Tela T

Although I haven't read through this entire thread - where the answer to my question may well be - I recently (finally) purchased a cookbook specifically for slow cookers (This isn't your mother's slow cooker cookbook - for small slow cookers) - so my question is this - I have a large model - I think around 3 quarts - and all the receipes in this book are for 2 people - in a 1.5 to 2 qt model - should I just break down and purchase a smaller pot? Would it be so bad to have a 2nd slow cooker? Heck even as I'm writing this, I'm thinking, "boy how rhetorical." - But I need a second (or third) opinion....

Alright, so you have chicken breasts and you're going to stuff them to bake (preferably ahead) like y'all helped with last week to freeze then bake. But what other options do you recommend to stuff them with - I'm sure there are limitless ideas - but I'm brain dead - suggestions from those of you more creative than me?? T

I'm quite certain that someone out there smarter than I - has dealt with this before. I want to make dinners that come easily out of the freezer - I have the amazingly easy stuffed chicken breast - pound out the chicken breast - stuff with the desired ingredients (I like proscuitto, goat cheese, and pesto) roll it in some seasoned breadcrumbs (use the bagged stuffing munched up - perfect!) and then bake until done - but my real question is - if I want to do as much beforehand as possible - at what point can I freeze them - before cooking; after partially cooking? - I'd love to do bunches at a time and then cook when desired - assuming placing directly into the oven don't even want to consider defrosting - that whole thing about growing a science project with chicken scares me to death! Ideas - suggestions, please??!! T

Busboy, Fabulouso - can't wait to try it - make ice cream all the time- but always into trying something new - I'll let you know how it turns out... T

Thanks to you both - we'll be on the eastern side of town, off PWP - been to the Wegmans - wouldn't recommend a midday trip on Saturday though. I think bi-weekly trips into town will be the norm (especially to Dupont on Sundays). By the way, how is Dupont during the winter?

Well, after a year of looking we're buying/moving to a place in Manassas. So, I need the scoop - where to shop for meats, fish, vegies - without having to drive into DC! Although I'll drive if I have to...! Will consider u-pick places, CSAs, too. How's the local FM? Any good places to eat for a casual meal, all cuisines, for kids, meat and threes? Fine dining - suggestions? Out of the way places that the locals go to? Welcome all comers! Thanks - I look forward to seeing what you all think! T

Busboy, I'm interested in getting your cinnamon ice cream receipt - willing to share? T

Oh, I am so happy to hear that Fins still exists - my folks live nearby and although we haven't eaten there in a while - we do intend on getting back!

General question on FMs in the DC area - the links I've found on the internet don't appear to have been updated so I'm getting some conflicting information. I live down near Mt. Vernon and I've been to the Alex FM on King Street and the Del Rey FM. What are the other top markets - Mount Pleasant Farmers Market? - Dupont? what about Green Spring? - hours/days? After moving to NoVA from Northern California - I really need to get my feet wet with these things, jonesin' for good home-grown veggies! Any help would be appreciated.

I found the Grey Goose Poive(sp?) first - maybe you'll have more luck...?? Curious to see what you come up with.

Trailed the entire post - and glad to see someone doing something with pears - but what about the new pear vodka? I tried a twist on the vodka tonic and a little splash of pear juice (bottled)/with tonic - but just wasn't zingy enough. What does someone think about pear cocktail w/ lavender(simple syrup) in the mix? You guys are way more creative than I am? Ideas?

I may have missed this topic elsewhere in the forum - but what recommendations do y'all have? In addition, links or other references to prepare!

Having issues with the link - I want to go!

I ate at South back on Saturday the 17th of March. Granted I believe you should never try a restaurant the first time at lunch - I figured, what the heck. Having given up red meat for Lent - there were quite a few apps and salads that appealed -but I was hungrier for more than just a salad. I selected the seared salmon on cheese grits with asparagus. On trying to find a glass of wine to go with my meal I was disappointed to initially find that there were no Pinot Noirs by the glass but instead there were at least two Cabernets. My initial reaction was that the menu was much lighter fare and the wine list did not compliment the food offerings. On commenting to my waiter he told me that indeed there was a Pinot by the Glass from the Central coast of California, an offered me a taste. It was the host who asked me about the wine and he is also serving as South's sommelier. Turns out the wine was from Willamette Valley - and yes it did go well with my lunch. We chatted for a while, turns out he is a native New Yorker recently moved to the Triangle from Orange County, California (me having just moved to Northern Virginia from Northern California) we talked about dining in California versus the Southeast - different. When my meal arrived, I was disappointed with the size of the salmon, less than the overall size of the average business card - but it was cooked perfectly, the cheese grits were clumpy and cold - obviously waiting for the salmon - the asparagus was good - although not as hot as I would have preferred. Good but the timing of the dish’s assembly could have been better. Still hungry after that, I checked the menu again and decided to try the pimento cheese beignets. These came to my table piping hot and they were very good and I could tell the pimento cheese was homemade, addictive - but the serving was one that would be better split with someone else. All things considered, I’ll go back – but for dinner. The prices were reasonable and once they sort out their wine list to better compliment the menu, things will be synced. Overall the staff was attentive but not overly intrusive. I look forward to eating there again.

Kinda sorta on the same topic - but do any of you get deliveries from CSAs in the area - just moved to Alexandria and wondering what the scoop is - from folks in the know - ??

End of September at the latest - but we'll be out in August hunting a place to live... And thanks for all the advice on DelmarVa board - I'm so used to going the Southeast board I must have overlooked it... Welcome back east. When do you arrive? ←

My husband and I will finally! be relocating back to the Southeast - Northern Virginia (to work in Arlington). So, I'm curious as to where the good places to find food staples are - granted we've been spoiled by living in Northern California for the last 7 years. Where are the good farmer's markets, organic u-pick farms, small producers of cheese, meats, etc. Those "don't miss" places, that the locals know about - or the chefs/cooks would use to eat/cook.

Being a GRITS girl myself with the t-shirt to prove it - my husband from California has had to endure salt pork in the freezer (for collards); searching hopelessly for Texas Petes in Sacramento (because we'd run out of our home-made pepper vinegar – and also for collards), and getting mail order grits, corn meal and corn flour from South Carolina. I think my mother thinks I became much too casual on moving to California where they wear jeans for "everything." But as I gotten older I've learned there's a certain gentility to folks who have a Southern-side - manners, cooking, welcoming - an aura of "down-home." A friend here who's from Tennessee has a bond where we talk in Southernisms - "she's good people" and we know instantly what that means - GRITS girls know what it means to be that to - regardless of where you live.

Well darn (actually #*%&@!) - Hubby and I need to cancel now - we're both in the Guard and our leaves have been cancelled to potentially support Katrina - so we won't be able to attend the pig pickin' - or see the folks -- or have any vacation until Lord knows when - so now we'll just have to wear our shirts and grill a pork shoulder and hopefully be able to longingly look at the pictures when they get posted... Have fun and be safe!

No suggestions on cooking the goat, but I retraced thru the threads but couldn't locate information on whether y'all needed help on Sunday afternoon as well. The hubby and I will be getting in too late to help on Saturday - but we're both swell prep cooks should that still be needed on Sunday!!

My question is a small, simple one - coming from California where the idea of tea - usually means hot tea or definitely unsweetened - the tea prepared for this feast will indeed be sweet - correct? 'Cuz to meet Varmint's intent - we'll need the sweet tea to counter the vinegar-based sauce for the eastern style pork.... It's a small thing - but a question that I just *had* to ask - as my husband's prone to say - any visit home for us - enables me to satisfy my fix - .... Sound like a druggie don't I?? Oh, well, it could always be worse....

Was that Creedmor Road? If so, where? We're going back to Raleigh in July - and I'd be eager to find it....

Well, we were in Raleigh last week (from California) visiting the folks and we went to the Raleigh FM's on Sunday - I saw the cheese vendors and the meat (chicken/rabbit) vendor - very pleasantly surprised - looks as though the quality and selection is slowly increasing!

Other than Whole Foods and Southern Season, are there any other places to purchase organic products (specifically vegies)? What about "you-pick" farms? How's the farmer's market in Raleigh doing along the organic lines (heirloom tomatoes and the like?) Yeah, I know I'm from Northern California (and therefore exceedingly spoiled), but every trip back to the Tarheel state, I'm surprised by the options available. And guaranteed the folks/family won't know, not exactly their thing We'll be there all next week, and I know I'll need to cook...

O.k., we're both registered. Now this is going to be my husband's first pig-pickin', so we're both really looking forward to it..... We'll be getting to town the Friday prior - my folks live in North Raleigh - so if there's anything we can help with - say in the dessert arena we'll be happy to help out....