FauxPas

Ranch dressing maybe? There are several commercial choices but it's pretty easy to make your own with yogurt and/or buttermilk, some spices and herbs. Lots of recipes online if you want to do it yourself. Maybe a peanut sauce? Again, lots of recipes online. It doesn't have to be too spicy. I like sweet chili sauce with a bit of heat, but that might have more sugar than you want. There are variations of Chick-Fil-A sauce, which I don't think I've ever tasted, but it would give you a way to use some of your BBQ sauce to make something different. Like this one, though there are more versions around online. https://abeautifulmess.com/chick-fil-a-sauce/ Or this one: https://dwardcooks.com/healthy-copycat-chick-fil-a-sauce/

Yeah, I went back to see if saffron was on the list. 🤣

I often prefer those smaller ones! That size just makes more sense sometimes. Only problem I have with the bagged ones is that they seem to ripen all at once and therefore need to be eaten pretty much all at once. 🙂 I should probably purée and freeze a few when I buy them that way.

One thing I do miss about Arizona!

I love your new home-away-from-home! And so pleased to read of your adventures once again! Are the critters being good travelling companions? 🙂

yeah, I'm the same. Not with spices (I keep them low) but at least half the upper cabinet shelves are completely out of my reach. My husband, much taller, could hide whatever he wanted up there and I'd never know. 🙂

That looks pretty awesome! Seems to have quite a lot of space. 🙂

Those are pretty awesome! I don't have enough time right now to watch them all, but I love that he has a list with timestamps in the description so you can pick and choose.

hello, @Hudson! I'm in the Comox Valley, look forward to seeing you around here! 🙂

Oooh, I must do some of that myself! I haven't got beyond some of the news feeds and the cat feed, ha. One of the things I really missed during the Canada Post strike was receiving seed catalogs in the mail. I know it's all digital now also but for me there is no substitute to having a hard copy show up and sit in a chair with a cup of coffee or hot choc/cider and peruse the blooms/veggies. After the strike ended, Mike brought mail in one day and handed me a couple of seed catalogs and said, "Well, I guess you'll be busy for the afternoon." Oh yes. Bliss. 🌱🌱🌱

Oh yes, I do make banana bread with older bananas actually! Mostly made for my husband but I enjoy it also. I couldn't eat the bananas straight up for some time before they are ready for bread, but they don't bother me once baked. 😃

I think I know what you mean, even though I like melons. But I have to say that I like them a tiny bit on the green side. Not really green, but with the flesh a bit crisp rather than soft and with less of that musky sweetness. I think I feel the same about papaya. Fully ripe papaya can be quite off-putting to me. And bananas too, I definitely like them just a bit green-ish.

@liamsaunt, after coming back and re-reading this thread, I am wondering what you ultimately ended up doing for spice storage in your kitchen after it was all redone! Spice storage is a topic that keeps coming up. Hope you see this and have a chance to respond! 🙂

Looks like a nice design. Were they easy to install? Have they held up well?

I know, I was kinda shocked at the price on those stacking ones! I bought my Container Store stuff on Black Friday or some day when they were offering 20% off. It still wasn't cheap but I loved the storage I got from the product so it was worth it to me. But if you think something similar might work, maybe these stacking clear units on Amazon (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) though they don't look very deep. Which of the spice storage units do you like? I'm thinking about redoing my spice storage a bit.

I'd suggest perusing some of the Container Store pantry stuff. They have some nice clear bins and some of those stack so you can possibly double up on your shelf. Like these, which come in a range of sizes: https://www.containerstore.com/s/kitchen/pantry-organizers/plastic-storage-bins-with-handles/12d?productId=11019017 Or these, which stack: (BUT WOW, they seem pricey!) https://www.containerstore.com/s/kitchen/pantry-organizers/the-home-edit-stacking-pantry-bin/12d?productId=11012911 But the smaller size of the bins from IKEA might meet your needs too and I don't think they are too expensive. Here is how I have used the smaller ones, just for examples. i think they hold quite a bit but I'm not storing the same type of things, I don't think. I love that they have handles and a lower edge on one side. You would be able to fit two rows on a shelf but it might be hard to see what is in the back, maybe? There are the larger ones, but I don't know if you want that size. Even Dollar Stores might have something that works. Not sure if this is of any use to you! 🙂

In a previous home we owned in Tucson, we had a door to the pantry and I got an over-the-door storage unit from The Container Store. I was always amazed how many spices I could store here and it was a great solution for me as they tended to get lost on the pantry shelves. The shelving sizes were variable so it was quite flexible.

Could you share a photo of your pantry so we can get an idea of size and layout perhaps? Do you have a door to the pantry (would any over-the-door storage options work in addition to your shelving)? It's easy to put different bins or storage containers on the wire shelving but tricky to know how you categorize your contents. I use some of these IKEA bins (they come in two sizes) in my pantry and kitchen cupboards. I use the smaller ones for coffee pods, spices and seasoning mixes, cat treats. The larger ones I use for onions, potatoes (some of these are stored in the cooler garage) or various kitchen items.

Actually he did go to ER. 🙂 They didn't do x-rays for some reason and doc didn't think anything was badly broken. But he could have cracked a rib or two. He's definitely sore! He sees his GP tomorrow so they can take another look at things then. I would have planned something different but he was thinking he'd be good to go until fairly last minute. I wish we had better Chinese restaurants here, the quality isn't that great to begin with and they were so busy last night that things were a bit more mediocre than usual, ha. But it was all ok! We still had a pleasant evening, despite his wounds. 🙂

Our NYE plans got derailed as well. My husband also fell badly a few days ago. He somehow misjudged an awkward curb and probably twisted his ankle a bit and ended up going down hard on his left arm and side. He didn't think he was too badly hurt but yesterday he was really feeling it. Enough that he didn't want to do the steaks and seafood. I gave some other choices but we ended up just getting some Chinese take-out, which really wasn't that great. We did have a nice bottle of wine though! 🙂

Yes! Happy Anniversary, @Shelby! How did you prepare the steak?

LOVE the reindeer one! You must have a steady hand, they are all quite intricate. And I'm pretty sure I would have broken off the edges of the sleigh ones while working with them, ha.

OMG, I'm still trying to recover from the Xmas Day cooking so had almost forgot that another Big Day is right around the corner, ha. More meals to plan, oh noes. 🙂 I might switch with you and do Prime Rib for NYE, maybe see what looks good for a bit of a seafood add-on. Or just ask Mike to cook a steak on the grill and I'll do baked potatoes and sautéed mushrooms. We could still add some crab legs or something. The local store is pushing lobster but I don't know. I have to say that the veggie (butternut squash) Wellington I did for Xmas was quite a success. It made me think about other Wellingtons. I've done salmon ones and they turned out pretty well. Classic Beef Wellington is gorgeous, but you just did Prime Rib. Is Lobster Newburg still a thing? I haven't had it in so many years, it sounds kinda dated but age shouldn't factor if it's kept its magic. 🙂

Those snowmen have so much detail! They are really gorgeous. Is that Royal Icing? How did you do that lovely little bit of holly on the hat?

Steve Sando's latest bean cookbook is on for $2.99 at both Amazon Canada and USA. This is a great deal! The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with all Kinds of Beans (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) Canadian link here.