Darienne

I buy them at a local bulk food store. But mainly I used my own...which means much slicing and chopping and much dehydrating but so much less expensive. Added: But then I don't hate chopping onions...except when I am pressed for time. Then I do hate it. But that is not beyond reason.

I've never understood the 'putting away the laundry' thing which so many people seem to have, KayB included. I've hated many household jobs in my life and am happy as a lark that I finally have a lovely young woman who comes and cleans our house every two weeks, but folding or hanging up laundry and putting it away has never been one. Can someone explain what is so onerous and dreadful about it????

Wow!. Don't tell the folks at Enstrom's. Was stunned looking it up to find it's now available at both Walmart and Costco.

Hmmm...I really hated cooking at all until I was about 67 and joined eGullet. An overnight change. And to think that the unknown term "ganache" started it all. Most of all I hate deboning cooked turkey or chicken. Ugh. Still it has changed in our house from throwing away all those bones to making broth for our dogs, particularly Kyra, our 12 1/12 year old Spoiled-Rotten-Weiler, who tends not to drink enough water. Next on the most hated list...defrosting the two big chest freezers...not because I hate defrosting and cleaning freezers, but because I am short by modern standards at probably now 5'2" and reaching to the bottom of the freezer is a painful procedure. And hearkening back to dishwashers, we are a two person (4 bodies) family and the dishwasher is full every evening. I'm not sure how we could use fewer dishes.

@Annie_H Are you giving out a recipe for these crackers, please?

My apologies...I had no idea you had made the eggnog yourself. I would certainly accept it. My sister-in-law is in that vulnerable category. And our vet has a relative who is also. As I have gone about my 'limited' business in the nearby city, I have noticed that some places are far more restrictive in their entry and indoor policies than others.

But you are quite sure they will receive all happily? My sister-on-law just posted that they were cancelling their very small Christmas get together. I would not want to try her on accepting foods... I'm not sure I have the energy this year to make the usual stuff. The Queen's annus horribilis was 1992...Mine was 2020.

Is anyone making any this year? I have a feeling that most folks may not want to accept gifts during this Omicron surge. Our veterinary hospital, to which we usually give something confectionery, just announced yesterday that they were retreating in the opening up of the office, and no one, except the animals, is allowed in once again. I haven't asked if they would receive edibles as usual...but I have a feeling that the answer would be no. What are others doing this year?

As far as I knew...I wasn't allergic to anything. Not any thing at all. So I am taking it all with a grain of sand. However, seeing as I am currently locked in a battle with Lyme Disease, I have decided to err on the side of caution. Sesame wasn't my only 'do not eat' this. All the usual culprits were there. I have to admit that although I can pretty much work my way around most of the so-called problem food...it's not really all that much fun. And I like my coffee (decaf, please) with cream and that's that. Oat cream just doesn't cut it. Sorry to read of your allergy to shellfish. That is scary.

That is really interesting. Recently I saw a Naturopath who gave me this food allergen/intolerance/whatever test and I was stunned to find sesame on my list of foods not to eat. I use a lot of Tahini in Hummus which we eat constantly and also in a cookie strip. I've subbed nut butter in the cookies and so I guess it would make sense to do so with the Hummus also. I have to say that I was really disappointed to learn of this food intolerance...but who knows?...after a few months off these noted foods, my life might be just all that much better...or not. 😏

Never worked properly for me unless I take the timer with me and keep it very close. And yes, it would be either the computer or a jigsaw puzzle...I always have one on the go. Last week I burned...scorched...incinerated...ruined...about 4 pounds of roasted sweet potatoes. And that was with the Cook Stop. Of course I had to set it at long enough to roast the potatoes. I just quickly set it on the standard 'hold' of two hours instead of resetting it for exactly the correct roasting time. Too lazy.

There is an item called Cook Stop and here's one source in the USA. https://www.absoluteautomation.ca/products/cookstop-automatic-stove-shut-direct-wire?gclid=Cj0KCQiAzMGNBhCyARIsANpUkzPoa3gAI0eaYoqesnT5sh3u8jPCfEtFIjD_e7ulSf5bsHxoz2IQGEAaAgDuEALw_wcB It can be installed right into the stove between the wall outlet and the stove plug and it has a lot of different possibilities for turning your stove and oven off. Ed has caused fires in the kitchen twice this year and so we bought one (our second...the first one died a few years ago) and now the stove will turn itself off after 'X' number of minutes if there isn't someone present attending to the stove. There is also one made for gas stoves but it requires a licenced person to install it. The unit does have its drawbacks...the longest you can set it to stay on is two hours which of course means that if your food takes a goodly number of hours to cook/bake/roast/etc, you have to return and reset the thing. The older original model wasn't quite so fancy with all the electronic bells and whistles, but you could turn it off completely if you chose. Not to mention how much more the thing cost in Canada. Rats. You might look into it as a possibility.

Here's an item from Lee Valley...which is in the States now also...which has proved to be very handy in opening things which are under vacuum seal. https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/kitchen/kitchen-tools/can-and-jar-openers/44271-lee-valley-jar-opener?item=50K4101

HeidiH will find the thread for sure. She is an amazing archivist for eG. *Host's note: the old topic and the new one regarding this crucial question have been merged. Please see How Do You Deal With Handicaps in the Kitchen? As for the disks on the food processor. A few years ago, before my two Carpal Tunnel surgeries, my hands had become useless and I did finally start to use the disks which had come with the processor. I don't think any processors still have the wonderful disks which I own on my very old machine. The slicer does about 10 different levels and the grater has two sizes. Never again would I go back to using just a knife if I could whiz the stuff through the processor in about 30 seconds. The on-off switch on my processor is kaput but Ed, clever always Ed, has wired the thing so that it works anyway. No safety guard anymore...so that is a factor. I have a big sticker on the processor body warning all comers that the safety feature is no longer and I am VERY careful about taking the plug out the second I am done. THE VERY SECOND. I can think of some eGers I would not let use my machine....

The fingers on my hands are curling tightly under all on their own as I read these last posts. I no longer even own a mandoline.

Good point. Had completely forgotten that one. And Ed just bought some new popcorn last week. It's not been my best year, I fear. Well, 14 months now. I think I am due for some kind of reprieve. I hope. I hope. Thanks for asking, Elsie.

Winter is definitely soup time at the McAuleys. Big time. Yesterday made several containers of Albondigas and several of Harira. A few days before it was whatever was left in the fridge at the time soup. Plus some mystery meat from the kitchen fridge freezer. Delicious none the less. The cellar freezer (we have four altogether) is full of soups. Soup is our every second day supper, while salad is the other.

I'll definitely try to keep this in mind. It certainly beggars the mind.....

https://www.consumerreports.org/food-recalls/trader-joes-chile-lime-chicken-burgers-recall-bone-fragments-a1722277719/?EXTKEY=NF1BNCP3&utm_source=acxiom&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20211120_nsltr_food&utm_nsltr=food Trader Joe's Chile Lime Chicken Burgers Recalled Due to Possible Bone Fragments Found this in my Consumer Reports download.

Hello from someone who lived many years in Ottawa, as a public and high schooler. Husband Ed is from Ottawa. Yes, the chocolate threads are wonderful. You will certainly get lost there. I love working with chocolate although it's not been central in my cooking life for quite a while now.

Might even have to try it. The coconut milk and red quinoa parts got me.

Best I can say, CD, is thanks so much for keeping me (us) up to date on all these problems. You are a brick. If we ever get east again....

Just remembered one thing. Not too exciting...but did the trick in our house. When our three were young and my Mother and Father lived in our city also, I would pick up my Mother in the morning and bring her to the house. Oh boy! She always brought hamburger buns and those American cheese slices and for lunch when the kids were home from school...we lived just a few houses away...I would put the buns and cheese under the broiler and the cheese would puff way up. They really loved that. (You have to remember that we are Canadians and we had only one TV station and only a black and white television. My kids are now 61 and 56, older than many of you.)

I don't know why...but I just don't really like winter squashes. Every year I make some kind of squash soup and eat it once and think how delicious. But I don't want to eat it a second time. Not at all.

Sometimes you really have to wonder....