andiesenji

Search no further than RecipeGullet for my great-grandmother's Grape Pie! Not only did I inherit her recipe box, each recipe written in spidery cursive with a fountain pen, I also have her wooden spoon and three-tined fork. I also have a big stash of embroidered and emblished linens from my grandmothers and their mothers. Some of these are so fragile that I am in the process of framing some of them. ← I have a treasured hand-embroidered and cutwork apron made by my great grandmother. I have her embroidery frame she brought from England. I also have her cushion, pins, bobbins and patterns for bobbin lace. She made the most exquisite lace, as delicate as a spider-web. My christening gown was covered with it. She always told me that she did needlework to keep her fingers nimble! A very Victorian lady! I wear the apron on very special occasions. It is not a "working" apron. It was meant to be worn just for show.

They are for measuring the surface temperature of a pan or skillet before the food is added. They will not measure internal temperature of meat or fowl.

Also check at Costco. They carry under their name, a heavy anodized aluminum which is comparable to Calphalon. It is an excellent buy and they do have occasional price cuts.

I actually found a few more varieties when my housekeeper and I were straightening the pantry. Well, one thing for sure, it will never go bad!

I have a Stir-Chef and I love it. I got it mainly for lemon curd. The way I make it, it takes a long time to set up but is very, very creamy.

The pod material is not at all like the teabag material I buy. It is a lot tougher - it should be, to stand up to the water/steam being forced through it. I think we will see more and more of this type of machine - the price on the Senseo has dropped - I believe they are now selling at Costco for less than $50.00. As I have mentioned before, they are ideal in places where appliances with exposed heat surfaces are not allowed - my usual example, dorm rooms. And in assisted senior living residences where regular coffee makers are forbidden in the rooms. We have them in my office - started with one, now have three. Three people I know who have motorhomes have gotten them because there is nothing worse to clean up than debris from a coffee maker that was not secured when the rig moved and a full carafe of coffee, plus the soggy grounds flew all over the place. And one other consideration is that each person can have the type of coffee they prefer, they don't have to settle for what has been brewed. The various types are instantly available, cup by cup.

One additional comment. Four or five years ago, here in soCalif., many of the smaller Mexican markets were selling "Natural Vanillin powder" - It was indeed, a "natural" product but it contained coumarin (a blood thinner) and was pulled from market shelves by FDA agents and the distributors were enjoined from continuing to distribute it in the US. It had been around for several years but apparently the FDA had just gotten around to testing it and found it had dangerous levels of the coumarin. It is possible to get good quality products made in Mexico but you have to deal with a reputable dealer. The true Mexican vanilla is very good - I prefer the Madagascar Bourbon but not by much. If I had my "druthers" - I would use Hawaiian vanilla exclusively but it is very, very expensive. A friend who lives on the Big Island and has an 'in" with the owners, sent me some and it is extraordinary, but not if one is on a tight budget.

Pretty nifty!!

I thought that was neat also. I may get it for one of the girls in the office who has just begun baking. She also loves hot chocolate. There were several very clever little things that would make great stocking stuffers. I also thought of ordering the "Coffee clock" for a friend who is an avid coffee collector, taster, drinker, etc. I also considered the "Perfect Apple slicer" for my own collection. And how about that 110.00 for the Armadillo Bread Bin?? A bit pricey, I would say. And of course, when you check that site you find a bunch more odd and quirky gadgets. Uncrate is an odd name in itself. It says it is for guys but who cares!

I can certainly tell the difference between real vanilla and artificial vanilla in some foods, particularly in delicate custards. The artificial stuff has a bitter tone to it that is not pleasant and one of the worst examples was when I was served a lovely peach dessert topped with whipped cream in which the person who made it had used artificial vanilla. I would rather spend the extra amount and have a flavor on which I can depend. Also, the imitation stuff can change over time, partidularly if exposed to prolonged heat. The chemicals can change to compounds that have really putrid flavors. Here is a good explanation of the differences.

I will post a favorite recipe for peanut (or almond, or ??) made in the microwave. Easy and pretty much foolproof.

And now, here is a whole slew of Kitchen Gadgets Some have been around for a while but some are new, some are unusual (wait till you see the "armadillo bread bin") --- some are totally impractical but some look like they might come in handy. I am ordering the "SqueezeMe" lemon squeezer, simply because it is unusual and cute. I am seriously considering the Solar Grill. I have a solar cooker (since 1979) but the thing is the size of the old type satellite dish. It works great in the desert but is big and heavy to haul around. This little thing looks really cool. I also am considering ordering a set of Knorks. We had a discussion a while back regarding sporks. This doesn't have the spoon component but for people who have lost the use of one hand, it looks like a winner. I have several friends who had had strokes and this should help them. Since my right hand is getting worse all the time, I may be in the same boat myself before very long. I also like their style of ring pull device for cans.

Alcohol and Gluten-free vanilla. This is an excellent product.

What mizducky said! Ditto!

You can make a cutter that works like magic. You can make two and fasten them together so you make 2 parallel cuts at a time. It really works great with taffy and you can dial the temperature way down for cutting chocolate. Oh yeah, if you dial it up to high, it will even cut hard candy formed in sheets. You just need to put the stuff you are cutting on a base so the ends of the bow have room. hot wire cutter Translucent cutting mat - grid-marked The one I used was a class project by the boys in a high school shop class. A friend had it made to cut slabs of taffy into squares so they could be dipped in chocolate.

I would like to try your christmas cake recipe using some sour cherries which i pitted and preserved in brandy last summer. Since these cherries are already full of moisture, do you think I would need to reduce the amount of applesauce in the recipe? ← I am sorry I didn't see your post a few days ago. As long as you drain the cherries well, keep everything the same, test it and bake a little longer if necessary. This is a very forgiving recipe. I have from time to time added additional fruit or nuts, used apple butter instead of applesauce, used plum butter once - great flavor but it was too sweet for some.

Those are cute. I have very good friends who live on their boat in the marina at Oxnard. They have done several really big favors for me and I think this would be a great way to repay them. Since their space is limited I have not been able to decide on a suitable gift. They are both avid fishers so this is just perfect. I have the catalog but have not noticed these items. Thanks so much!!!

That is the best kind of story, Jaymes! always a story that involves family history and traditions, is the best to read.

There is a wide variety of nut crackers available at Amazon here. I have the "rocket" nutcracker which I use for shelling lots of nuts but it will not split the shell. You really need a blade type cracker - You might take a look at the Quackenbush nutcracker on page 2, or see if you can locate a nut cracker made specifically for splitting walnuts. They are usually a screw type and have a blade that splits the shell along the natural seam. You might be able to make one easier than finding one. Scroll down the bottom of this page where you can see one type of sheller that cuts walnut shells in half.

To my Yankee ear, red-eye gravy sounds like something served aboard a 3 A.M. airplane flight. Just what is it, exactly? ← See it here! Although there are many versions, depending on locality. There is often great argument about the exact procedure and ingredients, even in closely related families - especially in closely related families!!!and the recipe here.

Delicious!

It's not just grits, northerners are suspicious about many of the favorite foods of the south. Boiled peanuts, for instance. A neighbor down the street, who moved here from Woodstock, NY a few years ago, had never tried cracklins/ fried pork rind or skins/chicharrones.... At one of our block parties, he gingerly bit into one and had an epiphany. Just because something looks odd and has an odd name does not mean it is not tasty. I often seen him in line at the Mexican supermarket buying the big slabs of chicharrones, along with hot sauce in which to dip them. Both he and his wife have eagerly taken to the multi-ethnic foods in our neighborhood.

I also got a couple of these silicone food loops at the kitchen store in the factory outlet center. It has already come in very handy for holding a boned leg of pork rolled around a filling of apples and prunes. So much easier than tying. Since the arthritis in my right thumb has gotten much worse, I am having difficulty with things like this as even force with my index finger causes pressure at the base of the thumb.

This is not a gadget, but it is just so darn cute that I had to order one. I love the animated Christmas/holiday things but have never seen one like this. When I saw it I thought I would order it for a friend who collects bears but then decided I would get it for me.

That is a seriously cool gadget, and one that I want. I shall order post haste. Thank you. It reminds me of a 'flour mixer' that my mom had years ago...a stepped leveled lidded thing that you shook flour and water together to make a slurry for gravey. I haven't seen one of those in years. Looks like a milkshake glass with horizontal ribbs. did not collapse though. I don't think so at least. I need a funnel so badly, and this one folds flat. Yeah!! ← They are not collapsable but you can get these at Amazon. I found them at a 'Factory outlet' kitchen store here in Lancaster, plus a larger one that folds flat, the top edge has a grommet/snap on it that snaps the top together so it can hang up. I also got several silicone "pinch" bowls for holding small amounts of ingredients. Their ability to fold makes it easier to empty things into narrow openings without spilling. Pinch bowls