KitchenMom

I think melon is my favorite fruit to eat with yogurt (the yogurt really brings out the sweetness in the melon), followed by berries. Apples are on the border for me. I would eat apples and yogurt, but only as a last resort if it was the only fruit in the house (I have yogurt and fruit for breakfast almost every morning). Fruits I wouldn't ever eat with yogurt: bananas and any citrus. I haven't had peanut butter and yogurt, but it doesn't seem unappealing to me. I can't think of any vegetable that doesn't pair nicely with yogurt. It really is hard to think of things, other than citrus fruit, that I really wouldn't eat with yogurt.

As the spouse of someone with celiac disease (and believe me, the hours spent in the bathroom after even a tiny exposure will quickly convince anyone that this is no joke), I am personally glad for the trendiness of GF right now, because it makes it much easier to obtain a variety of safe food products. That said, I do think it is extraordinarily silly to take on a GF diet when it isn't necessary. GF products are extremely expensive ($6+ for a bag of pretzels, anyone?), but much more caloric and with less nutritional value than their gluten-full equivalents. The only way someone could lose weight on a GF diet is if they stop eating foods with gluten and don't try to replace them with GF equivalents. That would basically mean a diet with fewer refined carbs, which is often a good prompt for weight loss. Regardless of its silliness, I'm happy to take advantage of it for as long as the fad lasts.

Trader Joe's has some yummy ones. I like the vanilla ice cream between chocolate chip cookies. My kids love the mini-mint ice cream inside oreo-type cookies.

We load at the end of the day. My husband is particularly good at fitting everything in, and he's the evening kitchen cleaner. During the day (when we're home), stuff gets piled up next-to or in the sink. The dishwasher is usually full of clean dishes that we pilfer as needed during the day. We have a large kitchen with lots of counter space and a separate prep sink in the cooking area, so space isn't an issue. After dinner, the kids empty the clean dishwasher and then DH loads and cleans up.

Bob, I don't know where you're buying them, but I got them at the Elkins Park Farmer's Market this past Sunday for $40/pound. The were very sandy, I split and soaked and had a whole bunch of dirt and stuff in the soaking water. Sauteed w/ramps (from the same purveyor)and put in an omlette. Perfect spring dinner.

I love my stainless too. We've had it about 5 years, no dents and no scratches so far. After the first month, I stopped obsessing about fingerprints. I don't clean it obsessively, just wipe it down every few days (w/a mix of vinegar and water--my all-purpose surface cleaner of choice) and maybe once a month go over it with Bar Keeper's Friend or some other stainless cleaner. It looks fine to me most of the time, unless the kids have been particularly grubby. We just hang the kids' artwork elsewhere in the house.

I had the same "way too much stuff in that guacamole" reaction, so I must be conservative about it. Mine: avocado, lime juice, salt, cilantro. Occasionally, I'll add a little garlic. I was at a party once where a guy (and many of the guests) was going on about how he made the best guacamole--it was full of sour cream, tomatoes, many different spices, and lord knows what else. I thought it was awful. I'm not conservative about much else when it comes to food. I like many traditional preparations, but I'm usually happy with interesting variations also.

I love them with some thinly sliced onion and mustard on toast, or on a bagel. My husband mashes them with a little mayo and some finely chopped sweet onion, like tuna salad. I didn't think I would like them like this, but they are actually quite good, spread on crackers.

When a bagel is fresh and really good quality, I never toast (grew up this way and still prefer it). Given that those conditions are rare, though, I will sometimes eat a toasted bagel. My husband has always toasted, and doesn't like untoasted bagels at all. We have often disagreed about this. We are both in our 40s. If I was having butter on my bagel, I would probably toast, but I never do that. I prefer the chewiness of an untoasted bagel with cream cheese and smoked fish.

Can't believe no one has mentioned the Krusty Krab yet. While the whole show isn't centered around it, many, many Spongebob episodes take place in this lovely fast food joint.

Daisy - I know where you are coming from and, with a husband with celiac, have certainly seen first-hand the need for GF products. From that point of view, I'm delighted with the recent surge in availability of GF options. That said, there is no doubt in my mind, the surge is the result of a fad driven by people who don't need a GF diet, or even really understand what it is. I have a co-worker who decided to go GF because she figured it must be "healthier" while clearly having no idea of why, and having no symptoms that would suggest a need. I know people who decided to try to go GF for weight loss (ridiculous, since almost all GF products are much higher in calories than their non-GF equivalents). Believe me, I am happy to take advantage of all the GF products out their, but I know it's a fad that will fade, just like the many other food fads that have come and gone.

I don't think keeping all five was planned. On her Bravo blog and in an EW interview, Gail refers to arguing with the producers to keep everyone, and that it took over an hour until they allowed it. Tom also makes reference to this. I don't think they would both make this up after the fact just to create the pretense that it was unplanned.

I always hated when the refrigerator was cluttered with stuff. When we got the new, non-magnetic one, we set up an art-project display area in the home office - just a big magnet board mounted to the wall. Much nicer.

Sparkpeople.com has a recipe protram that breaks down all of the nutrients in just the way you want. I find it a little cumbersome to add ingredients, because the database is comprised of things other users have entered, and often doesn't have what I want, but if you have the patience, it's a useful tool.

I also prefer them plain, or in a more savory preparation. I actually love a baked sweet potato mashed with a teaspoon of olive oil (instead of butter). I get these lovely yellow sweet potatos from a local farm that are so good plain, but also delicious with a little spice added - a sprinkle of smoked paprika or chipotle powder is pretty terrific.

Thanks! That looks terrific. I don't know that I've seen Lara's oats around here. I do have Bob's in the pantry, so maybe I'll just take my chances with it. I love the blog too! (I'm assuming it's you). I hadn't seen it before and will be following you.

How do you make a GF oatmeal crust? I also have to make GF desserts. I was thinking of an almond meal crust for a pumpkin chiffon pie, but I'm intrigued by the oatmeal idea.

Well, I've been putting off thinking about it, other than ordering a local turkey, but this thread has made me realize it's time to decide. We're hosting, probably 10-12 people, including a couple of young kids and some folks who aren't big eaters, so I'll try to keep it simple. Oh - it also has to be gluten-free. So here's what I'm thinking: *some kind of munchies/appetizers, probably mediterranean (hummus, veggies, pita chips, etc.) *roast turkey - I don't like brining, but I'm going to try the ice pack on the breast while legs come up in temp before roasting. *wild rice stuffing, probably with lots of mushrooms, sage, chestnuts. I'll likely just wing it. *maple-glazed hammon sweet potatoes (my favorite variety, from a local farm, pale yellow in color and a little floral tasting) *a green veggie - either roast brussels sprouts or green beans *cranberry sauce *grandma's cranberry jello mold, made w/pecans and pomegranate *an assortment of pies, at least a couple being gluten-free, and at least one my grandmother's pumpkin chiffon recipe, and maybe some homemade ice-cream if I'm feeling ambitious and have room in the freezer.

Spaghetti-Os. We weren't allowed to have this kind of food much as children, and I always thought of it as a super-special treat. Decided to give my kids a treat so I bought a can recently. It was completely disgusting - overly sweet, mushy, and just weird tasting. The kids liked it, though.

Interesting. Before everyone gets too down on Kevin, you should go read Tom Colicchio's blog on the Bravo site. While he acknowledges that the food over the course of the season was not always the most exciting, he emphasizes twice that Kevin's food was the best of any Top Chef finale ever. I'm in Philly and looking forward to checking out Kevin's new restaurant when it opens. (BTW, I recently went to Stephanie Izard's restaurant on a recent trip to Chicago and it was pretty terrific).

For Chinatown, I'd recommend Rangoon, a Burmese restaurant. It's one of the few places my entire family, including picky kids, is happy. The kids love the chicken satay, crispy tofu, fried taro, and the noodle dishes. For the more adventurous, there are all kinds of great things - ginger salad, squid salad, festival fish noodle soup, the kung po dishes (different than Chinese), and last time I was there we tried the ribs (not the ones on the appetizer menu), which were incredible. For the Franklin Institute, a new place just opened right on the grounds of the museum. It's called FrogBurger, and it's basically in a tent right next to the ground-level entrance of the museum. My kids loved it there - burgers, fries, hot dogs, shakes, and a few lighter things like gazpacho. It's nothing really exciting, but pretty good food and super-convenient.

My family loves the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I find them addictive and can't eat them at all. My kids love tham and I can fool myself that they are more healthy because of the oatmeal.

Yes, the oats are certified gluten-free. They come from a company in New Jersey. On the website it says that, according to halachic authority, they can only be eaten by people that can't tolerate gluten. We're not that observant, so I haven't checked independently. Here's the website: http://www.lakewoodmatzoh.com/matzoh_gluten_free.asp There is also a company in England that looks like it has distributors in Israel: http://www.glutenfreeoatmatzos.com/ It is also possible to find gefilte fish made without matzo meal, if one is, like me, too lazy to make it from scratch. For some other decor ideas, you could probably rig up a burning bush in a corner somewhere, and a large rubber snake for Moses's staff.

I like the idea of theme decorating! I'm making my first gluten-free seder. Fortunately, it isn't too challenging. I've found a pretty good looking matzo ball recipe that uses almond meal and potato starch, though I haven't done a test run yet. I've ordered special gluten-free schmura matzo (made from oats). I'll probably make a lamb and artichoke dish, though the kids are lobbying for brisket. Haven't figured out dessert yet, but probably either a flourless chocolate cake or a nut cake.

Any kind of warm starch and cheese combo - macaroni and cheese, risotto, potatos au gratin, etc. Soups and stews that are meaty, rich and savory - chicken soup with matzo balls, beef stew, etc. Chicken pot pie. Pho. Warm bread pudding.