Darienne

We drink McDonald's coffee on the road when we can't find a Starbucks. I 40 and I 70 are both sort of wastelands. Still McDonald's coffee is much improved over the last couple of years.

Heidi and Kerry. You are talking about those crunchy corn snack things which come in little paper packets and one finds in convenience stores?

I am so impressed with your doings! This last one is amazing. And I never thought of putting cane or palm sugar into the grinder. Another useful tip to add to the list. Thanks.

I can't speak for pizza chains...the only commercial pizza we ever eat, and it's stored in the freezer and is for unexpected young men basically, is Kraft Delicioso Supreme...but we do eat at McDonald's (salads) and Taco Bell (and salads) at interstate pull-offs on our way across the USA and back, and I can state there is definitely a difference between the various outlets, particularly the Taco Bells. And we're talking about salads only. All the pizzas we have eaten at chains have been pretty awful in the last couple of decades.

Thank you Tikidoc for your great answer. Especially thanks for the kijiji entry.

Morning comes early... Thanks for all the replies. * The Sunbeam is 350 watts (the important spec) with no bowl size given (frustrating) * The Kitchen Aid is 4.5 quart bowl with a meager 250 watts...nope not powerful enough. * The Bosch Compact is 400 watts (much better) with 4 quarts (good)...but we have never seen one where we live. * I already have a hand mixer which is adequate. I have hand and wrist issues...that's the other part of the equation. I'm still looking. Thanks all.

My DH, the most generous and wonderful of men, bought me the largest stand mixer he could find, a honking 7 quart Cuisinart. It's just too big and I don't like to use it for most things. The bowl is huge and a pain to get on and off the base. It scarcely fits into my sink. It's got more gizmos than I want. You have to press buttons and levers to do everything. Yes, I am looking a gift horse in the mouth, ingrate that I am. What I really want is the smallest real stand mixer...not one of those convertible hand mixers than can be mounted on a stand...like my ancient Sunbeam Mix-master which I stupidly disposed of in my long non-cooking years. Something which will make one batch of muffins or cookies. I can't seem to zero in on what I am looking for and I'm drowning in a sea of useless information. Can someone just point me in the correct direction please? Thank you.

Good for you, TP. It is time for ice cream again...not that I quit at any time during the past year...but it's time to discuss it again. I haven't tried any new DL ice creams for months now. Just keep making the same favorites over and over. DH doesn't like sherbets, and in fact, doesn't even like fruit ice creams the way I make them. Not sure what I'll make next...

I do like Cinnamon Buns. Those are beauties.

Those yolks are incredible!

This is a Bake-Off topic which didn't go far enough...for me anyway. We have been deep in house renovations since last September and I have made enough muffins and candies to sink the proverbial ship. Workpersons work happier when well supplied with coffee and muffins. My best to date are the http://forums.egulle...orange-muffins/ Orange Muffins by Cadbury. And the original Morning Glory muffin http://www.ebfarm.co...g-glory-muffins Made Super Moist Banana Nut Muffins from Food.com this morning, but both worker guy and Ed said they were too sweet. Note self: cut down on the sugar. Anyone have any new muffins to toot? Nuts required in this household.

This is cotton candy at a whole new level!!! We await your report.

Shel_B no doubt in wanting a 'nice' color, is probably wanting something more sophisticated and understated than what I want. I want crayon color bright. It's for my kitchen only which is completely white except for whatever else I put into it and right now I am heavily into bright Crayola colors. Third or fourth childhood, I reckon.

Thank you Chris Taylor for reviving this topic. Fun to go back and read it all. No idea why it didn't elicit more response. Samosas. Love samosas. And found this recipe which called for using egg roll wrappers instead of making your own dough. Now, I know that this is nothing short of disgraceful...but I did it anyway. And they were very good. I would also consider egg rolls and spring rolls in this category. Somewhere in one of the topics, someone (brilliant) suggested using cole slaw mix for the filling and simply adding whatever to this mix. Well, in the same run of cooking, in Moab to be sure, land of experimentation in cooking for me, I used said mix, although I hashed it up in the food processor. And they were delicious too. We, friends and I, put on this Chinese feast every year when we are in Moab and boy! do folks like fresh egg rolls which you can't get in Moab! Cheap heroics on my part.

Interesting. We are looking for such a pitcher also. For us I would add NOT thermos. And brightly colored, as in red or yellow.

I am quite curious about this candy floss machine. (Haven't had cotton candy in over 50 years.) What brand is it? Is it a home use machine? What are your plans for it? Can I come to your house and play with it? What else does it do? What does it weigh? Etc. Please.

Have yet to try anything out of Jeni's book although I bought it in December. Will do the Lime Cardamom this week. Maybe even tomorrow. Have extra yogurt still. And lime and cardamom are two of my favorites. Yumm.

The pair of Anna and Kerry elicit envy on so many levels. Your lunches, your friendship and your cooking partnership. I would give a lot to have a cooking partner. I do have a confectionery partner, Barbara, and that is wonderful, but a cooking partner would be a bonus. Perhaps I should advertise on Kijiji? Wonderful blog even so far.

Tabbouleh.

Hello Kerry and Anna, I'm looking forward to reading what the two of you cook up. And I'm curious about your new cotton candy machine. Used to love cotton candy when I was a kid. Should be a good week.

That photo could be just about anywhere in Ontario...land of a zillion lakes and rivers. It could be Peterborough for that matter on the Trent Canal. Could it be Tri2Cook, way up north?

Then nothing much has changed. DH and I were vegetarians...almost vegans some of the time...for about thirty years. This ended pretty much in 1990s and we have been 'Lessmeatarians" ever since (thanks, Mark Bittman). During that long period I sat on and chaired a number of different kinds of boards...another lifetime apparently...and like most boards, we had lunches and conferences and such like, and the food I got ranged from simply boring to really dreadful and awful. If you want to be a happy and well-fed vegetarian (or vegan), you have to eat food from just about anywhere else but North America.

Further north than MO?

The bridge and river makes me think St. Louis, Missouri. Way off, no doubt, but that's the way it is.

cavitating???