CindyG111

I've never been to Grape Vine Market (although I need to!), IMHO World Market has better prices on wine versus Costco. Has anyone tried the new Vin 100 in Lakeway? My friends and I are taking a cooking class at Faraday's and they recommended this new store. Cindy G.

Bumping this topic - Your Texas Sheet cake looks scrumptious Fifi! I've been making Texas Sheet cake for years. I use whatever cookie sheet I have that's deepest. I got my recipe from my Mom, (actually she submitted it to a church cookbook - which I bought, Mom was never good about passing on recipes. That cookbook is a gem and has seen better days. I should encoat it in plastic). She got the recipe over 30 years ago when we used to live near Philly. Whoever she got it from called it Texas Sheet cake. Go figure it's new to Texans!

Well we finally got to go and it was very very disappointing. Food was not good. Oh well. On a high note for dessert we went to the Gelato shop around the corner. Yummy!!!!

We need some Europeans to comment on "burger". I was in Scotland a couple weeks ago and saw a magazine ad for a "burger" which was chicken not beef. In the US, burger means hamburger, man!! At the time I thought it was because of the "mad cow" scare that maybe burgers are now chicken burgers not beef. I dont' think that's so, but especially now seeing this ad and knowing it's German. One last thing - I really like BK's ad "Wake up with King". At the end the guy in bed with the King gets a little creeped out. That is freekin hilarious.

This topic is great! I was in Scotland 2 weeks ago and had Walker's Sensations crisps. Walkers Sensations These were SO GOOD, I thought I'd never eat another US chip without a tinge of sandness. My favorite flavor of Walker Sensations was Thai Sweet Chilli. YUM YUM. Very tasty and very very crunchy. Our chips just seem so oily now. Tangy tomato and Red Pepper Salsa was pretty freekin good too. I'll have to try some of the other flavors and chips listed in the discussion, just so I don't get depressed. Cindy G.

Thanks!!!! Can't wait for the next Gumbo go round.

Ms. Fifi - I would personally love it if you would post your tricks and techniques on roux making. I made my first roux last night for Seafood Gumbo and I didn't think it was dark enough. CindyG's attempt at Seafood Gumbo The reciped called for taking a cup of the just boiling Creole sauce, adding 1/2 cup of the roux (actually now that I think of it, the roux was supposed to be cool -oops). Making a paste and slowly adding that to back to the creole sauce. Boy was that a bitch and a 1/2. For a while there I thought I was going to end up with Seafood Gumbo and Dumplings. Fortunately the voice of my Mom piped in to my head and said put some elbow grease into your whisking!!!

Hey Dude!! I was born in Philly but have never been an Iggles fan.. LOL I loved your Patsies comment - LMAO I WISH I had Scrapple for breakfast. I also miss calling subs Hoagies. Calling that carbonated sugar drink soda. I've swapped Y'all for - rats - I can't remember - yous guys? Wahter for wooter. Swore I'd never drop my 'rs' even though we lived 13 years in NH. When my son, who was born in NH, went to school and started dropping his 'r's I knew it was time to move. Seriously, I think Romney didn't want to take the bet because Philly just plain ol' has better food. humph! Patriots are still going to kick the Eagles ass!

How exciting!!!! I made my first Gumbo last night and I can't wait to try again.

Yum - the Mexican Pot Roast looks fantastic!!!

As an ex NH chick and fervent Pats fan I think Romney wouldn't go with the Lobster bet because every New Englander knows you don't eat Lobster with months that have "r" in them. At least he could have come up with something local though - I like the clam bellies idea - how about oyster bellies? I miss both here in TX. Chowda!!! Gotta be chowda.

Wow what a fabulous pot roast... I hope Costco here in the States has similar sale on LC!!!

I've been dying to post to this thread. Now I feel worthy!!! LOL I had most of today to myself as the son was at his girlfriend's and my husband had to work. What a great day to create! I decided to make Seafood Gumbo out of the "The New Low Country Cooking" by Marvin Woods. I LOVE this cookbook. I got it for Christmas (among others) chosen from egullet Cookbook threads. First I made the Vegetable Stock: Next I needed to make the Creole Sauce. I had looked for Thai Chili paste at the grocery store but they didn't have any. I knew they had ancho peppers, so here is my homemade chili paste: I had to dig up some kind of glass container to put it into. I think this is a bud vase. Here's a picture looking into the paste - nice bits of hot peppers - yum! I also had to make a brown roux. I've never done this before and it wasn't hard! Is it supposed to be browner??? I then made the Creole Sauce. I made a big mess because my okra was frozen and I couldn't chop it up so I put it in the blender. It was okay. I should have taken a picture of the mess. I forgot to take a picture of the Creole Sauce. Once I got the Creole Sauce made the rest was easy. Fry up the Trinity. Add corn. Didn't add more okra - my husband hates okra. Add the Seafood. Add the Creole Sauce! Voila!! here is the Seafood Gumbo!!! It was awesome!! Very flavorful! Spicy but not too hot. My husband is not a big fan of hot food. Here is the skillet cornbread I made too: Finally - here is the seafood gumbo served: My husband loved it!!! But he said he could taste the okra. I think he's full of bologna, don't you?

You know come to think of it the best coffee maker we ever had was a Braun. Hmm. I'd go pick up one up now if my Le Creuset entry level (not cast iron) dutch oven didn't need to be replaced. It's glass lid has a chip which cuts you if you're not careful. sigh... All these coffee pots just have poor engineering!! Is Braun German? Like the Mercedes of coffee makers.

A couple years ago, my husband bought me a Cuisinart Grind & Brew coffeemaker. The thing made great coffee - but what a serious pain in the ass to clean up. I really hated that thing. I bitched about it constantly. Then last Christmas I got a Hamilton Beach Brewstation Brewstation The kind where you put your cup in to get the nectar. Yeah! Happiness! Then one morning I put my cup up and it would not stop giving me coffee. Coffee all over the counter and onto the floor. EEEK! Reese diagnosed that a coffee ground had become stuck in the delivery apparatus and cleaned it out. Voila - all fixed. Ha! Instead it was leaking, every brew cycle. It got to where I'd put a paper towel under it every time I made coffee. 8%$*!$##!! :angry: Last month for my birthday, Reese surprised me with a Mr. Coffee. Simple, easy, works like a charm. But then we noticed a small problem. The plastic holder where you put the ground coffee in (swing out, coffee in - swing in to brew) wouldn't close completely. It wouldn't latch right for some reason so by the time it finishes brewing the brew holder thingy starts to swing out. This morning, not awake, make coffee, sit down on computer. Here the beeper, go look for coffee and see coffee all over the counter and almost to the floor. Sigh. Even worse, the circuit board switcher thing got wet and the on/off switch doesn't work now. (all the buttons on the right side) But I did get coffee this morning. I used the delay brew button on the left, switched the time to a couple minutes later and prayed. Does anyone else have these issues or is it just me? Any suggestions for a new coffee maker? Help!!!