snowangel

I have electric, and use an all-clad pan, not cast iron, so I have better heat control. Don't forget the "two burner method" -- one on highest, one on medium. As to flavors, check out a mess of chinese cookbooks -- there have been some good ones recommended here -- from the library, do some reading, cooking, and then you can purchase only the cookbooks you know you'll use and like.

Barbara Tropp's first cookbook (Modern Art of Chinese Cooking) is fairly good. I use the Wei Chuan books a lot, but you need some basics before you use those books -- they don't have a lot of instruction, just the ingredients and the bare minimum of cooking/technique instruction.

So let's say we are planning to do a 6-7 lb. beef tenderloin on Xmas day. Opinions about best way/temperature/etc. to cook said tenderloin?

Yes. They need time (and water) to get established before winter. Plus, if you don't know what's already planted in your yard, you should wait and see what (if anything) comes up next spring. My friend had the idea to plant bulbs when they moved in (they moved in in October), and she ended up digging up a huge planting of very expensive, unusual bulbs (and destroying most of them in the process).

Moi! That "extra" ham is screaming frittata, or meat to accompany eggs (some sort of benedict variation), or an addition to fried rice, or fried crispy as a topping for some sort of potato or chowder or a bazillion brown bag lunches...

I went up a few minutes ago to turn Diana's (she's 12) night light off, and she had fallen asleep reading Michael Field's Cooking School! She has stuck several post-it notes on different pages, so I think she's reading this like a novel. This is exciting. She's in charge of dinner on Saturday nights. I'll report back.

A back stoop or garage in Minnesota works just as well. Am I the only person who cooks it with whole black peppercorns?

No, you don't need to buy daffodil bulbs, and shouldn't this late in the season as they should have gone in about a month ago. Someone on your way to and from the bus, will have daffodils. THis was my grandmother's advice -- meaning sometime early in March or so.

Depends on what kind of roses on both counts. A good haircut never hurt most plants, and now is the time to do that, or you can wait until later in winter. I know that in MN, if one is growing hybrid teas, one generally buries them or covers them, but not necessarily with different kinds of roses. Check around in your neighborhood and see what other folks are doing (when possible, learn from other's mistakes). Hydrangeas. Assuming that the flower heads are still on them, leave them all winter -- nice winter interest. Whack these back almost to the ground (leave about 6-10") in the spring when the daffodils are blooming. The former owners of our house were nice enough to leave a "map" of the plantings, including the info sticks that came with the plants when they purchased them!

Like eat steak.

Geez. My monthly mortage payment (we bought long enough ago...) is not even double the price of this knife. And, my house never needs sharpening!

Two things: 1. Worms/compost. On a sunny winter day, no matter how cold, my compost is steaming, and I've never added worms. There are some worms in it, but not artificially injected. 2. Victory Garden. The one I have is about vegetables, and unfortunately buried in a box underneath many other boxes (kitchen remodeling; just you wait!). Advice on books. Get a library card. Get a PIN number from library. Spend some time on-line with your local library requesting every book everyone has ever recommended; check them out; if you like them and deem them worthy, purchase them. If you deem them not worthy, you have just saved yourself $$$$$. I hardly ever buy a book anymore that I haven't had a chance to curl up with in advance of purchase. One more book idea, this one written especially for MN, not IL, is Leon Snyder's Gardening in the Upper Midwest. You might be able to check this one out from your library. It might be a bit "northern" for you, but it, too, is a wonderful resourse. It's published by the Minnesota Horticultural Society. And, a motherly nag. Have you found your local horticultural society? Contacted your ag extension service? Now, to winter maintenance. Do you have a clue as to what perennials you have in your garden? Some will need tending. Roses may or may not need to be covered, clematises (sp?) that bloom on new wood need to be pruned, etc. Trusting that you have had a hard freeze and the ground is freezing, now is the time to tend to these things -- before the snow gets too deep. Did former owners leave any sort of map as to what was planted where?

My dad got one of these for my mom for her birthday. He has big hands; she doesn't. It took her a few days to get used to the heft and size, but both of them agree that they should have bought one years ago. My mom is actually looking for things to cut up with this beast. Nothing like mom calling at 4:30 pm -- "hey, honey, need anything chopped or cut for dinner? I can be right over, and after I cut for you, can read stories to the kids..."

If you are going to include any perennials in with your flowers, a must look at book is The Well Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust. She has a great section on soil preparation, has great descriptions of many perennials -- not just what they look like, but how they perform, how to pinch and prune to extend blooming life, and just how high maintenance they will be.

These were a favorite of my grandmothers, and she always served them with creamed peas, so I do, too. I do add some tabasco or cholula (sp?) to jazz them up, but not too much. But now, I don't use canned salmon, I just fix more salmon (poached, broiled, whatever) than we'll need so we have leftovers for "salmon patties" the next night. My kids like them, and because they "mush" so easily, especially with creamed peas, they were one of the first foods they ever ate (like at 4 months old).

I'm amazed at how often I reach for my copy of Michael Field's Cooking School. It is not a very big book, but I love it.

Those of us in Minnesota believe it rarely ever too cold to grill outside, but then again, we are never shut down by 6" of snow. It takes over 18" of snow and 30 degrees below zero to close schools and make us think twice about grilling. But, I do know, that when it gets so cold you can't (meaning the meat just won't cook) grill outside, don't grill in the garage unless you move the cars into the driveway unless you want your cars smelling like steak for the rest of the winter...

The cut-out cookie recipe I got from my great-grandmother has nutmeg in it. It really sets these cookies (also loaded with butter) apart from the rest of the cut-out cookies on most Xmas cookie plates.

Three kids + school vacation + really cold weather = boredom and fighting and a crabby mom. Crafts are a good diversion and keep me from climbing the walls. If we're going to do crafts, why not go beyond just making stuff we'll pitch and make things to give away?

I spent a few months in Taiwain as part of my college career. I had grown up in Thailand (great street food), moved to Minnesota to go to college (no street food), and when I spent that time in Taiwan, rediscovered street food. While not all of it was "walk and eat," it certainly elevated "fast food" to a different height. No particular question about street food, just your thoughts.

I know that when each of my grandmothers died and we cleaned out their houses, they each had one. My sister got one, my cousin got the other. I think it was called a "tater baker." I just love the crispy skin, and don't really mind when my kids don't like them. I just scoop the insides out for them, put a nice big slab of butter into a crispy skin half, and devour (almost need a bib). It's the best part of the potato! I've had the best luck recreating by starting them in the microwave, then putting them in the toaster oven on highest possible setting until done and crispy. The insides are still fluffy.

Diana and I are queens of "homemade" gifts. Peter is into the swing of things now, too. The year I had more roma tomatos than I had the energy for, we did sundried tomatos. The year the basil plants were more like trees than even shrubs, we dried basil. Put in a canning jar, tied with a pretty ribbon. Other gifts have included homemade notecards. On year, they were blank index cards, stamped with a heart (cut a heart out of a sponge, dip in a plate of red paint); this one was really easy when Diana was little, and now Peter makes them. Diana is into orgami now, so we get nice fold-over cards, and she does a more "one-dimensional" orgami (like robes), and glue them on. We've also done ornaments -- last year, we made a lot of stars. Took heavy wire, bent into star shape. Took light weight wire, and twined it within the star, stringing beads on. One person we gave one to thought we had purchased it at a posh store that sells "artsy and off-beat" stuff. We've also made earrings for the women with pierced ears. Last year, we did Xmas ones -- an amber tube beed, then a jade triangle, topped with a small mother-of-pearl star. They were gorgeous, and everyone loved them. For the younger girls, we got that elastic cord and made bracelets. For our siblings, in order to keep everything reasonable, we've gone to "family" gifts. One year, we gave each family a jigsaw puzzle and a couple of those jiffy pop popcorn pans. The popcorn may not be the best, but the kids get a kick out of it. This year, we will make and freeze cinnamon rolls (unbaked), and include a pound of really great bacon from the meat market, for an Xmas breakfast (we get together with them on Xmas Eve). We've also burned CD's of compilations. So, some food oriented, some not. We've had fun doing this stuff on cold, dark December evenings. Part of the joy, for us, is making the gifts. Time together, without the boob tube, face to face, creating something beautiful.

Thanks, jaybee, for the apple info. I think I'll use Haralsons, and will report of success. They are readily available here (more so than goldens or grannys), great firm texture and they are nice and tart. In Minnesota, they are the choice of bakers for these reasons. I have a ton of them, and we're tired of the "usual" applications (applesauce, pies, muffins, etc.). And, anything with caramel, in our house, just seems to evaporate.

Why golden delicious or granny smiths? I don't think I've ever had these apples (I have a very close friend who owns and runs an orchard, and they don't grow these).

Congrats on making the decision about the externship; don't look back. I'm hoping that you will continue to post while you move on to this next phase. Your posts are wonderful!