Darienne

Talk about coincidences...we are having what I know as African Chicken Peanut Stew for supper tonight. Just discovered the recipe this past fall...no idea why...and made it while in Moab. Twice. Used chicken thighs. Ate it and ate it and added more stuff (onions, tomatoes) to it and ate it. The endless pot. Made it again as soon as we arrived home. Good stuff. (Can't find the photo.) Mafe. Now I know. (Left out the cilantro. We have to try it again. So far neither of us likes it much. )

The pie is already made and in the freezer. Used this crust and this filling. Well, more or less. Omitted the green food coloring and the garnishes from each recipe. Very simple recipes. Tastes...DH and handy-woman...were varied. She said too sweet and he said not enough lime juice. I said the freezer would make a difference in the sweetness and added one more tablespoon of tequila (oops, silver...had no gold) and some lemon juice (out of limes). Short Rant: why are American cans of condensed milk 14 ounces (called for in recipes) and Canadian cans are 300 ml. 14 oz = 414 ml. Very annoying. Very annoying. The filling tasted good to me unfrozen. Right. I picked the 'frozen' pie. But what's not yummy in the morning with Tequila, Grand Marnier (sorry, was supposed to be Triple Sec), condensed milk, whipped cream. What else does a woman need for a mid-morning snack? Next time, I think I'll try the familiar condensed milk and cream cheese variation.

Recently in a topic, Graham Cracker Alternatives, someone suggested crushed pretzels which then led to the subject of the Margarita Pie, which caught my fancy big time. (I had my first Margarita summer before last and I really did like it. LOL.) So, Margarita Pie. I googled it and the results, as usual, were varied. Not much sugar in crust or filling to more sugar than I could imagine. Most call for whipped cream and condensed milk. Oh, I don't know about that. Who has a recipe for Margarita Pie that I might like to make?

Definitely not Canadian (which the crocus would hint at West coast this time of year) because there isn't any French on the yogurt containers. Good one, Dr. Beal.

Could you please list some of these sites? I don't really know what you mean.

Another vote for the pretzel crust. A favorite from several years back, Margarita Pie is often made with a pretzel crust. And it's also particularly good with strawberry pies. Pretzel crust? Margarita filling? All the good things go together. Thanks.

DH very much wants us to buy an electric buffet server. Currently there's one for sale at Canadian Tire (Canada), regularly $99.99 for $44.99. Seems to me it's something no one wants maybe? Does not cook, one set of controls simply keeps food warm for up to 3 hours. Three compartments (2.5 litres/quarts, with see through covers (probably plastic. It doesn't say glass so it must be plastic), stainless body. Made by Betty Crocker. Is it worth buying? Please keep in mind that we don't have all the American chains, like Williams-Sonoma up here to pick from. Or, we certainly don't have them where I live. Thanks.

The mix cooked in the applesauce? This sounds like fun.

Aplets. That is the recipe I used because it simply called for unsweetened applesauce. I used 3/4 cup of walnuts instead of the called for 1/2 cup and when I make it again, I'll use a full cup of walnuts. Also I rolled the finished squares in confectioner's sugar with added cornstarch. Three hours later the squares are still dry and presentable. Delicious. Well worth making. I'm really pleased with them. I have a meeting to go to on February 14th. Maybe I'll make another batch, coloring them a deeper red. A tad hokey, but fun. Thanks again, all.

We have a large group here in August every year...our Annual Dog Weekend. And every year I say to myself, well, it's just too much work and I'm going to use disposable plates, foam (yechh) or paper, to cut down on the cleaning. And then every year we use a plastic set again. I bought it about 10 years ago, 3 plates for a $1, etc, and we use it year after year. And I wash it year after year. I hate eating from foam or paper and thin plastic just makes it onto my eating radar. And yes, the rest of the year it sits in a container in the garage. But then I have a lot of storage space. No help here I'm afraid.

Half the cake is gone, iced with the dulce de leche, Nestle brand. Can't recall where I got the can. Not in Peterpatch, for certain. Went to the window installer's family up the road. Never hurts... The second half is in our fridge, also iced with the above. The inspector comes this morning for the current building inspection and who knows? cake might help for future problems. I do like the cake iced with the dulce which is not as sweet as some others. I must try Margaret Pilgrim's recipe for the cajeta.

PanaCan's great-great-gran's apple cake is made and is delicious. So moist, so tasty. I can't even tell if I can taste the apples or not. (Could be an excess of tasting here.) Ed likes it with the dulce de leche on top. I like it bare so far, but might try it with a cream cheese icing. Or not. It might get eaten before I get around to it. Thanks PanaCan. Have another container of apple sauce out to try the Aplets next.

I actually made this cake and it's either the recipe or me. Was not taken by the results. First non-success with a Smitten Kitchen recipe.

I've done it...but not today. And not with your recipe. Sounds interesting.

I have the cake underway. Waiting for the applesauce to thaw. And I have 2 jars and 1 can of dulce de leche in my pantry - Nestle, Goya and Roland. And I am stunned by the difference in the ingredients in them.

What a good idea. About 5 minutes too late for this cake. Already mixed the spices in with the flour. Next time. Good idea.

Thanks all for all the replies. Now I have an excess of recipes to try. Think I'll go for PanaCan's cake and the Aplets first. Thanks again.

You are on for that recipe. Thanks.

Last fall was a year of excess of apples. Wonderful. Macs and Northern Spies. We made and froze apple juice until we were too tired to do any more. We ate apple pie. With 5-yr old cheddar. Please, we are Canadians. Then I made and froze a glut of applesauce. What can I make with this apple sauce which retains the 'appleness' of the result? I've made an Applesauce Cake. Very nice. But about as 'apple-y' as Chocolate Zucchini cake tastes of zucchini. Which is not at all. How can I use it...and don't tell me to eat it as applesauce, please, or to put it on potato latkes (gaggh) or pork...and keep the appleness in the forefront? Or is there even a way? Thanks.

I don't have a sense of the corn tortillas needing to have much puff in them. Am I wrong?

Christmas has got to be the most difficult time of the year to hold one's weight. Thanks for all the information. I'll try Wal Mart's next time we are near one.

First of all congratulations are in order. Well done. Secondly...Krisda? I've never heard of it before. Must phone the local bulk food store and ask. You obviously buy this in Canada. Any more comments on this product??? Yep, they carry Krisda, but not the flavored ones. Oh well.

Thanks so much for your answer. Good of you to do it. I love lamb, even mutton. DH hates it and will not eat it. When we are on the Navajo reservation in NM, I order mutton stew...Ed does not. End of story.

I looked up Welsh Mountain Sheep and apparently they are both for fleece and eating. What do you do with yours? How many do you have? Do you keep herding dogs? Do you sell the sheep for others to eat? Thanks. Yes, I am interested in sheep. Used to work with fleece in another life.

Hi Andie, Do you do the butter in a food processor or do you have some other better machine which gets the resulting nut butter quite smooth?