Darienne

Ooo. Is my face red?

Bacon? This one shocks me. I'd really like to understand just how bacon is criminally under-appreciated. Or even just under-appreciated?

Just reading the thread about Hershey's latest ventures started by The Unknown Cook inspired me to start a thread about AVOIDING fast foods while on the road. DH and I travel from Ontario to Utah and back once a year, passing a gazillion fast food joints where the meals are close to the freeways, lots of parking, convenient, cheap, fast, passably clean washrooms, etc, etc. We try as much as possible NOT to eat in fast food places. And when we do, it's salads and wraps mostly...with the occasional burger. Mea culpa. We avoid these places at breakfast by: bringing a toaster oven, granola, bowls and cutlery, buying milk and fruit locally, etc. Lunch by tortillas with hummus for one. Or the salad bar in a local grocery. Avoid on the road snacking by taking premade little dark chocolate and raw almond cups. It's amazing how little chocolate will satisfy the need for 'something'. We have a plug-in fridge of course which can plug into the cigarette lighter or an electrical outlet. And so on. We are always open to clever ideas on how to improve our eating on our travels. All ideas are welcome here.

We rarely eat fast foods, but I am indebted to you, Unknown Cook, for posting all this information. I've wanted to see the Supersize Me movie and here it is on eGullet. Thanks. We travel a lot across the USA every year, and try very hard not to eat in fast food joints which are, of course, nearest to the freeways, convenient, fast, etc, etc. Taking snacks of plain chocolate with lots of raw almonds in it helps immensely. Actually that would make a good eG topic. How do you keep from eating fast foods while you are traveling...

Yesterday I dipped 8,000 pieces of ginger. Well, maybe I exaggerate a tad, but if I never dip another piece of ginger... Still to make is the Enstrom copycat chocolate-coated toffee with partner, Barbara, on Candy Day which got snowed out last week. (I didn't think anyone would want to see a photo of 8,000 pieces of chocolate dipped ginger. Now to package it all up. )

Dear DooDad, Please come and live at my house for a while and 'disallow' my DH from putting knives in the sink. Thank you, Darienne

Brief background: two itchy dogs who are being put on special elimination diets for a while to try to isolate the problems, if any, with foods. They eat raw, pulped vegetables, very little grain of any kind. OK. The guys get a couple of tablespoons of yogurt every morning along with their breakfast and DH bought some goat milk and some goat yogurt this morning so I can begin to make goat yogurt regularly. Never made goat yogurt before. The only tidbit I have come up with is that regular yogurt makers..of which I have none...are too hot for the 'delicate' nature of goat milk. I was simply going to make it in a large wide-mouth thermos. The texture doesn't matter...DH has promised not to kvetch about the yogurt quality this go round, but I could use some help. Thanks.

Looked them up online and found them at the nearest Kitchen store. Will look at them next Friday when we are off to Toronto. Thanks.

I am very interested in that line...'won't allow anyone else either'. You have folks who listen to you and obey? Are you an army general? It's hard to believe that you are a wifely type. I am a wife and a much loved one too, but as for my DH following what I 'allow'...? I don't think so. We wouldn't even be having this conversation if he didn't put the knives in the sink and after lo these many decades. All best to you. A tip of my hat to you.

What is a 'knife storage thing'? We have plastic knife guards for traveling, but I am interested in what you are talking about.

Hello Varway, I'm not convinced about the Okra, but I'll try it. Someday.

Thank you all, dear eGer's. I'll get DH to read the responses. It won't make any difference. He is a brother to Katie's DH. I couldn't begin to tell the accidents this wonderful man has had over almost 50 years of wedded bliss. But they include real doozies! Scary doozies.

One more: parsnips

Yay!!! That's two of us.

If I were ever going to write my autobiography, its title would be "Daughter of an Engineer". Now I don't have the brilliance or inventiveness of mind which my Father had and I can't do math worth a darn, but I certainly did pick up the habits I was taught as a child: don't break the corners of boxes and if you do, mend them; put everything back where it belongs if you want to find it again; don't put sharp knives in the sink, someone might get cut; etc, etc. It's true that the kitchen looks as if a whirlwind hit it when I cook, but I NEVER leave sharp knives in the sink. I don't even put them there. NOT EVER. Now I married a man whose autobiography might be entitled "By the seat of my pants" (except when it comes to mowing lawns or shovelling...we all have our callings), whose safety quotient might be kindly described as non-existent. He tries to abide by my 'eccentricities' but his heart is not in it. Not at all. And no one can find anything in the Drive Shed. So what I want to know...is there anyone else in the culinary world who feels that leaving sharp pointy knives (or other similar utensils) is not a good idea? As Ed points out with some glee, my confectionery partner, Barbara, leaves sharp knives in the sink. Oh, he also loads the sharp knives in the dishwasher, points up...or down...or whatever.... ... But then he also unloads said dishwasher and he does bring me coffee in bed every morning at 6:30am. :wub:

A Calamansi/Kalamondin tree would be wonderful.

Just thought of another idea. I have a friend who LOVES hot stuff. Went to our local hot stuff shop and bought her an assortment of hot sauces and ingredients, packed it into a basket with some more exotic fresh hot peppers. I also added a rubber rat, but that's another story.

Two small ideas: Storage: throw out everything which doesn't match and buy a set of good main stream brand plastic containers with lid. Make sure they are stackable. Then buy ONLY that kind as you need or break them. Worked for us. Prep: we have two sets of small bowls. A stainless steel set which have all the benefits of metal and a really cheap...got them at a garage sale...of the ugliest lime green plastic bowls. They can go into the microwave, are easy to use as a tare, etc. The two sets work well together. As for your other concerns, well, I am looking for answers too. We have a useful cutlery set...probably our fifth over the years. However, I keep the second last one in another drawer because I use it. I find the newest ones, while lovely, etc, etc, just too heavy for my smaller arthritic hands.

I was thinking about adding some cranberries...

Do let me know when the rubber keyboard is made in the ergonomic style. I want one. :wub: What about one of those mortar and pestle sets in which the pestle entirely fills the bowl of the mortar. I want one. :wub:

Chicken wings were tossed into the leftover bin and you could get them for free to feed to dogs. Lamb was one of the cheapest meats on the market. I know because it's all we could afford 50 years ago when we were first married. Now we can't afford to eat lamb. Also according to some sources, almost the entire soya markets arose from a clever idea of how to market the leftovers after fermented soy products were made. I have no idea of whether this is true or not.

Was Anna N. correct! I guess! Today following a lead in Smitten Kitchen I looked up Ateco 11-piece Graduated Round Cookie Cutter set. Sounded like a good idea to me. Wow! Only $14 on Amazon.com (aka USA) Looked it up on Amazon.ca (Canada): $25.75 for a savings of: wait for it! 24 cents.

The Hot Chocolate on a Stick is interesting. It tasted very good in my mug of steamed milk. Melted well, and stirred in well enough. However, it presents a number of challenges which will have to be thought out...for next year. The stick: what to use? Popsicle sticks, plastic spoons? Stir sticks swiped from Starbucks (don't report me please. Think of all the stir sticks I never used in the past. ) When the chocolate melts, a stick is not the optimum stirrer. The instructions on how to use: hmmmm... and where to put them? One photo showed a sort of banner stuck at one end. Not only useful, but also decorative. The mold: ice cube trays are the correct size: 1 oz. But you cannot smooth them off properly. The deep cheapo chocolate molds worked well. No problem getting a clean shape. However, you need 2 to a 8 oz cup of steamed milk...but then 2 sticks needed. I could have purchased something more useful...but have no time, etc. Packaging: In a long cellophane bag? Several in a box? Oh heck. Too many variables for this tired mind. Back I go to truffles, dipped ginger anddipped Montelimar nougat.

I'll second that recommendation for the book. Wonderfully basic. All the 'stuff' you need to know to get started. Ruth is a splendid person. As for your variant, I think I might try it with a Canadian wine cream liqueur, Panama Jack, which has a teensy bite to it and costs substantially less than the regular cream liqueurs because it's made from a wine base. (Canadians: look for it in the wine section) Also it occurs to me to add something...a touch of brandy?...to give it a bite. I'm not a fudge lover by nature. It's just that your fudge looks enticing...as well as your nougat. My own Montelimar nougat day is postponed until next Wednesday...and hope for NO SNOW that day.

Love that nougat. Looks beautiful!!!