Shel_B

Generally, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Never use Morton's in any case. Usually I sprinkle or dip salt from a small dish that sits near the stove, but last night I used a salt shaker at a friend's house to salt a pork tenderloin, and I liked the ease of control I had, so a shaker may be a useful item to sit next to the salt dish.

A plain, old fashioned, manually operated shaker is fine for my needs.

I don't think so ... cute and fun, perhaps, but, for me at least, totally impractical.

Strangely enough, I've never bought or owned a salt shaker, except for one similar to this http://www.amazon.com/Commercial-Stainless-Pepper-Shakers-Dredges/dp/B000JUTCEQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384197602&sr=8-1&keywords=salt+shakers which I bought many years ago for salting and applying rubs to large pieces of meat for barbecuing. What I'd like to get is a small shaker for use on the countertop or table, for salting small pieces of meat or for use at the table. Any suggestion on what to look for, or styles/brands to consider? Thanks!

And, not to speak for Shel-B, but I think he didn't get the "quote" feature to work exactly right, as it was gdenby that mentioned a fondness for Corningware, not I. Actually, I make my omlettes in my regular ol' everyday Blue Danube soup bowl, covered with either a film of Saran Wrap, pierced, or an inverted Blue Danube saucer. Although, like many ladies of a certain age, I do have quite a bit of Corningware, use it, and especially love it in the microwave. RE: Corningware ... I've a few pieces purchased at garage sales. Love the items I have. Love the price I paid - averaged out to $3.00 a piece, with covers! No bowls though.

I meant to ask, why a Corningware bowl? What does Corningware bring to the party?

Thanks for the info - quite a few things to explore and experiment with.

Another thing to try. Thanks!

I'll have to try this. Thanks! BTW, do you butter or grease the bowl?

And about those sweet potatoes. We like sweet potatoes that have baked a long time and are all collapsed and caramelly. That doesn't happen in the microwave. So I bake them in the microwave until they're just barely soft, then put them into the conventional oven to bake until they're how we like them. Hmmm - I like my sweet potatoes (the red ones) soft and somewhat caramelly, as you describe. They turn out as described when I use the microwave ... Yummy Yum Yum!

Who or what is FR?

Who Makes Trader Joe's Food: Here's an interesting article comparing some TJ's products with their equivalent name brand counterpart. I'm not sure I agree with all their conclusions and suppositions, but it makes for an interesting read. I prefer Joe's O's to Cheerios based on taste and price, and have compared TJ's chili to Annie's and find them to be similar, preferring TJ's on the basis of price if nothing else. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/12/who-makes-trader-joes-food_n_2664899.html

Sometimes the choice is simple, dictated by convenience or convention. But other times, at least to me, the choice is not so clear. For example, I'm going to make a flan next week, and, it seems, heating the milk can be done either way, microwave oven or stovetop (although I've always used the stovetop for this). Which may be best, or is there really much, if any, difference in the result? Making oatmeal - Toots makes hers in the microwave, and I use the stovetop, slowly cooking the oats in water with some added ingredients. Is there an advantage using one method or the other? I feel there's better control on the stovetop, but Toots' oatmeal is pretty good - she's certainly satisfied with it. How about reheating leftovers, like meat or vegetable stews or soups? Again, I often use the stovetop and Toots is the Microwave Queen. Is anything gained or lost using one method or the other? I'm sure you can think of other comparisons ... I'm not so much just interested in which method you use, although that may be helpful, but, also, why you use one method over the other and, most important, is there any flavor or texture differences between the two methods with similar dishes. Also, do you use one or the other for specific purposes. Thanks!

... and giving new meaning to the term "finger food."

It's been a l-o-n-g time since I bought barley, so I'd have to take another look.

Nope, no mandoline ...

Is it better, or just different, for certain dishes, such as mushroom barley soup? How do I know if I'm getting pearl(ed) barley? I've never seen it mentioned on the bulk barley bins, which is where I'd buy the grain. Does it require different cooking techniques than reguar barley, such as longer/shorter cooking time, soaking overnight, and etc?

I, for one, don't doubt you. I just don't carry a toolkit with me wherever I go, and I often snack on nuts outside of and away from home, mine or other's.

Here in the US bread crumbs are tiny crumbs of bread. I specificly said flour breading, which is made from flour and seasonings. Your post was unclear. Even after your upthread correction, it was difficult to understand just what you meant.

Bingo! Saw this post after posting my comment ...

I use a shell half from a previous nut, and use it to pry open any that can't be easily opened by hand (fingers).

It was 4:00am, and Linda's cat jumped on my head. I was awake and unable to fall back to sleep. Turned on the flat screen, and watched a Sandra Bullock movie, The Net - a nice thriller. At 4:00am there are a lot of infomercials, and I saw one for this product. I like to make zucchini noodles, and so this caught my attention. Has anyone tried it? Any comments? https://www.getskinnygourmet.com/?mid=4844412

Given that I have to stand on tiptoe to get the right angle and slam my weight down, I suspect you have a point. Nonetheless...if I ever meet Shel_B, I don't plan to challenge him to an arm-wrestling match! It might be a pretty even match. However, I am over seven feet tall, so my angle of attack is considerably different than yours <ROTFLOL>

Do you keep those items in the fridge because of weather in your area. Around these parts, those are non refrigerated items.

Fresh in Fridge: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Corn (in season), Kale and other leafy greens, Zucchini and Summer Squash, Beets(in season), Leeks, Scallions, Various Lettuces, sometimes Spinach, a little Celery, Peppers, Peas, Radish ... Carrots, Eggplant ... probably more, plus those that are not in the fridge, like tomatoes, avocado, citrus, etc. Frozen: Assorted frozen vegetables and beans, corn, peas, spinach, broccoli ... Canned: There's always a can or two of TJ's corn around for use in a specific dish Toots and I make a few times a year, and there's always some canned tomatoes - do beans count?