Marlene

Because that's pretty much what it is? Ick is right.

One pregnancy - no sickness at all, nor any aversions. I did however eat rice and soy sauce every day of my pregnancy!

Um, mac and cheese is on the menu for Thursday dinner. You want I should make extra?

Very, very nice Maggie. My sweetie makes me bacon and eggs and toast every weekend. He is the master of sunny side up, lovely runny egg yolks, and yes, they are basted in bacon fat. I don't mind that splats, they add flavour to the eggs. Toast is for dipping into your egg yolk! No grilled tomatoes please, but hash browns, real shredded, fried in butter, crispy hash browns? Yes please!

That's a great idea Janet, and we could have one salad for the staff dinner and one for Sunday. I'm going to have time, and my potato salad is best when made a couple of days ahead, so I'd be fine to make one as well.

Jaz, I never peel potatoes when I make potato salad! I had planned on making a potato salad on Thursday or Friday, but you're welcome to it! I can make up a big batch of coleslaw instead. I'm also likely going to make some honey garlic meatballs to nosh on and a few cheese balls. Since I've got Varmint's kitchen to myself for a couple of days, I can go crazy. Assuming someone takes me grocery shopping on Wed night of course. I'll happily pick up the paper products during my shopping expedition. Dean, I"m pretty sure I left my 5 gallon water thingy at your place during the last pig pickin.

Canada is now in the house.

Add two more for me. Silver Palate's Good Times Cookbook Company's Coming Most Loved Barbeques

Ha, ha! The Seven Characteristics of a French Fry! It sounds like something Hobbit-ish! I love it. Actually, it was even funnier when I read it wrong at first and thought it said "The Seven Charismatics of a French Fry"! ← I swear. They even had a video. I can no longer remember all of them, but the few I remember are: 1. Uniform shape and size 2. Unbroken 3. Golden brown 4. long I'll bet they still teach them at Hamburg U.

Oh my. It was well over 30 years ago that I obtained my first job at McDonalds. I got to work in a brand new store at Markham and the 401. As I recall, minimum wage for students back then was $2.15 an hour and I thought I'd received a small fortune when I got my first paycheck. Before actually getting to work in a store, we had three weeks of training, watching videos and working the various stations with seasoned employees. I seem to recall a test I had to pass first. We had the Seven Characteristics of a French Fry drilled into us. Anything over a 4 hour shift, you got one meal for free, anything under 4 hours it was half price. Everyone was trained to clean when they weren't busy at their station and everynight, we "broke down" the store cleaned and polished every station, grill, and machine, and set up the grills etc for breakfast the next day. I don't know if they still do this, but whenever a cashier would shout an order to a station, i.e. "2 large fries, 1 cheeseburger" each station attendant had to answer "Thank you!"

I'm seeing a lot of great recipes here (hint). Those crab things would be great at the pickin. Are there any farmer's markets where you are to check out?

You're kidding me. Right? I'm camping all summer. I'll need fortification!

Out of curiostity, I visited my local LCBO today. Not because I needed anything, (I stocked up last week), but because I was curious to see how empty the shelves were. Well, they were pretty empty all right! Most of the popular brands of spirts etc were sold out. However, here's the good news Taped to the door as you walk in, is a notice advising customers that the union and the LCBO have reached a tentative agreement so there will not be a strike! edited to add link to the news story that was just published Strike Averted

I know what you mean about confidence. My wife's grandmother who is 88 recently had a fall. She acted like she was immortal before that and now she takes uncertain steps with a cane. The tray sounds really helpful and maybe a vegetable chopper. I know those manual choppers don't produce the prettiest cuts but they seem easy to use and clean. ← Exactly. He's got a fear of falling, since he fell once, outside recently. I bought him a Cuisinart mini prep and he really likes that. We aren't worried about presentation right now. We just want him to cook again!

That's possible. It's a matter of getting him some confidence of being on his feet, plus working on his balance, which is off right now. He does have a tray on his walker, that he can put a number of things on and then wheel them over to the counter or table.

I suspect my brother would have trouble pulling a cart, while trying to manipulate his walker, but like this idea for my kitchen!.

This one is looking good! thanks GG!

I just wanted to mention that based on this post, we went out and bought him a bar stool. He keeps that stool by the stove and its been wonderful for him to be able to sit and stir sauces etc.

I just had a call from my brother. He very proudly informed me he just accomplished a baked brie on his own. I feel kinda like a mother watching her kid take his first steps. (big secret) his birthday is in two weeks and everyone is banding together to buy him a new BBQ. We'll have him grillin in no time.

I'm pretty sure it can't be that difficult, but I've perused my many cookbooks and I can't seem to find a recipe that grabs me. I'm making a tomato and red onion salad on Saturday. Normally, I make a balsamic vinaigrette dressing to go with this, but the masses are clamouring for a Roquefort dressing. I'm game, I mean I love the stuff. Help me out with a decent recipe. It's got to be thick and it's got to be chunky!

Don't be counting Canada out just yet. I still have my room reserved!

I'll confess to being among the ranks of those who occassionally use convenience foods, and for those of you who know my posts, you'll know that I love to cook and do so a lot. However, I juggle a business, a child, a husband/an elderly mother, a sick brother and lots of volunteer work. For me the issue is time. There are times, not often, when I'm just too tired/busy/lazy/rushed to cook anything. Particularly if it's just my son and I for dinner, and I know he'd be just as happy with Kraft dinner as he would if I spent hours making homemade mac and cheese. He loves the homemade stuff, but he won't throw a fit if I make him KD either. And sometimes it's just easier to use shake and bake than it is to brine, soak and fry chicken.

I'm preparing to head up to the campground again on Thursday. I've left my camera up there so I don't have any pictures of the stuff I'll be prepping, but I'll take some up there of the finished products. When I have time, I make up a lot of stuff at home before I go because it's easier. This week I'm preparing at home: Potato Salad Creamy Coleslaw Peanut Butter Burgers And from recipes that are not yet in RG Blue Cheese Salad Dressing for a tomato and onion salad Three cheese cheese balls Rustic Blueberry Tart from this month's Fine Cooking We have friends camping with us for 4 days, plus my brother and his girlfriend will visit us for dinner. In addition, I'm making up extra burgers, asian chicken wings and lasagna for my brother's family since he has chemo this week, and they'll be pretty tired by the time they get home. I'd be interested in other things that I can either prep and take up or make up there. If I'm going to make them up there, they should be simple, please! Edited to add: I'll be up there for two weeks and somewhere in there we are throwing a surprise birthday party for my brother. I need to figure out how to make and keep stuff to take over to the party.

Oh and cookies, brownies and squares (particularly Butter Tart Squares are also easily made ahead!

Welcome to eGullet! If you have a bbq, there are lots of things you could do on the bbq. Grilled shrimps, grilled bruschetta, mini kebobs etc. Make a few cheese balls ahead of time and freeze them. The day of the party, let them sit at room temp for a few hours, then roll them in finely chopped walnuts or pecans. The one I make has three cheeses, cream cheese, blue cheese and sharp cheddar cheese. Honey garlic meatballs are easily made a day ahead then gently re-heated the day of. Melon balls and prociutto are a nice cool nibble on a hot day. Deviled eggs if you're so inclined. Asian wings (from the Frog Commissary book) are easy to make ahead and re-heat. You can PM me for details on those. I've made all of the following and they are simple yet tasty. Most of them you can make ahead. Blue Cheese and Chive crisps bacon cheddar toast points Garlic peppercorn cheesecake (savoury not sweet) sweet sausage rolls have fun! I love cocktail parties.