butterscotch

Great idea for a thread. I love passing on tips when I get them. Mine for chocolate chips or any chocolate, vanilla, or carmel flavor drop cookie. Or brownies. Butter cookie sheet as generously as you can and sprinkle some small flakes of salt on it before dropping the cookie dough. You can adjust to get just the right amount of salt and crisp before getting into the chocolate goodness. Amazing. The frozen butter- do you grate it staright into the flour to prevent it from coming together? Ice bowl it?

Oh, I believe it. But evidently "some people" on a strict budget still seem to be buying coffee "out" on a daily basis. I'm just trying to reconcile the two, because if someone is buying coffee "out" every day, they're not sticking to their strict budget. And my advice is sincere that they will save money in the long term. You're asking for a long tough haul during those ~100 coffee-free days, while the $2/day builds up to the $200 initial investment. How's a person to stay conscious enough to earn a living without the morning cuppa joe? There's 'perfect world' and there's 'better than I've got now'. I'm actually buying cheap coffee outsome days and drinking more tea because the coffee is so darned awful. It would be a tough haul without it! Ironic I should post in a thread about cheap good coffee, and get called out as part of "some people" who are not budgeting well enough and should be treated as though I don't deserve good advice about cheap coffee. Thanks to those who rose to the occasion, I'm looking into the Aeropress one of these days, to replace my broken French Press, And buying smaller quanities of ground tilll I add on a cheap burr grinder. Thanks for the ideas!

Scoop, Zach, and AAQ, I appreciate your thoughtful responses! If I ever get to Costco or up my consumption and freezer space enough to make roasting my own an option, I will try your suggestions. And I do often wonder what the best grind out there is for a poor over, I agree, they just taste a bit thin! Blether, thanks for the advice about looking for a good roaster who can grind fresh for me. It never occured for me to ask. I'm going to look into that!

You gotta spend some money up front to save money over the long haul. I don't know where the $30 bean shipment comes from, but I spend between $15 - $18 a pound on good coffee. Works out to about $.50 - $.60 a cup. When you consider that a properly made cup of coffee probably costs around $2 "out," you'll more than make up for the initial spending over the course of a couple of months. Betwen the burr grinder and the thirty dollar per shipment beans, I'm wonderin I guess my advice for those who don't want to or can't mail order good coffee is to find a coffee that's acceptable to you and just enjoy that. The thirty dollar minimum purchase (+ shipping) came from the first link I clicked in this thread. Two pounds can be hard to go through in to weeks too, (isn't that when it goes bad?) for one person, so that seemd unworkable. It just seemed to me many were sort of overlooking the cheap part of his question entirely. Believe it or not, some people cannot afford the initial investment of a decent burr grinder, myself included at the moment. So the good advice following this "whatev" of a reply was greatly appreciated. Sorry to see you find those of us on a strict budget too distateful to deserve helpful or sincere advice.

Betwen the burr grinder and the thirty dollar per shipment beans, I'm wondering if y'all noticed he is trying to save money? Does anyone have any advice for those who don;t want to or can't mail order coffee every two weeks?

I guess what I don't get is what the advantage of hiring foreign workers would be if that was the case. To the best of my knowledge, everything that applies to a working citizen of the U.S. or Canada applies to a legal foreign worker during the period of time covered by their visa. I'm not familiar with the cultural exchange worker program so maybe there are some loopholes in that one that I'm not aware of. Either way, I'm reserving my thoughts on Hershey specific until I know more than I know now. Hershey's and any employer who enters the program do not have to follow the same laws at all that protect American workers. And they save 8% on payroll taxes, and in return, get employees who pretty much feel stuck here after shelling out 3K for the privledge. and workers who won;t be here long enough to get them in any trouble. it's pretty easy to see that most employers are doing it for the tax break. it would be easier to understand if unemployment weren't so high. there's an able workforce out there that needs decent jobs. This program funnels these jobs to people who are cheaper to hire, and easier to exploit. And the fund for social security and UI benefits dwindle too. It's a double whammy for the American as well as the foreign student worker, but some people are making out really well on the deal. From what I've heard, Hershey's will no longer particiapate. So Im glad a light was shined on the situation.

They are, in fact, paying above both NY and PA minimum wage. I have grave doubts about any benefits if they are using the J1 program to cheat them out of overtime. My only point about the bennies was, if the job DID have benefits, you'd have Americans moving there to take it. At minimum wage. Those jobs do not exist anymore. People are that desperate, especialy those with children. In America, we are still over a barrel becuase we do not have the social services or safety net that all of the places you listed do. Big difference for the american worker. Huge. And it's aided by companies exploiting loopholes like this J1 program which allows them not to pay their fair share of taxes- the ones that ironically pay for unemployment and social security benefits. It's great you're reserving judgement until you understand the issues better. But I don't have to. I am familiar with it, and the program has been under fire for years because it has no oversight at all, there's little to no cultural benefit, and it hurts the local and national economy when corporations import cheaper labour in an attempt to circumvent our labour laws. Hershey didn't invent this scam. they're just the newest employer to be called out for participating in it. And in my book, rightfully so.

I never did say sweatshop, and it;s sad to think we should be comparing Hershey to third world manufacuters. The program lacks oversight and saves employers millions. I have read it;s been a problem for years. I applaud these kid's protest in pointing out that perhaps Hershey should just pay up the extra 8% in taxes and "give good jobs to local workers". http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/06/j1-student-visa-abuse-for_n_792354.html

Because a large percentage of the unemployed have entitlement issues that cause them to say things like "I'm not doing that job" or "I'm not doing it for that pay". Wow, you and I must be running in different circles. I know loads of people who'd love steady employment with benefits above minimum wage. Instead they are offered temp jobs with no bennies and lving paycheck to paycheck. In NYC, minimum wage keeps you at or below poverty level- and no one is having a problem finding workers. Yet the conservatives would love to elimate a minimum wage all together. Maybe it;s a Canadian thing, this entitlement. Got any links to reports or studies on it?

When I was researching storage beds, I saw a few people had made them by putting together a U shaped configuration of kitchen cabinets as a base. I thought it was pretty clever. And way beyond my skillset.

Sugar Babies is one of the rare ones that taste the same as they used to. I used to love Caramello too, but not in th last ten years or so. Something happened to that recipe.

Oh yes!

You have to heat it just to a simmer with the milk. I;d check the texture after, if it's gritty, I's probably blend it a bit, add the cream. If it remained gritty, I'd strain it too.

Can I ask if you're talking about the Pomi strained and midlevel mozzeralla you use for your quick and easy? Im just curious if you upgraded the recipe at all since you started that thread. That said everything is costing more and more, and it's going to get worse before it gets better. Still compared to a lot of things, pizza is still a good cheap meal. And your make it at home thread was awesome, meant to say that a long time ago, so thanks!

If you're willing to add a few dollars to the price of the entree you could go to Ma Peche.

Those cheap tippers are the ones who say things like "They don't understand money."

Made them once many years ago from a recipe in either Women's Day or Family Circle. They were not baked in the oven, but formed like little crepes on the stovetop. The edge had to go lightly brown or they would't crisp. They were good!

Fat Guy What ever happened with your experiments with lower temps? Any other updates to ingredients or new modifications we should know about?

I had some amazing strawberries last week- small, deep red and intensely flavoured. They looked like Tristars to me, were picked by a friend on the North Shore of Long Island who had no idea. Cherry season was meh, and the one watermelon I have had so far, pale and just awful.

I make the same sauce w Three Red Fruit preserves, it's so easy and delish!

My mom used to get those at Woolworth all the time, they were very square and came only in Neopolitan. I lkie toasted mini Eggo waffles with butter pecan myself.

Me? 17 1/2" and very jealous. I wish they still made good spacmaker toaster ovens.

whoa, I have to try this!

Or you can get one of these. Although I don't recommend it. I got one a year or so ago and immediately returned it because something was loose inside and there was a significant dent on this supposedly new appliance. I got a Breville and am happy with it (mainly for long bread slices, etc. Or one of these. Also not recommended - a friend has one, not happy at all with it. Delonghi makes one but I personally have not been happy with any Delonghi appliance in recent years. Krups also makes one but I have not heard anything about it, just that it is now available in the U.S. at Golda's Kitchen. Wow, thank you so much! I ove the look of that Krups! I have to say, I am such a fied of the crisp I'm likelt to get that toaster- as well as the toast rack of of my dreams! One of these days.... *sigh* The Bodum Bistro toaster is said to have a built-in warming rack but I have not been able to find a single photo that shows it in use.

I am not sure of any of those things, but searching further I foundout that it is indeed from Migoya's book. I would think adding the sugar early helps with the caramelization, no? I would not stir unless I strained it later, I think I would skip it. And I am guessing that you measure out a certain amount of milk and use only that to continue the recipe with- as evaporation rates may differ. Anyway- It sounds awfully good to me. Will have to try this soon. Let me know if you do!