Katie Nell

Ouch Jason... that hurts! As an Interior Design GRADUATE from an accredited school, and a former Home Depot employee, I have to beg to differ! There are plenty of qualified people at these stores, especially since the interior design market is so awful right now, and GRADUATES have to work at these stores! That being said, I am not a proponent of Home Depot by any means, but I think you can find a bad designer anywhere you go and a good designer anywhere you go. Just because you had a bad experience with them does not mean other people will.

I really like this recipe, but it uses raspberry jam, so not sure if it's what you're looking for! Very rich! http://www.homemadecookiesandmore.com/rasp...ocolatebars.htm

I really, really, really enjoy Fine Cooking... it is my favorite by far! The only thing I don't like is that it only comes every other month, but I can overlook that for the love of the magazine! They also have special issues, such as, "Cooking Fresh" and "Quick and Easy" that I love! Another new one is Chow, and it's a beautiful magazine! I've only looked at one issue, but I think it will become one of my favorites too! I get Gourmet and will not get it again... I just don't cook with a lot of the ingredients their recipes call for, but I like some of the articles. I've looked at Cooks Illustrated and like the content, but sorry, I like pictures! Can't help it! I'm an interior designer and experience with my eyes as well as all my other senses! I pick up Bon Appetit every once and awhile and I like it as well!

Well, I've been sitting here waiting for other people to respond to this thread because I think it could be fun, but no one has, so I guess I'll give it a try! I was once at the grocery store, and I was standing in front of the butter/ marg section. For some reason I couldn't place my eyes on unsalted butter (I was baking cookies.) and I finally found it and picked it up, and the lady next to me said, "oh honey, I think you want this" and pointed to the salted butter. (I look young for my age, in reference to the use of "honey"!) And I said, "oh no, I'm making cookies and I need unsalted." And she said, "okaayy," like, it's your funeral! And then she walked away. I looked over at my boyfriend and he was doubled over laughing because apparently the look on my face was enough to make hell freeze over! I think she thought she was performing her public service duty for the day, but still...

What is matcha? Maybe that's a clueless question, but what can I say... I'm clueless! Where's my Food Lover's Companion when I need it?!?

Saw an...interesting...one last night. Hardee's Thickburger commercial with pretty young woman in skimpy clothing riding a mechanical bull set on slow while eating a gigantic sloppy burger. I didn't know whether I should be aroused or disgusted. (To quote the old neighbor lady from The Simpsons: "That's disgusting...but genuinely arousing"). For the record, my husband was just grossed out---the fact that the mayo on the burger was visable over-rode the fact that the woman's cleavage was also visable. Anyway, I KNOW I miss the old testamonial style Thickburger commericals. Those were hilarious. ← What about the one with the girl stuffing her fist in her mouth?!? That's even worse! The commercial I really hate isn't even for food, it's for antibacterial kitchen wipes, but the lady scrubs down the kitchen with a raw chicken breast! It really makes me gag!

I think portions at most restaurants are entirely too huge... my boyfriend and I will split something often, and then sometimes even have leftovers after that! And when we order, sometimes the waiter or waitress will look at us like we're cheap! It's not about that at all! My boyfriend once ordered a chicken fried steak at a diner in the middle of Oklahoma and it was on one of those oval plates that's probably about 12" x 8", and the steak was overhanging the plate by about two inches all around! It was disgusting!

I was in England (London, Hampshire, Bath, and Stratford) about 12 years ago, and although I was 13 at the time, I thought the food pretty awful! (Everything else was wonderful and I can't wait to go back!) I was excited to see the articles in Gourmet praising England, for I thought things had changed! Are you telling me it isn't so?!? I do have to say that the Pizza Huts, KFCs and such tasted a lot better over there than they do in America, but maybe we were just starving... As for the ranch controversy... I love going to restaurants where they make their own dressings, but so many restaurants don't, and then I usually resort to ranch! I do, however, like it with french fries, but I also like a good aioli too, so I'm not completely unrefined!

Made a chicken pot pie where not all the chicken was done! Ewww.... gross! Luckily, I investigated before we got too far!

My great aunt once served a soup for a main dish at her house (she is known for being stingy and always taking leftovers home from someone else's house) and my other aunt said there were about 2 T. of soup in each bowl, and my uncle claimed to have chased a bean around the bowl for about half an hour!

I can't make good chocolate chip cookies, and I've tried everything!

I could be your hands... mine are always like icicles, well, except for yesterday when I had an interview, and they were like wet icicles! Nice, huh?!? My fingernails and toenails are always purple!

Wow... I thought I was the only one! Look, pick up, and blow off!

I really liked these Cardamom Butter Squares from Gourmet. It's nice to have a slice and bake cookie when you are doing a lot at once... less stress! The chocolate and espresso icing looked really elegant! http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/231217

Also, does anyone have a good cookie recipe for ice cream sandwiches?

I know some of you aren't huge Martha fans, but I adore her recipe for Cream Heart Cookies. I use other shapes too... they seem to be more of a wintry cookie, but they remind me of pie dough. I've used splenda to roll them in and used a sugar-free jam for a diabetic friend... a little more difficult to roll, but the friend appreciated it! They melt in your mouth! http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?ty...t&id=recipe1269

What rules do you break in cooking?!? Come on... I know you do! I will go first... I NEVER sift! I know I should, but I just can't bring myself to get that extra tool out! Give me some more ideas of rules I can break!

I'm available... oh, how I love to eat! (I'm in Overland Park!)

Does anyone think that Olive Garden's red sauce tastes suspiciously like Ragu?!? Okay, I have sort of a sideline topic... I have the opposite problem! A lot of the people I'm friends with or work with think that I am "picky" about food! How do I get the point across that I love food, but I appreciate good food even more? Do I just accept that these are the people that will run three floors down, probably knocking over five people on the way, just to get free Pizza Hut at work and they just don't get it or is there a way to educate them without putting their tastes down?

My parents probably knew I was going to be a "foodie" and an interior designer, both of which I am, because they always said, "Oh, don't wait for Katie... she's just decorating her food!" I would always be the last one eating because I was the last one to get started... gotta make it look pretty! Oh how I loved squirt bottles! I knew I was in trouble when I went to a friend's house when I was little and there was canned frosting and canned tamales.... WHAT IS THAT?!!? I didn't know frosting came in a can! Yuck!