Darienne

Thanks for the information and further threads, Jaymes. I made the mistake of spelling it only one way when I looked it up to find out if there had been such a thread before. Found lots of threads...but none devoted to the crockpot per se. Shoulda knowed better. Thanks.

In recent topics in this section, there has been some pooh-poohing towards crockpots and it occurred to me that this wondrous kitchen beast deserved a topic of its own. I own four crockpots: 1 ginormous, 1 big and 2 medium. (I brought one medium with me to Moab and since arriving have done a small pulled pork roast.) I candy citrus and ginger and other fruits in my crockpots. I do pulled meats. I keep Chinese and other foods warm at the buffet table. Particularly handy for Hot and Sour Soup. Well, pretty much any hot food for that matter. Not much quantitatively, but oh so important to me. I haven't casserole things in them. I just asked the DH could he think of anything else I made in a crockpot? And he laughed, pointing out how many crockpots are available in 2nd hand stores. Only one of mine was new and it was a gift from our daughter...the huge one. What do you do with your crockpot and why? I love my crockpots ...do you love yours? Show these crockpot skeptics that crockpots are worthy of praise.

Darienne -- try this link and order them. Dried, true, but better'n nothing. http://latinmerchant.com/productlist.asp?cat=Peppers&SubCat=Dried%20Peppers&subCatID=20 We can get some dried peppers thanks. Can't recall if Poblanos are available or not. Right now I am in the land of fresh poblanos and have a couple ready to use tomorrow.

Ditto from me!

Never used tapioca flour for anything. Never even eaten tapioca pudding. And never heard of using tapioca flour for making any confections. So count me in a curious too. ps. What DO you use tapioca flour currentlyl?

This is so cute. The librarian at the local library found this little lollipop tree on which to display the goodies. (She gave me a tree also as a gift. Now that was great!)

Hi JeanneCake All best. Soon you will be a lollipop maker extraordinaire. Hope the information I sent you is useful. Darienne

Absolutely beautifully done and adorable, Genkinaonna.

Not exciting, but still useful. Five dozen butterscotch lollipops for two small local libraries to sell. Gives me an excuse to make them. First time using a heat gun to smooth a couple of late poured items. Worked quite well. Learn something new each time!

I will certainly echo lemoncurd's above post. I have now made 3 batches of butterscotch lollies and found that reading the unstirred surface of the roiling mixture is anywhere from 2 to 10 degrees cooler than the stirred mixture. But still...anything is better than those dreadful glass abominations which clip onto the pan.

I love it! Not a bad article on making lollipops, especially for someone who has never made lollipops before. I don't follow everything exactly as she suggests...but then that's the way it usually is in cooking, as in everything else in life.

I have never heard of this lollipop, which isn't saying a lot, and I certainly have never made a very thin lollipop. You have my sympathy. You probably need to have another talk with your patron. Good luck.

A new one for me. Making lollipops yesterday with confectionery partner, Barbara, and while she pours, I make sure everything is lined up and in place. Things do slip now and then. I use a couple of thin knives so as not to touch the hot candy nor the hot metal molds. Well, all of a sudden all heck broke loose and there were more slips than normal. Sticks askew, leakage under the molds, etc. Somehow, touched my finger to the hot syrup, and then for reasons I cannot fathom, brushed said finger against my upper lip...taking at least one layer of skin with the candy. Oh my, how stupid. How it hurts. How strange it looks. I hope it heals without a scar. ...but then at my advanced age, one more scar won't mar my beauty too much...

Two useful replies. Thank you, both. Good easily have been stray crystals. I was working on overload I think when I made it. I also accidentally allowed it to go a few degrees over the called for temp. It hit the correct temperature, I went to remove the pot, and suddenly the temperature was up 3 degrees. I was fine about the care for the temperature basically. Have one of those new-fangled instant read out jobbies. Love my my toy! Yes, it tastes good. Just a question of to whom to give it now. With an explanation. The veterinarians would be fine... Have to check my list.

But then why is the second batch faster than the first and by so much? It was made only a very few hours later and is now much softer while the first is still crispy sharp? As for making sense...well, the weight of all those medals is heavy on your brain perhaps!!! Hey! You always make sense to me.

What could I have done to cause more inversion of the sugar? Do not recall doing anything different. However, maybe I did? Fortunately the toffee still tastes good and if you didn't know it was supposed to crunch sharply, you might still eat it with satisfaction. I hope.

New problem with a familiar recipe: Made two batches of nut-sprinkled, chocolate-coated English toffee on the same day. The recipe calls for: sugar, butter, salt & nuts. Dusted with cocoa, spread with melted chocolate, dusted with finely chopped nuts. Both batches successful at this point. Put into air-tight container. Batch #1 is the usual...still crunchy on day 5. Batch #2, tastes the same as batch #1, but is losing its sharp crunch. Another learning experience is about to take place...I hope...

We are off to Moab, land of red rocks, blue skies, low humidity and not much in the way of food-related stores. But first a stop in Grand Junction to pick up some Chinese food items (can't recall the name of the store, but can find it on our GJ map when I find it.) Also know where Enstrom's is on Colorado St. And the Liquor Barn, on F I think. I'll send to Bakers in SLC for couverture unless there is something in Junction. What else is there in GJ to take with us to Moab in the way of food-related items? Thanks.

Good news, Milt. If you hear anything, do let me know. We spend some time in Albuquerque on our way home each trip out west and that would be a bit better than trying to fit in a meal in Cuba which is just too far to wait for lunch, and too close to lunch to make dinner. Mid-afternoon snack or dessert might be just the thing.

Made the chocolate ice cream from the recipe which Rancho Gordo sent me...thank you, sir...with the usual mucking about which I do. DH and all others takers loved it. It was good. I found it a tad less deep in chocolate flavor than I would have wanted it...but that could well be my doing. When you mess around with a recipe, you cannot blame the recipe for not turning out as you might wish. On the other hand, it could also be the chocolate. Mexican chocolate, as interesting as it may be, is not 70% dark bittersweet Belcolade either nor is it trying to be.

Looks lovely but fair to boggles the mind. Are these sweet cookie layers with a savory filling? Obviously it works if you like it, but I am at a loss...

Would that we actually could. I wrote to Rob a number of times when he was on eGullet and still miss his contributions. I do follow his blog. I know that you taught classes down there in Silver City. It must have been a great time for all. Last time we were in Silver City was in the 80's. However, many years have passed since our roaming days! On the way home from Moab, we have only two destinations in NM: Gallup & Albuquerque, and then it's the I-40 east. If we took more 'time', then it would be spent in Moab. Blinkered, I know, but Moab is my 'home away from home' and I don't ever get enough of the red rocks, blue skies and low humidity. Still, talk about a place with dreadful restaurants...Moab is it. There are a very few 'upscale' restaurants which are out of our snack bracket. We were once treated to one of them, Mi Vida, and found the food good, but not at all warranting the steep prices.

Wow! And Wow! Who knew? We will be going through Cuba on our way to Albuquerque near the end of November. This piece of information is invaluable! Thank you so much. Do tell what you eat next.

" Canada will not allow a U.S. citizen into the country who does not have the proper documentation to return home." Americans need a passport to GET BACK INTO THE USA!!!

I can't believe how stupid I have been about it all. And I thank you and all the others for pointing me in the right direction. I'll get some canned chicken from Costco, and some canned salmon and one of my favorites, which is yummy and wicked, corned beef. This, with tortillas from the cooler, will more than do it. Some of the other suggestions are excellent, but this should do it. I finally realized last night, late at night...when things can suddenly come and smack you up the side of the head...why we get into trouble once in a five day journey, year after year. It's our own stupidity. We compulsively hit the road as soon as we can after breakfast (toast, or granola, or shakes in the motel room), thinking we'll pick up lunch on the road. But in states like Kansas and eastern Colorado, there are few if any on the road grocery stores. OK. How can two intelligent people be so stupid? Well, a few cans will mean never again.