Darienne

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE FUNNEL CAKE : Deep fried double chocolate funnel cake topped with chocolate icing and chocolate chips. I would just hope that it would be Belgian chocolate. That might be a little much to ask for at a fair.

I'm no expert in this one, but I can't see why the crackers should be placed 2 whole inches apart on the baking sheet. They don't expand at all.

Have to say that I am quite delighted with myself. I made my very first crackers. Cheesy Crackers from Williams-Sonoma. Better From Scratch. by Ivy Manning. 2014. I've joined our Library Cookbook Club and this months challenge is an appetiser, local, seasonal, and still from our local library book. So having made lots of wild grape jelly (local and seasonal for sure but an online recipe), I made the crackers (not local or seasonal, but from one of the library books), The crackers are delicious and with the tart jelly? wonderful!

So, it would be a lot easier to come to your house for a meal...or even cooking Indian lessons...

I hope it works. When the FreshCo in Peterpatch redid itself and opened up, they carried all sorts of goodies which one doesn't expect to find in the 70,000 town of mostly WASP old folks. Well, a lot of those items have disappeared from the shelves and bins. Very sad.

I think we are all coming to your house for dinner.

As always, Toliver, thanks for being on the lookout for the rest of us.

Ed and I love curries of all kinds and used to eat out often at the India Food House in our local nearby city where the prices were very reasonable and the food was delicious. Now that restaurant is gone, replaced by three upscale restaurants whose prices are way above our snack bracket. This is not a happy situation. And it leaves us either making our own curries or doing without. I have a number of Indian cookbooks but the unusual one is The Complete Book of Curries by Harvey Day originally published in 1955. They don't print cookbooks like that one anymore.

We are two adults and we use Costco for toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, kitchen and other garbage bags, laundry soap, dishwasher soap, cream (both half and half and whipping), eggs, butter, artichokes in oil (love 'em), Praeventia cookies, some meat for human and/or dogs, ...can't think else,...oh, especially for gas. Right. Collier's cheese, parmesan blocks, One Buns, Kirkland Vegetable burgers (for me) , Canola oil, nuts, ...I'll just quit now... Don't 'use' Amazon.ca for anything, except the occasional purchase.

Excuse me, but some might beg to differ with you as to relative excellence of the Montreal bagel. And I am delighted to say, that I have found another ex-Montrealer in my local neck of the woods and we are going to send an order to St-Viateur. Now I admit, I've never had a bagel from St-Viateur, but I am going for it.

Now that really makes a funny story. First laugh of the morning for me.

Dare I laugh? No meanness meant...but time will lend it a certain humor. ...I hope...

I guess the reason that I'm doing it is that it's sitting in two containers, one small and one larger, in my cupboard and I can just combine them and use them in non-baking recipes as noted above. I guess another reason is that I don't know anyone in my acquaintance list who uses gluten-free flour. Most of my immediate neighbors...we live in the country so we are not exactly 'surrounded' by neighbors...work full time and don't really cook much anyway. And I guess probably the most important reason I'm doing this is that I'm closing in on 80 years old and have been frugal my entire life, along with my husband Ed, and I can't imagine dumping something which, with a bit of work, can be used satisfactorily. You did ask.

Many thanks, good sir. I am learning to love cabbage so I'll give it a try-ish.

I would love to have your favorite recipe for cabbage soup and carrot soup. They would be new additions to my soup repertoire. Thanks.

Any and all Americans are invited to. For that matter, pretty much all nationalities are invited also. Quiche does sound good...and it's within the considered time and work frame. I have a really nice Cauliflower Cake with Romesco Sauce that I got off an eGullet topic last year. Not quite a quiche...but not far from it. Actually we're having the second third of it tonight for supper.

Sorry, but I learned this one on eGullet some years ago when I too had no idea what it meant. It's part of many topic subject headings.

Hi Shelby... I don't know if we can even buy refried beans where I live (and frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.) I do make enchiladas, but so far only in a casserole format...which means "we have to be invited back". Pulled pork on a bun with a couple of sauces with potato salad and cole slaw (Ed makes the cole slaw and it lasts for half of forever without going bad.) Hmmm...could use your chips and salsa idea here. ps. In case it wasn't clear...I loathe refried beans...at least the ones I've eaten to date. And I do love beans.

Well, we do eat a lot of homemade soups in the winter. I'll think about adding a couple of new ones to the repertoire and there's NOTHING like fresh homemade bread...even if it's made in a breadmaker. The times we spent in Moab, I always made lollipops and other confections for the kids in the Multicultural Center and was the "Candy Lady".

Will do. Right now it's in the back of my mind. As I noted in my first post, this has to be very casual so that there is no question of being invited to their homes. So while all the suggestions are worthy, some are just too leaning towards the formal, especially if you are dealing with basically non-cooking folks. This is more like a coffee break, only at lunch. Thanks again.

I've never made corn chowder, and alas! right now I cannot tolerate corn it appears. It's a long story...aren't they all?...and I hope it's not forever.... Thanks.

Aha! Good one. And I always have pulled pork and coleslaw on hand, and recently an endless supply of potato salad. Thanks.

Good thoughts, blue_dolphin cat. I make and freeze soups constantly. Bread is a go (in the bread maker...really I HAVE to learn to make bread one of these years...). Fruit is good. And as noted, I have ice cream. Actually Ed makes a potato soup which is to die for and simply adds diced cooked potatoes at the last minute. This appeals to me. Thanks.

Never in my life made a Risotto and I don't own an Instant Pot...but thanks for trying...

ISO quick, but neighborly, luncheon ideas. Our country neighbors are very busy people. Many work all week, have no children but have chickens and/or dogs, and do homestead type chores all weekend. And are all much younger than we are. OK. I'd like to invite them, probably couple by couple, for a quick Saturday or Sunday lunch. Nothing which compels them to stay for 4 hours, or makes them feel obligated to have us for lunch in return. Most everyone stops for a short period for lunch, and it's probably more convenient than a mid-afternoon session which breaks up a useful time slot. I thought of grilled cheese sandwiches...which Ed makes...but it's labor intensive at the last minute and that's a problem. Ed said he'd rather serve spaghetti. The sauce is already frozen and one has only the noodles to cook. And Parmesan to shred...which can be done ahead of time... I could easily add a garlic loaf from frozen bread.... Dessert can always be ice cream, because I am always making it anyway and have various flavors on hand in the freezer. Other ideas for the non-obligating mostly make-ahead-of-time luncheon please. (No cold cuts please or seafood ingredients.) Thanks