Jaymes

If you're looking for Cookie Inspiration and want more even after reading back over the pages of this absolutely wonderful thread, you might check out Cookie Madness, a terrific website devoted to all things cookie. It's by Anna, who is a previous Pillsbury Cook-off winner. She posts here as Claire797 (although I haven't seen her around for a while). She's fun, knowledgeable and approachable. I highly recommend her website to anyone interested in making the very best cookies possible. http://www.cookiemadness.net/

Look at me...I'm beaming!!! I agree, they are good. Even folks that don't like fruitcake like these. They're sorta the same, but different. Completely different texture....because of course they're cookies, not cake. Thanks for letting me know. Edited to add: I've been to a LOT of cookie exchanges throughout the years, and this is one of my favorite recipes to take. In addition to being delicious, they're very festive and pretty and 'Christmasy' and I've yet to have anyone else show up with the same thing. Just finished this year's batch of these fruitcake cookies, and butterscotch cookies. Bourbon balls just about aged enough. Wonderful time of year!

Effort? Maybe not. Time? And planning? Definitely. And when I've gotten off of work late and am headed home around six o'clock or so to a hungry waiting family, I'm going to make a quick dash into the supermarket and pick up something I can have on the table within ten minutes. I'm pretty dang happy to see one of those warm rotisserie chickens waiting in the display case. But hey, to each his own.

Well, life is really all about a matter of degrees, isn't it? If I were going to make an "important" dinner, for my boss, or a group of eGulleters, for example, I'd put a lot more time, care, money into all of it, including the chicken stock. But if I'm feeding a big family of six on a tight budget, they're getting dinner made with stock from whatever chicken I happen to have.

We get excellent rotisserie chickens here. Not only from our mainstream grocery markets and discount stores, but also from various Hispanic rotisserie places. Like others, I always save the carcasses in the freezer until I have several. Then, depending upon what sort of chicken broth I want, I roast the bones, or not, before I stew. Often I do a sort of "pre-stew" to get off whatever remaining meat has been left on the carcass if I'm going to be making some version of chicken soup right away. Then, I set the meat aside and stew the bones/carcasses. And, I always try to crack as many of the bones as I can to get at that marrow. Been doing this for a very long time, for me and my whole family. Nobody has had any sorts of intestinal or headache or other physical issues. And the "remnants of flavorings" isn't a problem with just the lemon and herb seasoning. Not to mention that we are pretty fond of strongly-flavored soups. If I'm making tortilla soup, for example, I'd defy anyone to be able to detect some sort of previous rotisserie nuance what with all the salsa and jalapenos and garlic and cilantro I've put in.

Let me add my congratulations to Rancho Gordo. We are also big fans of, not only his beans, but several of his fine products. Yep, they can be a little bit more expensive, but like everything else in life, quality costs more. Recent happy finds: His Mexican chocolate for making into hot drinks. As I've said elsewhere, we make our Mexican hot chocolate with water, in the manner of many Mexicans ("Like Water for Chocolate"- which is reference to the simmering bubbling hot water when it's ready to add the chocolate and beat), and then top it with cool whipped cream, and RG's chocolate is miles above the other brands we've found readily available - Abuelita and Ibarra. And "Felicidad - Chipotle Salsa," which we love. This is a particular boon to me because I love that distinctive smokey chipotle flavor, but a little goes a long way. Usually, when I prepared some chipotle just to put a dab or two into something, like guacamole or scrambled eggs or whatever, I had a whole lot left over. Sure, I can put it into a little plastic bag and freeze it, but a shake or two of "Felicidad" accomplishes the same thing, and it's much, much easier. As for the beans, last night I cooked up a pot of RG scarlet runners. Cooked them in chicken broth. Added some seasonings, most notably RG's fantastic Indio Oregano (which, frankly, absolutely everybody should try and which is deserving of a full-page article in Bon Appetit all by itself), and garlic, onion, rosemary, and the other usual Italian suspects. Then, in a separate frypan, browned some country-style pork ribs in olive oil and, when they were nice and brown, added them to the bean pot to simmer until tender. I served this with bruschetta with the tomato/basil topping, and boy, what a meal. I do hear and take note of the occasional grumbling about the prices. But it's like everything else in life... The commonplace is there and acceptable and an absolutely essential foundation in our lives. Sometimes, though, it's nice to go for the cut above. ETA: Just wanted to add that for anyone thinking over Christmas gifts, RG has a "Year of Beans" option, which I'm getting for my Dad. He lives in a retirement home apartment. He doesn't have much room and choosing presents for him always presents a dilemma. But he does have a small kitchen and he still loves to cook. I've bought RG beans for him before (especially the gift boxes), and it's a nice luxury. He can just cook up a few at a time. They're easy, nutritious (he has to watch his fat and salt intake), versatile, and he loves them. So this Christmas, I'm going for that "Year of Beans" thing. It will be really festive for him to get the different products and bean varieties that otherwise he might not try. Something fun to look forward to and to talk about with his buddies. Both of which are nice any time and under any circumstance but are particularly nice when you live in a retirement home.

With a cheap brandy In a chafing dish, perhaps?

Well, I suppose the producers, etc., feel like their first priority is to keep Top Chef on the air. So, basically, they're "casting" a show just like all other entertainment. Not sure the series would have so many viewers if all it was was a bunch of dedicated, competent, focused professionals quietly going about their work.

A wonderful treat that we make often this time of year is Pumpkin Pie French Toast. You can find many recipes online but basically you just add pureed pumpkin to the egg mixture along with pumpkin pie spices. We also add a bit of brown (or maple) sugar but if your pumpkin is already sweet, you could leave that out.

Depending upon how much I've got to transfer, I, too, usually press a saucepan into duty. Or a large Pyrex measuring cup. Or, I also have one of these: http://www.seattleco...a_7cCTC785B0020 It's called a 'cezve,' a Turkish coffee pot. I bought it years ago because Bananas Foster was my "go-to" dessert for dinner parties. Not only does it look great on the tabletop, it was easy to put the thing on the stove burner, pour in the liquor, heat it, light it with a fireplace match, and then pour the flaming liquid into my chafing dish with no fear of burning my fingers. But it also works just great for scooping boiling hot liquids in order to transfer them.

Except that, people being people, folks all over the world like an occasional treat, even (and maybe especially) when it consists of stuff that health professionals might say isn't good for them. (Eskimo Ice Cream anyone? Basically whale blubber or other animal fat whipped with sugar and berries.) If Twinkies actually do cease to be available in the marketplace, something else just as "bad" will undoubtedly come along to replace them. And, frankly, in my opinion, the only problem with this is that there are far too many folks that don't understand the meaning of the word "occasional" in the phrase "occasional treat." I don't think there's anything wrong with having Twinkies (or Ding Dongs or Snowballs or whatever) for dessert. It's when high-fat, high-sugar, empty-calorie food becomes your primary diet that you find yourself in trouble. ETA - Although, as Annabelle so brilliantly points out in the post below, even if you do "find yourself in trouble," you should have the right to make that personal choice. And not the government.

I think Wonder Bread should be "laid to rest."

Right. Somebody oughta pass a law.

Yes. Because Mexican companies are famous for their lavish treatment of employees.

Isn't Onglet hanger? In some parts of the US, I've occasionally seen what I've always known as flank steak labeled "London Broil."

It's sweet pickle relish: http://www.buythecase.net/product/6299/Heinz_Sweet_Relish/?CAWELAID=1500558507&catargetid=1601580308&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CIWe95mTyrMCFQinPAodGxUAOA You can just mince some sweet gerkins or cornichons. Although it's not exactly the same (relish also has pickled red bell peppers, among other things), it will certainly do. In fact, there are some folks that prefer finely-chopped sweet pickles to the relish.

Indeed - I worked in the building industry for many years and you get numb to the "C" word after a week as it is part of every sentence What is it about supposedly-mature men that the worst thing they can think of to call one another is something relating to female genitalia? Just like infantile adolescent boys in a schoolyard calling one another pussy. They seriously should be embarrassed if that's the best (worst) they can do. . Sorry to divert the thread briefly but please note that using the "C" word in parts of the UK is not the same as using it in the US. Anyway, both parties could have come out of this a lot better by not engaging in the whole thing. All rather silly. Sorry to continue the diversion but I know that the "C" word in parts of the UK is not the same thing as using it in the US. "Pussy" isn't considered in most quarters to be the most vile and vulgar and obscene choice of name-calling either. But my original point still stands. While MF'er and f**k are liberally salted throughout regular conversation polite or not the "C" word is probably the the worst thing one can say anyone and particularly women in the States. It's rarely used by anybody and is considered indescribably vulgar. And, while some can say this is a "diversion" from the original subject of the thread, and that this particular sort of vulgarity is commonplace and "no big deal," and that only nannies and grannies get offended by it, would this incident have been so widely discussed had the chefs' response been less vulgar and obscene? Obviously not.

Indeed - I worked in the building industry for many years and you get numb to the "C" word after a week as it is part of every sentence What is it about supposedly-mature men that the worst thing they can think of to call one another is something relating to female genitalia? Just like infantile adolescent boys in a schoolyard calling one another pussy. They seriously should be embarrassed if that's the best (worst) they can do. . Sorry to divert the thread briefly but please note that using the "C" word in parts of the UK is not the same as using it in the US. Anyway, both parties could have come out of this a lot better by not engaging in the whole thing. All rather silly. Sorry to continue the diversion but I know that the "C" word in parts of the UK is not the same thing as using it in the US. "Pussy" isn't considered in most quarters to be the most vile and vulgar and obscene choice of name-calling either. But my original point still stands.

When I read this, I immediately thought of a recipe that was one of my standard "go to" recipes for dinner parties back when I was first married, so I dug it out. Unfortunately, reading it over now, from my hastily-scribbled recipe card, I can see that the directions are a little vague. But it was so popular that I want to go ahead and post it. Flank Steak K-Bobs 1 flank steak 3 bacon strips barbecue skewers Marinade: 1/8 C soy sauce 1/4 C vegetable oil 1 grated white or yellow onion (not sweet onion) 2 fat cloves of garlic, mashed & minced 1/2 C dry red wine Tenderize flank steak. You can either beat it with a meat tenderizer on both sides, or score it into a criss-cross diamond pattern on both sides. Then lay the three strips of bacon across the meat and roll up. (This is the part that I wasn't very descriptive about, so I can't really remember if I laid the bacon with the grain of the flank steak or across it, but probably with the grain, so that I could slice the pinwheels across it.) Place sturdy toothpicks along the edge of the rolled flank steak at about 1 1/2" intervals. Slice between the toothpicks through the roll to create pinwheels. Combine all ingredients for the marinade. Put the pinwheels into a non-reactive bowl or plastic bag and cover with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight, either stirring (or in the case of the ziplock bag, shaking) occasionally. At party/dinner time, thread the pinwheels onto the barbecue skewers (remove the toothpicks), alternating with assorted vegetables: onions, peppers, mushrooms, apple chunks, etc. Broil outside on a grill, or in your oven broiler.

Indeed - I worked in the building industry for many years and you get numb to the "C" word after a week as it is part of every sentence What is it about supposedly-mature men that the worst thing they can think of to call one another is something relating to female genitalia? Just like infantile adolescent boys in a schoolyard calling one another pussy. They seriously should be embarrassed if that's the best (worst) they can do. .

So it's probably likely that if you can't get Wondra, you won't be able to get Pillsbury products either, but Pillsbury's similar product is called "Shake & Blend." Just saying...

Excellent point! And, as I said in one of the other "survival prep" threads, it isn't just the electricity to run the pumps; it's also that when everyone fills up at the same time, the stations run low, and when the roads are blocked with fallen trees and other debris, those big tanker trucks often can't get through to replenish the supply. Filling up your auto with gas is one of the standard and most-critical preparatory measures everyone that lives in hurricane country takes. Of course, earthquakes are a different matter in that you don't have any warning, as opposed to hurricanes, for which you typically receive several days' warning. It's hard to understand why anyone would be unprepared when a hurricane hits. As far as gasoline in earthquake country goes, however, when I've lived in regions that receive regular earthquakes, I tried to never let my gas tank go below 50% before filling it back up.

There are some really great ideas here already (love the bleach jug). Many folks that have to prepare for, and deal with, storms just like Sandy on a fairly regular basis (ie, Floridians, Gulf-coast residents, etc.) have large-volume water storage vessels (we have two of these: http://www.agrisuppl...CFROnPAodXyAATw ), but that's not practical if you live in an apartment or otherwise have limited storage. In a previous 'preparing for a hurricane/disaster' thread, Andie mentioned canned water, which is a really wonderful product, although again, if you have limited storage space, might be problematic. And Andie's Berkey water treatment systems sound pretty terrific but of course you only need to decontaminate water if you actually have water, which, after a hurricane, you very often (and I'd actually say, 'usually') don't. In fact, the number-one "tip" that old storm hands invariably give to neophytes is to be certain that you've secured a potable water supply for yourself and your family enough to last you at least 4 days. For people with limited storage space, Dcarch's wine bag suggestion seems ideal. Good thinking!

Yep, I'm with the "freeze it" folks. You can freeze at least half of it in small portions - say about 2 cups - in plastic freezer bags that will lie flat and that you can stack.

I add a bit of the Mexican chocolate. It usually has cinnamon, so that's a bit of spice.