Badiane

I buy it all the time...for Swiss Steak in the crockpot. In fact, I am making some tomorrow. Just brown the meat, toss it in the crockpot with a chopped onion, a chopped carrot, beef stock - one tin of Campbells will do...one tin of tomato paste, a spoonful of basil, oregano or whatever, one bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook on low all day, come home to delicious and easy dinner. Serve over noodles or mashed spuds.

I used to be that way...but then age and gravity got me. Crocs are very slipper-like...and they have quite a few styles. I just can't say enough good things. I am intrigued by the gel mats tho...but I would need the whole floor to be gel..I'm all over the place.

Dansko's are good...and so are these CROCS I wear them all the time...constantly, really. I even have the boots. I haven't had foot pain since the day I bought them. WAY cheaper than mats, too!

Rum Balls...or bourbon balls...or scotch balls... Just put them in the mixer and add enough booze to bind. Or a combo of booze and simple syrup if you don't like them too strong. Roll them in Jimmies or whatever and you have a dandy snack!

I thought it was called peameal bacon because it is rolled in peameal...which I guess probably looks and tastes a lot like cornmeal...so perhaps they now use cornmeal as a cheaper/easier to find substitute or perhaps that is really peameal?

Oh my Lord! I thought I was the only one! I went one step further as a child tho...if I put something on and then changed my mind, I would apologize to the discarded outfit and promise to wear it the next day. I'm a flats lover. I bite off the little piece of cartlidge at one end, grip the little piece of cartlidge at the other end, twist and pull out both bones, run it through the sauce and scarf it down. And now I have to have wings for lunch.

Small ones? The ones we get at the Dutch shop here are about three inches across, just right for resting on the top of a small coffee cup. Are there larger ones than that? And if so, where do I get my sticky little mitts on them?

*lol* Willpower!? I don't think I have that gene. I figured it was a bad idea...just wanted to know how bad :-) I'm always looking for a way to have my cake and eat it to, as it were. Of course now it's in the back of my head and I do have four bananas...it wouldn't be a total waste because believe me, if I leave it in the coffee room at work, someone will eat it even if it tastes and smells like swamp gas. But then again, you DID write the book...and who am I to argue with that?! Maybe if I just reduce it by a quarter...I will let you know what happens! Thank you!

Dorie...if you are still lurking around...what do you think would happen if I halfed the sugar in the banana bundt recipe? Love it the way it is but trying to reduce sugar every way I can, so I'm curious.

The Banana Bundt was amazing...even after three days on the counter wrapped in tinfoil, it's perfectly moist and delicious and I think I overbaked it quite a bit, so for me, that's an automatic home run recipe because I am a chronic overbaker.

Voodoo Donuts!!

Those books are great, but that is the food of southern Ontario mennonites...quite a different thing. Much more closely related to the Pennsylvania Dutch than the mennonites of Western Canada. You want the classic "Mennonite Treasury of Recipes", a compilation of recipes from Saskatchewan women and full of the traditional recipes of the western mennonites. I would also recommend that you contact mennonite churches in the areas that you are interested it. Virtually all of them will have a recommendation for a cookbook produced by the women if not in the actual church, in one of the regional clubs, old folks homes or quilting circles. If there are specific recipes you are after, I may be able to assist you if you let me know.

Any good British specialty store should have it. I get it from Dickens Sweets here in Chilliwack. It's right next to the pickled walnuts I suppose if you can't find it in the city, you could call Anne at Dickens with a credit card number and she would mail you some, but it would probably be easier and faster to just drive out here and get it. Stop by for pie if you do!

I made a quick call to Angie at Well Seasoned... The bakery is called 'A Bread Affair' and it's on Logan. You take the 200th St. exit and where you would normally turn right on Langley By-Pass you just keep going straight until you hit Logan and then turn left. Follow the road around the curve and you will see the bakery on the left across from a big pub. I looked it up on google and apparently they simultaneously opened a location on Denman Street. Or at least a place of the same name opened up the same day. Can't be a coincidence. It was great - artisinal sourdoughs from an old grape starter. Lots of variety in flavours from curry to chocolate cherry. And the pastries looked divine. They also make sticky buns 'the size of your head' but they were already sold out by the time we got there. We just happened to be in Well Seasoned when they came in to say they were open and drop off some samples or we never would have known. Of course we have a foot of snow here in Chilliwack - I'm sure you have even more - and I am making my own bread today.

I use a recipe that will actually set up into caramels if poured in a pan and left to cool. It's pretty standard with condensed milk and corn syrup, sugar and butter cooked to I believe the hard ball stage. Of course I coat the pretzels when it's warm, so it's like a thick sauce. I let them drip off a bit, then cool on parchment. Before I dip them in chocolate I roll them between my hands to get them back into a round shape and sort of smoosh the caramel evenly around. Of course if you have neither time, patience or energy for that, some melted commercial caramels or some Macintosh toffee zapped in the microwave works just as well. I have done both and it works fine. Have you been into Langley and checked out "Well Seasoned"? We went last weekend finally and it's a great little shop. There is also a wonderful new bakery there, on Logan across from the pub but I can't get my brain around the name of it.

Tina... I get them at Save-On! The ones I get are Snyder's of Hanover brand. They are with the chips and usually at the back of the topmost shelf in the most inconvenient spot ever. They have the giant rods, which is what I prefer as I dip them first in homemade caramel and then in chocolate and then in chopped nuts. They also have something called Dipping Sticks, which are smaller but made for dipping. I have only seen those once tho. They also have the ones that look like a grid, which are a great base for a chocolate bar style thing I do with by first dipping in caramel, then rolling in nuts, then topping with a slab of marshmallow, then dipping in chocolate. If you ever go across the line to Lynden, the Safeway there is an excellent source of these types of things. A veritable treasure trove of snack food and the most amazing frozen food section ever!

Found this... http://www.lowfatlifestyle.com/desserts/de...nchiffonpie.htm Did a google for pumpkin marshmallow chiffon...there seems to be quite a few hits but this is the first one that came up. Hope it's what she's looking for!

Yes Assuming of course you are talking about a straight up mixture of flour, perhaps cornstarch or rice flour, sugar and butter. Just thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, shape and bake. Or shape, freeze and bake from frozen. Or bake them and freeze them so you can eat them one by one out of the freezer and have none left for Christmas and have to start all over again....ummmm....never mind. Forget I said that.

I keep hoping to find them but never do...but maybe this will help... The best way to peel them is to bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch them for a minute or so, then shock them in cold water. Skins slip right off. I do a big bunch, then freeze them on a cookie sheet and throw them in a zippie. Easy to do a whole years supply in about 30 minutes. Was happy this year to find red, yellow and white ones, so I have a nice mix.

Oh Lord..I hadn't even thought of that...we were worried about her smoking in bed. We are trying to get her out...actually, we are kind of hoping she will die, but people like that don't, you know. They live for years torturing everyone around them.

I quit on January 27....the day I walked out of the most stressful job I have ever had, and also the day that a woman with emphysema moved in downstairs from me. All day, every day, all we hear is her hacking choking puking cough. Starts at 6 am and goes on all day until at least midnight. All she does is sit on the balconey, hack up her lungs and bitch to her partner about how bad her health is and how crappy she feels and why the hell did you put out that smoke? I wasn't finished with that *puff* *puff* *chokechokechoke*. It's disgusting. The stench of a hundred cigarettes a day wafting by the windows and the sounds of wretching are enough to turn anyone rabidly anti-tabacco. We can't even eat a meal on the deck or enjoy a glass of wine because of the smell and the sound. I can't believe this stupid cow has actually destroyed our enjoyment of our home to the point where we are trying to unload it and move away. The last three people that came to look at it heard her and just walked out the door. It's like a freaking nightmare. Smoking has completely destroyed our summer - and we don't even smoke anymore!!!

Funny...we live about two miles away and never go there...looks like a trip is in order! Mrs. Mitchell and her son John really do know how to make a pie.

The NYPD has time to investigate that kind of complaint? Gawd...must have been a painfully slow night!

Harry, my friend, never use the phrase 'my maid cooks it beautifully' and then refer to yourself as insufferable in the same paragraph It just opens you up to the taunting of jealous individuals such as myself who are supposed to be cooking dinner right now I have a number of smothered pork chop recipes...onion smothered, apple smothered...what kind are you looking for? Show us the recipe...that will help narrow down the parameters.

I don't know why you are obsessing, they are super fabulous looking! Embrace the rustic look. They are gorgeous. A dusting of confectioner's sugar and you are done. No one is going to think they look anything less than beautiful. Trust me, in a world of substandard pre-processed baked goods, a homemade rustic treat is hands down going to win every single time.