Special K

Before we bought our SodaStream, we were constantly stopping by the grocery store on the way home from work to pick up more bubbly water. We never got out of there with only bubbly water! I'm sure they miss us.

Oh, those are even more awesome!! (The photo of FG's magic fish pants)

For a photo of fish pants like Fat Guy's, go to dear Fifi's second post. Awesome!

Just eavedropping on my husband's high school chemistry lesson on gas laws ... did you chill the wine? (Henry's Law)

I haven't had those things in 50 years, but a bag jumped into my cart the other day ... it was very hard to share them.

You do have the world's greatest wife!

I hoard martini glasses. I'm always looking for sets of four in thrift shops - I want the small ones, not the huge ones that retail stores sell new. Then one of the set will get broken, and I think I should re-donate the remaining three, but I . . . don't. Some of them are scattered around the house, holding trinkets or nuts or whatever, but most are taking up too much room in the cupboard.

Cheetos, gummy worms, jello - not things I should be eating anyway. Not things I'd give kids if I had 'em (kids, I mean). I get my pickles from a neighbor and I don't mind that they're not bright green. I posted last week in the Trader Joe discussion the news (to me) that nothing they sell has dyes - I never even noticed that. I have often wished that diet Coke and Pepsi came in a clear version, without the teeth-staining caramel coloring. Is it safe? I don't know. I think it's unnecessary - it's a marketing tool to make (mostly) junk food attractive to kids. Is is essential for enjoyment of many products? Not to me, but then I don't eat those products. (Well, maybe I do sneak the occasional cheeto, and I'd be grateful if they didn't give me away by staining my fingers orange! ) Are current regulations adequate, too little, too much, wrong-headed, wise, or what? I suppose current regulations are adequate, but I'd like to have a choice. I mean, how many different kinds of Coke are there? They can't make a dye-free one? I would think that would actually gain them more customers, for reasons of health or, as in my case, vanity.

Ha ha ha! Thanks for my belly laugh of the day! Reminds me of the "Was My Face Red" column from the old Calling All Girls magazine.

I really didn't know him, but I met him when the original LunchBox Laboratory opened in Ballard, and I gave him a tiny little toy lunchbox, which he displayed at the restaurant. I don't know what went wrong for him, but I am deeply saddened by his death, and my heart goes out to Ms Waggener.

His obituary is here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/allyoucaneat/2014642636_chef_scott_simpson_remembered.html He will be missed.

Left the upper cabinet door over the fridge open, opened the fridge, leaned over to pull something out, straighened up and brained myself on the corner of the door. Really did see stars!

See, a lot of people would just stare at him and say, "I don't know - it's YOUR turn!" annnnddd... Friday's it is.

Just read this morning that Trader Joe's (and Whole Foods) refuse to sell foods with artificial coloring: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/health/policy/30fda.html (last paragraph).

Maybe this will help: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/hangover3.htm Apparently it's those conjuners - do you have the same problem with red wine?

It's been a while since I've watched Martha, but I know I've heard her say "never, never ever let foil wrap touch food." She never said why, but I'm guessing this is because the acids in some foods may react with the aluminum -- or maybe she just knew this product was in the pipeline .

After taking way too much Ibuprofin for years, and noticing that it's become less and less effective - not to mention bad for my hypertension - I've just switched (with my doctor's blessing) to turmeric, 1,000 mg twice daily. I've only taken two pills so far, so it hasn't had a chance to kick in yet. If it does, I'll let you know. Fat Guy, I'd keep taking the 12 p.m. Advil with the yogurt (I would think that just a few spoonsful (spoonfuls?) within an hour of taking the pill would be enough - "a light snack" is what I've read), and I'd also elevate the head of the bed. You don't need an ulcer or esophageal problems on top of your other aches and pains! K p.s. My prescription Ibuprofin had a cute little picture of a submarine sandwich and a note to "take with food." Woo hoo! A guilt-free sub!

Annabelle, that is one heck of a fine sentence. I mean, that's writing! I'm jealous of your skill. Hey, did Mom teach you to write?

Agreed. And the bread smells so good!

John Doe had quite a few scenes in Digger's bar.

I just saw Chuck Hughes do this on "Chuck's Day Off" (Cooking Channel) yesterday. He cooked alphabet pasta "risotto style." http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/chuck-hughes/grown-up-alphabet-pasta-recipe/index.html I'm looking forward to trying it this weekend.

This is exactly what I do, ever since I burned my hand trying to transfer the dough into a searing hot preheated dutch oven when I first tried this bread. Now sometimes I use a cold lidded dutch oven, sometimes a lidded pullman loaf pan, and (another breakthrough for me!) recently just a French baguette double loaf pan (no cover at all). The bread comes out fine every time. So, while I do think the oven does need to be preheated, I have found that I don't really have to preheat the baking vessel, and I don't even have to fuss with a lid at all. I conclude that the real secret to this method is not the preheated pan, and not the lidded pan, and not the business with the towels or parchment paper or whatever. It's just that wait time.

Cheesecake! I first heard of it when I was a kid, about 7 or 8 years old. I thought, "Cake? With cheese in it? Ewww!" and nobody enlightened me (probably figured it meant more cheesecake for them). It took me years to try it, and when I finally did, I felt the way Darienne feels about pulled pork - so much cheesecake I missed in those intervening years! Now I'm doing my best to catch up.

I can't find it online, but I have seen ads from the big soda pop companies saying they're going to change the nutrition information to reflect what's actually in a 12-oz can, probably because of this: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/06/business/06portion.html.