FauxPas

I have been using the same eight cotton dish towels for a few years here. I bought them from Costco and they don't seem to wear out. I almost wish they would because I am getting a bit sick of them. Here's one that I sent to a girlfriend, who was going through a dry patch for meeting men. (It may be a bit of a scroll-down image.)

They are all over the place in terms of depth, that's what makes it tricky to guess capacity by diameter. I see some varying from 3 inches to 4.75 inches deep. I'm guessing a 9.5 inch one would usually be 9 cups or so, but would obviously hold more if it's a deep pan.

It gets some good reviews! Are you going to bake that upside-down cake?

I think even some of the full-size ones would fit inside the CSO actually, though I haven't cooked anything in a bundt pan for some time. Depending on how big of a cake you want to make, you can use a 1.5 L (6 cup), 2.1 L (9 cup) or 3 L (12 cup). . I can't speak to the quality of this Nordicware 6 cup one, but it would easily fit inside both the CSO and the Instant Pot. Several reviews mention using it in the Instant Pot. So it could do double duty for you, ha! Just make sure you prep the pan right to avoid sticking. And I think most recipes would be divided in half.

And 90 calories seems awfully high for 2 Tbsps of soy milk. Edited to add: Oh, just saw the last comment. It's 2 tbsps of powder added to 8 oz of water. Makes more sense.

I just did some in the IP last night. They were medium-large and fairly fresh. I did them for 18 mins and left them for about another 7 mins before doing a release. Seemed just about right. I used to buy the smaller ones from TJs and I think I did those for 15 mins, so I added on a few more mins.

Yes, I was thinking this would be an excellent use for my Google Home, wonderful to listen to a book while I am sewing/quilting! Haven't tried it yet though....

Maybe this thread should be called "Smart Speakers in the Kitchen" as there are a few different models, all doing essentially the same tasks. Instead of Amazon Echo with Alexa, I use the Google Home with Google Assistant and I hear that Apple will be introducing a smart speaker as well. I like the Google Home because it's actually quite good at answering most questions, since it has access to Google's powerful search engine. Its sound quality for music may not be quite as good, but I'm OK with it. It's super easy to make shopping lists that are immediately shared with my Google Pixel smartphone. Timers are indeed useful. But since my smartphone has the voice-activated Assistant built in also, I can do many of the same things with it. Timers, weather, general information, etc. So I don't always appreciate what the Home is adding, other than a bigger speaker. But it's still fairly new to me, so I'll keep exploring.

@weinoo, like others here, I love my CSO so much that I could never relegate it to a shelf. I use it far too often! I'm so glad that you started the thread on the CSO here, as it gave me the info I needed to make the purchase myself a bit later. And as I recall, you were very patient and kind in replying to some of my dumb questions via message as well. I thank you for that. And maybe I should blame you that I have now purchased three (3!) of these, ha. In your new kitchen, I think I would try to make the CSO work on the stainless steel counter, so that you have lots of prep room on the butcher block. But it's hard to visualize it without a photo, does it really not fit on the stainless steel or is it just a bit bulky? Don't you have a bit of counter on the right side of your sink? I need to go back to your kitchen photos. I guess you have already considered all the options. If all else failed, I would leave it on the butcher block, store the cutting board behind it or beside it. Move it over to the right a bit to allow for working on the left side of the butcher block to accommodate your cutting style, if necessary.

I'm not Kerry but I can see that they do ship to the US, didn't follow through to see specific shipping charges, but here are the basics: http://www.tweedandhickory.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/customerservice.html#shipping They have quite the selection! I use Republic of Tea in the US, but my needs are simple and unsophisticated. They do have some Rooibus though. http://www.republicoftea.com/?q=rooibos

I'm just learning about this NY tradition and yours is so complete and looks so delicious! Also, have you shared your scalloped tomato recipe here? I think you have, but didn't find it with a search.

My first time ever for black-eyed peas! Decent provenance though: And they are so pretty soaking in the bowl! And a very tasty result, from Rancho Gordo's website, the Black-Eyed Pea Stew, but I added some luscious homemade chicken stock I'd been keeping in the freezer and upped the vegetable content. Happy New Year!

Same as the Fry's (Kroger) stores here in southern AZ, though those tend to be smaller ones. The large ones are $1.25 or you can get four medium ones in a bag for $2.99 or $1.99 each for the large-ish organic ones. I can't remember the price at Trader Joe's but it's not usually outrageous. Just noticed that the local Sprouts stores have Mexican Hass avocados for 3 for $1 in this week's flyer. Maybe I need to make a visit!

Were you happy with it cooked this way?

New Year's Day, I am making the simple Black-Eyed Pea Stew recipe from RanchoGordo.com, using some of their "Super Lucky" Black-Eyed Peas. I think it will be a nice change from the heavier holiday meals. The soup/stew, some good bread, maybe a bit of salad.

Making lasagne here for the two of us and a small group of neighbours. I steam-roasted tomatoes and made the ragu yesterday so will do the assembly and bake them this evening. We'll start with a Caesar salad and shrimp. I made a couple of lemon-lime cheesecakes last night in the Instant Pot and will serve that with a raspberry coulis (with some Grand Marnier). Not the most inventive menu but we haven't made lasagne for awhile and it seemed a popular choice.

We are almost always in Canada for Canadian Thanksgiving and in the US for American Thanksgiving, both usually featuring turkey. So when we get to Christmas, we often don't want more turkey.

Last minute dithering and just the two of us for Xmas dinner meant I ended up picking up a boneless prime rib from Trader Joe's. Somehow it didn't really connect that it was $11.99 per pound! Holy cow, raised on rare grasses and dusted with saffron! it better be good. In the oven now. We eat late, compared to others. CSO is steam-baking some small mixed potatoes (red, white, purple) and steaming some broccoli and cauliflower on the side. And we have a can of Spotted Dick for dessert! I think it came from the local Fry's/Kroger. Surprised to see it in their import/British section. The best thing today so far was the jerky our neighbour made and gifted to us - it is amazing and I usually despise the stuff.

It's hard to see the actual design, but I did admire, and wonder, about the shower walls. Can you explain more about that design/process?

@weinoo, what kind of fridge is that?

I like the way you wrapped the subway tile around on the left side of the window. And the pegboard on the other side is a terrific use of space. Handy storage! Overall, that kitchen looks to have an amazing amount of varied storage. I bet you are going to be happy working in there! I also really like the flooring in your shower. A larger walk-in shower is so much more convenient than a tub/shower combo, in my book.

@weinoo, it looks spectacular! You did a wonderful job on design. I really like how light and bright it looks, important to me in a kitchen. I'm not sure about your actual square footage, but that kitchen looks very spacious! Love the white cabinets AND ALL THOSE DRAWERS! I have never had enough drawers. How long is that kitchen? Wonderful to have two big pantry storage cabinets in there. I know it's been a hassle and slower than you hoped, but it really does look good. And the not-quite-square-and-level surprises happened to us at times even in newer homes. Can I get you to redesign my kitchen? And can we get final pics when the last bits are complete? Any chance of a final pic of the bathroom? Happy Holiday cooking in your new kitchen!

I didn't see it in use! It reminds me of those RV cutting boards that just fit over the top of the sink. We had a big double sink in the kitchen and another by the pantry, so we really didn't need this one. But as far as I know, that sink in the butler's pantry does work and is just covered to increase the counter space.

I think it's well worth a visit. Texas Canyon is a pretty area, the museum is interesting and some of their events are fun. I need to go back to see the museum exhibits and the gallery. And I would go back for another cooking class! Debbie was in Italy recently and will do an Italian meal for her next class, so they aren't all southwestern or Mexican.

And a few pics of the museum store. They don't want people to take detailed photos of the actual items in the store or the museum exhibit area, so this is just the entrance way area of the store. It's a pretty building.