baroness

Donate them to a soup kitchen, or the like. Any fresh fruit is appreciated.

Sugar snap peas are prettier and tastier after a 2-3 minute bath in boiling water, then tossed in ice water. They look like jewels!

Add another to the NON-Nutella fans. It tastes like bad/cheap frosting to me.

For very long apron strings, I pair the strings and fold them in half. Then I tie an overhand knot at the center with all 4 strands as one, BUT instead of pulling the end free I leave it as a little loop and tighten the beginning of the knot around this loop. This will hold through the wash and dry, and release easily.

Cheese is NOT vegan; neither is honey though that's not likely to be used in "meat" balls.

I borrowed the new edition from the library and compared it, VERY carefully, to the original edition which I own and love. The paper in the new edition is glossy, the type is at least 1 point smaller, and there are color photos....though many are of Italy, NOT baked goods or techniques. The original had pen & ink illustrations, mostly for technique explanations. Two recipes were added (Biga Naturale and Ciabatta Polesana), one soup was renamed from Ribollita to Minestrone Toscani, the order of recipes was changed in places and one recipe (Garibaldi cookies) was removed. Ingredients such as baker's ammonia and fresh yeast are omitted or marginalized. The Glossary was removed, and the Sources area expanded and updated. Volume measures and metric ones are in the original edition; the new one adds U.S. ounces/pounds as well. Do I need the 'new' edition? Not in this case.

Have you tried wearing (non-fuzzy!!!) gloves when handling freezer items?

THIS bun recipe is quite beloved and well-known.

I use 'regular' (ONE loaf size) bread recipes in the machine; you just need to be aware of the particular machine's capacity.

The King Arthur Flour website has hundreds of bread recipes, including many specifically for bread machines. Volume AND weight measures are given.

You could make a paella-inspired dish from some of it.

Seasoned shrimp would work well on cucumber slices, too.

Butter cookies -- dip about half the cookie and sprinkle with coconut, chopped nuts, or crushed peppermint candy!

Date Balls 2 eggs, well beaten 1 cup sugar rounded tablespoonful of butter 1 1/2 cups chopped dates 1 tsp. vanilla 2 c. rice krispies 1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts shredded coconut Mix eggs, sugar, and butter in saucepan; add dates. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Dump mixture into a bowl that contains the cereal and nuts; mix. Roll into small balls with buttered hands and roll in coconut to finish.

Isa Chandra Moskowitz has written a number of dependable vegan cookbooks; I particularly like her "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats". She also has books on pies and cupcakes, as well as full meals- "Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook" is another great source.

Savories: Cheese straws can be baked ahead, and eaten with or without reheating. They go well with grapes, apples, pears.... Gougeres - see notes above. Dip with cut-up vegetables Nachos Can you buy a 'Rice Krispie' sort of cereal? If so, I have some non-marshmallow bar cookie recipes that you could use.

I believe that the lid needs to stay on for heat retention. The lid also retains moisture, so recipes written for a slow cooker often contain LESS liquid, so the results are not watery.

Agreed, though I've not tried it on ice cream...yet!

Firstly, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Secondly, fresh air and sunshine can remove many odors. Thirdly, fine sandpaper may help on the wooden items.

If you want a nod to "The Artist," try a black and white theme in decor and food.

...or suitable for vegetarians! I like the shiitake broth idea. For alternate hummus flavors, try google-ing major brands such as Sabra, Tribe, Cedars.... There was an excellent Vietnamese curry in the 2011 "Recipes that Rock" thread which features sweet potatoes.

That recipe sounds delicious....and there are others at that site, such as Vegetarian Shepard's Pie, that may work for the OP.

The texture of medium to firm tofu can be altered by freezing it; when thawed it is sponge-y. This can work well for chili dishes and the like. If it's extremely well-drained, perhaps it could be fried crisp -- try it on its own, NOT with water-bearing vegetables.

Yet another source for reasonably-priced dinnerware: IKEA. Melamine IMO is barely more pleasant than the disposables.

Salad Rolls to accompany the banh mi; they are another "It's usually more trouble than it's worth to assemble all the ingredients" item and can be made vegan by using a firm (pressed/baked) flavored tofu for the protein. Serve the peanut sauce as well as the fish sauce-based one. Butter Chicken - see the link I posted in the "Recipes that Rock 2012" thread. The sauce is made in a slow cooker, freezes well, and is delicious. The cut-up chicken thighs are cooked in the sauce just before service. To another pot of sauce, add chickpeas, cooked potatoes, and peas for a vegetarian (not vegan) version. Serve both over rice. Chickpeas and Pasta - cook chopped onions in butter or olive oil with a bit of garlic. Add chopped or crushed tomatoes - canned are fine - and about half that volume of chickpeas. Cook briefly; maybe 15 minutes...while you are boiling some ditalini or tiny shells. Drain the pasta and mix it in; this should be chunky, not overly sauced. Serve grated cheese on the side. Potatoes and Stringbeans - cook chopped onions in olive oil with a bit of garlic. Add lots of chopped or crushed tomatoes - canned are fine - plus cut-up potatoes and green beans (if fresh, cut about 2" long. Frozen beans will work as well.) Cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender. If you want an African twist, add some turmeric at the start. I second the recommendation for more equipment. A large (at least 6-quart) slow cooker and rice cooker (10-cup*) or two would be of great help. *For reference: 10-cup refers to raw rice; the Asian cup is .75 of a US cup