Jaymes

I would suggest that sometime you take the 4-hour-drive north to Zuni, NM, and go to the B & L Paywa Bakery. These folks are still turning out bread and other baked goods (including a wonderful apple pie) in a traditional horno, which they sell to the entire town, plus the occasional tourist that stumbles in. You go right into their house and they're selling the baked goods out of their living room. The day I went, the grownups were around the dining room table having lunch; the kids on the floor watching TV. It's a real homespun kick. And even without the added interest of the bakery, the pueblo of Zuni is extremely interesting to visit and I think you'd enjoy it. If you go, be sure to stop by the Zuni Tribal Headquarters and ask if you can pay to take a tour that includes the interior of the church. I guarantee you that no matter how much traveling you have done or will do in your life, the interior of that church is something you'll never forget. And if you're at all interested in southwestern Native American history and culture, you simply should not miss it. ETA: Here's more info about visiting Zuni Pueblo.

As JAZ says, it packages and ships like a dream. An added advantage is that it doesn't weigh much, so it's economical to mail.

You might look to some of the old native American communities for ideas. I think that there are still a few of those clay beehive-style communial hornos working in some of the mesas and peublos.

For me it was Iced Oatmeals. Always Iced Oatmeals. In fact, I'm down in Houston, and when Hurricane Ike threatened and we all raced off to the grocery store to stock up, Iced Oatmeals were number one on my list of must-have staples. Are there any rumors of somebody else buying the company?

Not sure if you celebrate Christmas but, if so, those plates come in very handy on Christmas morning. Seems like the grownups are always sitting around sleepy-eyed watching the youngsters tear through the gifts. Those plates are perfect for holding a 'little something' like coffee cake or toast while balancing a cup of coffee or juice.

Most of the larger grocery chains that offer live lobsters will steam them for you. And I think with this news, I'm gonna get me a couple.

Any chance he might part with that recipe? Pretty please with green chiles on top?

No need for that to be "the last time" you ever taste green chiles. Yep, it's probably going to be difficult to get fresh-roasted green chiles where you live, but many companies sell canned ones. I've lived all over the world and can tell you that canned green chiles are a perfectly fine substitute when you can't get fresh ones.

It's been my experience that cooked potatoes don't freeze well. They turn into a kind of mealy mush, and fall apart. So what I do when I want to freeze a soup or stew that has potatoes is to take out however much I want to freeze before I add the potatoes. I add the potatoes to whatever we're eating that night, and then, when we want to eat the rest, take it out of the freezer and add the potatoes then. It doesn't take long at all to cook cubed potatoes, so by the time the soup or stew is hot and ready to eat, the potatoes are cooked. Of course, I usually have to adjust the seasonings and liquid for the second batch.

I just made Jaymes caramel popcorn this weekend (and it was delicious, thank you Mr. Jaymes!) and I had the same question, but I was making peanut brittle, too, and that had to be cooked until the hardball stage @ 254 deg F, so that's what I did and it worked great. The popcorn wasn't covered completely by the syrup mixture, but I think I used a bit too much popcorn. It didn't matter because the popcorn was sooooooooooo veeeeeery good. It was a big hit at my pumpkin carving party! ← I'm sure that the syrup for the caramel corn does have to reach a certain temperature/stage, but my grandmother always timed it, and that works great, so I've never felt the need to try any other method. I suppose I could stick a candy thermometer in there and see what it is when you hit the five-minute point. But hey, if it ain't broke.... You know?

The traditional Red Velvet Cake shouldn't have too much cocoa powder, as it is not a "chocolate cake." It's supposed to have a bit of tang from the vinegar and buttermilk, and just an underlying hint of chocolate.

Regarding the tequila tasting, what were the results? Did a winner emerge?

Thanks for the compliment! I try to save Christmas tins everytime I see them because my family has gotten to where they expect that caramel corn and whine if they don't get it. Different family members request their favorite nuts in it - cashews, spiced pecans, chili peanuts, etc. ← This year, I'm considering a theme (especially for the hard to buy for crowd) - cheapie DVD plus your popcorn. Good pairing, eh? ← That is cute! Nice variation on the traditional "movies & popcorn," eh? Actually, now that I think about it, I might do that my ownself.

I'm a Christmas girl, too. The best. I mean, why deny yourself anything?

From this, should we understand that grass fed makes tastier stews and braises while grain fed makes more tender steaks? ← Don't confuse the meaning of the terms "grass-fed" and "grain-fed." That makes it sound like "grain-fed" cattle are fed a diet of grain throughout their lives, which is not usually the case. Generally, cattle are born and raised by a rancher/breeder that lets them feed on grass in an open pasture until they are yearlings, at about 12-14 months or so, and around 800 pounds. Then they are sold at auction to feed lots where they are fed corn for a couple of months until they are sold to the processors. The feed lots are those large pens that you see when you're driving along the highways in cattle country. They're not born and raised in those pens, just finished. They eat the corn, which doesn't digest as readily and easily as grass, and they don't run as much as they do in the open pastures, so the meat marbles. Cattle are herd animals, so those pens are not a hardship, as evidenced by the fact that when you see cattle in their large pastures, most often they are grouped together in one part of it. And the finishing process only takes a few weeks. So when you read "grain-fed," most often you are talking about "grain-finished." I should add that at least that's the way it used to be. My father was in the cattle business for many years (rancher/breeder of Black Angus and Whiteface), but he sold out about 15 years ago and it's possible things have changed. And it's also possible, of course, that my memory has gotten kind of fuzzy.

That would "make more sense" if one wasn't interested in the taste of a traditional Red Velvet Cake. The vinegar, buttermilk, and underlying hint of chocolate make for the distinctive Red Velvet Cake taste that appeals most to the people that love it. ← But is it an inherently dry, dense cake? Or do I need to do something different? Because otherwise, if that's what it is, there's just no way I want to bother. I'm fine with the buttermilk, chocolate and hint of vinegar. The flavor's not the issue. It's the godawful result I got that was the most unbelievably dry cake I've ever had in my life. My husband said it was more cookie than cake, if that helps. ← My personal recipe is most certainly not a "dry, dense cake." I have no way of knowing if that was supposed to be the result of the recipe you tried. But I can't think Red Velvet Cake would have gained such popularity if the standard of the breed was dry and "godawful."

Looks like you're narrowing it down according to your priorities pretty well.

That would "make more sense" if one wasn't interested in the taste of a traditional Red Velvet Cake. The vinegar, buttermilk, and underlying hint of chocolate make for the distinctive Red Velvet Cake taste that appeals most to the people that love it.

Glad you made it to the Strater. I remember when I was a girl going to lunch at the Strater with my grandmother. Utterly sublime.

Well, then, you DID visit some ruins. Good for you. The Anasazi State Park certainly would give you a nice overview of the ancient ones. And like you said, there's nothing wrong with leaving something for next time.

Jaymes.. I was kind of avoiding your question, cause I´m embarrassed to admit, no. I really wished we had planned a little differently and gone to Mesa Verde. It was on the way.. but somehow we managed to pass it by. I console myself with the thought that you can´t see everything.. and that maybe I´ll come back to this region one day, and see the stuff I missed the first time. ← Ah yes, leave something for next time! But I would point out to other potential visitors that it's probably impossible to ever understand this part of our vast country without taking at least a peek into the lives of some of its first residents, the Anasazi, the "ancient ones."

I'm not a "pro," but in this, as with most everything in life, I think it's helpful to ask yourself what are your final goals? Where do you see yourself in five years, ten, twenty? Do you want a decent job with good benefits and regular hours so you can get home to a family? Do you want to eventually open your own place so that saving money now is a concern? Do you want an independent life of fun and adventure? Figure out what your goals are and then work toward them.

Chufi - did y'all make it to any of the ruins? Montezuma's Castle, Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Aztec, or Canyon de Chelly?

Glad you made it to Jerome. I lived in the US Southwest for years, including Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, etc., and find that many of the best stops take a little gettin' to. If you know what I mean. Did you manage to stop at any of the ruins? Montezuma's Castle, say, or Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde or Aztec? How about Canyon de Chelly? Or perhaps I should just stay tuned and wait and see....

Great report so far. Thanks!