Darienne

Thanks Kim. I don't have a vacuum sealer but it's on my list. This toast I did not find too damp. In fact, it called for a 'loaf of Challah' and 3 of eggs, cups of milk, tablespoons of sugar. I looked at it...added a fourth of each. And the top was still too dry after cooking. Turned the top slices over, dumped about a half a cup of milk on them for the last few minutes. How big is a load of bread anyway?????

OK. I'll give it a try. However, I am still waiting for the Wedge of Life to arrive. We are allowed only 2 I.L.L.'s at a time.

Here it is, warts and all. Nuff said. This is THE most incredible French Toast recipe I have ever tasted. Boozy Baked French Toast from Smitten Kitchen. This is the second time I have made it, this time using a bread machine Challah loaf I made yesterday. The dish is assembled the night before, left covered in the fridge, baked 1/2 hour in the am. I left out the 'booze', used orange zest and a bit of vanilla, pecans, boozy fruit from the 'not yet made' Black Rum Cake, etc. This is all preparatory to making it for the Annual Dog Weekend humans in August. Two pans. Maybe I won't slightly burn the bottom then...but no one will care. Question: will this freeze well? I AM intending to try freezing it in portions right now because we are only two and don't really want to eat it for the next four days in a row. Can anyone tell me ahead of time whether it is likely to freeze well or not? It's Challah, milk, eggs, butter plus bits and bobs. Thanks. (Omigawd, it is delicious)

I'll second Shamanjoe's idea. We live in a century farmhouse which was so ill-used by former owners that there was no traditional order left in which to restore it. However, it allowed us to change the rooms around to suit our needs. For instance, the parlor became the master bedroom and the apiary became the kitchen. Ed cut a doorway through a load bearing wall into the new kitchen. The downstairs bathroom was ripped out and moved (of course, originally there were no bathrooms, either down or up.) And I wanted to try the open concept and so we ripped out a number of interior walls. Boarded up the original front door (which was now strangely on the side after the road was built) Added a breezeway and double garage. And so on. My only mistake was going for a quite small galley kitchen having no idea that I would change my life so much after 45 years of marriage. (The other mistake was marrying a man whose dream was to renovate every single house we ever lived in forever and ever. )

If and when I have extra, it is poured into a little flat disc mold and DH loves to eat the small bits, sometimes with PB on them or just about anything else you might find in our fridge.

Hi Sparrowgrass. That is THE coolest of all!! Thanks for sharing.

This topic is one which I will follow with great interest. And I wish you well and with luck there will be more useful comments than my confused contribution. We have a slightly similar situation...the end of a galley kitchen which is now too small for our expanded cooking and baking life and has nowhere to go. At one end, under the window, which is not big enough for a table and chairs even, we have a buckshee affair which is going to be replaced soon...I hope. What I want is a small, not too deep, cabinet backed by a small bookcase. The cabinet door will open and the floor of it and the one shelf (or two) will be only 'one frying pan deep', so to speak, that is not deep enough to put two pans in like regular kitchen cupboards. Two pans means that something is always behind something. And the whole thing will not be as high as a counter-top. The bookcase will be open, 2 or 3 shelves...I don't know. The entire affair will be on wheels with a lock so that it can turn around and be moved easily. The top will be whatever my DH decides it should be with a large rectangular piece (17"x35")of basically white marble dropped in. We are still discussing the size of the top and I am saying cut me a square/rectangle of cardboard/ thin plywood/ whatever so that I can see how it 'feels'. I can't do area in my head...I have to see it and walk around it and see how it fits into my sense of space. Did not mean to hijack your post. Just started writing as usual...

Thanks, Badiane. Unfortunately, we don't have gasoline at our Costco. I still have reams of parchment paper from a former accidentally doubled purchase and am not familiar with Mrs. May's nutty snacky things. I'll ask after them. And thanks Anna. I seem to recall your saying that before about the one carrying stuff that the other didn't...etc. No other centre is near Peterborough and much as the local city fathers might like to think that Peterpatch is an exciting city...it's not exciting as far as shopping is concerned. Trips to Toronto are organized to pick up the more exotic and it's not uncommon for some one person to buy on behalf of a few others.

Thanks for your answer. We are basically still just scoping them out. As for no Stoned Wheat Thins and eggplants...from the Costco lad.

Interesting topic. I thought about it and realized that we have n Art Deco toucan, named Oscar, sitting in our kitchen. He's been in the kitchen, first at my parents and then in my kitchen, since I was a little kid. From Czechoslovakia, hand-painted by Erphila, thought to be late 1920s. I think my Father named him Oscar.

At our local bulk food store, you are encouraged to bring your own plastic containers...as in empty yogurt containers which all weigh about the same amount. Otherwise they add a small amount to the bill. We never remember to bring back the empty containers and so always have to pay. Shame. Shame. However, we do bring empty Rubbermaid containers into regular grocery stores in which to pack all our groceries. For one thing, we travel with two large dogs who are very inquisitive and always on the lookout for a good thing. Yes, there are lids which fit tightly. Or we simply replace all the groceries into the cart, wheel it out to the parking lot and then pack into the containers which we have forgotten to bring into the store.

Bit the bullet. $24.99 + 15% tax (this IS Canada) for one Slice Solutions, Chicago Metallic Bake-Lift-Serve Brownie Pan. Divides into twelve, each section 2 1/4 " X 3". Now to make some Enstrom CopyCat toffee and see if I just wasted $28,74. I'll be back...

So now it's April 6th and we have shopped at Costco a few times. I would have to say that it probably was not the best idea we ever followed up on and that when our membership runs out, it runs out. But then...it may be early days... Now I know a number of things they DON'T carry and wonder if a) other Canadian Costco outlets do carry the following or b) if American Costco outlets carry different items: Fresh: eggplant, cabbage, squash, parsnips Frozen: greenbeans (alone, not mixed) Canned: dog food of any kind, most beans Crackers: Wasa, Stoned Wheat Thins Yeast, club soda, Jasmine rice, Chorizo That's after four shoppings. Of course I still can't find stuff and what do you know...the aisles aren't marked.

Duck, goose, goat...they are all out. Not in Peterpatch. DH won't eat lamb as such. I'll try the baking idea...but now I need to get me a Thermapen. Although I could use my thermometer with the long metal probe, couldn't I?

The last two posts have given me hope...now all I need is some specific ideas. DH does not like ginger candy, not even dipped in chocolate. However, he likes the ginger which I add to any Chinese dish which calls for it, like Orange Beef, Mapodofu...just about any Szechwan recipe you could name. Now what dishes could I use ginger syrup in? I don't mean just Chinese...I usually leave out all sugar in our Chinese dishes...but in the cooking of other cultures? Can you substitute say, ginger or orange syrup for something in an ice cream recipe or a coffee cake or muffin?

My Mother (Polish, Jewish) had a way of cooking fish fillets: fish onto pan, large onion slice on top of each piece, can of stewed tomatoes poured over it all. Bake in oven. The first time I cooked fish after being married was like this. My DH hit the ceiling. His Mother always dipped the fish in batter and deep fried it, along with French fries. That was fifty years ago and I've never made fish my Mother's way since. We normally bread most fish in almond meal and pan fry or for salmon grilled on the Barbie in lime juice. DH also hates fish soups although I love them. We don't eat them. Anyone have a really good one? It is past time for more fish recipes for us too.

How long would it take to cook it down roughly...assuming you have four or five cups...and you would have to be careful not to let it get very hot?? or you would get candy???

Wonderful report...enjoyed reading it immensely.

My family is from Sejny and my Mother was born and raised in Montreal...where you get MONTREAL bagels which I love. (I also eat French Toast with only salt on it, something that came from my Mother. I don't think my Bubi ever made French Toast. I am sure my Papa (that's what I called him...that's what my Mother called him) would ever eat something so foreign as French Toast. )

Sounds good. I think I might do it substituting eggplant and perhaps cabbage. Thanks. Emmalish.

I have mushrooms...I have spinach...I would be happy with your recipe. Your photos look lovely.

Lilija, it must be a Polish thing, because BOTH for me too, absolutely. That's the way my Polish mom always served latkes. Although the sugar/salt thing sounds intriguing, may have to do some field research on that.... Hey! Wait just a second there guys. My Polish family served Latkes with salt and pepper only.

Salt and pepper only.

It must be something in my taste buds. Had a friend who couldn't stand the taste of aspartame. It never bothered me. (Wish it had.)

Made a cake of sorts today with cream cheese, almond meal, etc, etc, and granular Splenda. DH likes it. I find it awful...the taste of Splenda. Do other people find Splenda has a strange (and unpleasant) taste?