting mysterious things with unpronounceable names in sour cream, I began making my own. It's easy and the result is a product that is as close to "pure" as I can get, with no mystery inclusions.

I am going to be ordering some when I use some of my current supply (note hoarding topic). I also am waiting for some other seasonal items so I can group things in one order.