Amy D.

They look really good @Smithy , crumpets are the ultimate comfort food in our house. I haven't made them in a while though (and as I don't have rings mine are pikelets rather than crumpets) ! Our homemade ones always get devoured on the day they're made but we freeze shop bought ones, and toast straight from frozen.

No actual recommendations but when we went 7 years ago we found the metro and trains really easy to use. We were on a budget and didn't really plan any meals (just went for what looked good). We had lots of udon, ramen and visited the department store food courts near closing time for sashimi.

I'm not surprised the tension must be high when they are doing such detailed work. They are impressive pieces.

Sorry if taking this offtopic Kerry but I recieved an email on the chocilate masters and thought this might interest some here https://www.worldchocolatemasters.com/showpiece-votes

ah thanks pastrygirl that makes more sense.

hi not really answering your question but I was wondering with the normal buttercream if you were really using 10 times the amount of sugar to butter? Whilst I love a SMBC my usual butter icing is equal part butter to icing sugar, though probably not so stable in hot weather.

the cauliflower cake looks great. I was going to have a go at it later this week but it seems I need to pick up some parmesan first - knew I should have checked the recipe before I did the shopping!

It sounds like a great bash, my only reservation is that if the menus are too ambitious you will end up too busy and exhausted to enjoy any of it. I agree with kayb with the hotdogs and icecream bars as quicker ways to get the kids happily fed. I would also have plenty of bowls of crisps/chips about for those hollow legs. the grilled salmon sounds great, but fairly labour intensive, would you be able to poach/steam a trayful instead?

please, it sounds amazing

thank you kayb I will trying the pie out soon. MelissaH I have been freezing cookie dough balls for a few years now, probably an idea I got from egullet, and its just so handy having a stash of tasty snacks for those last minute get togethers, or for easily adding another sweet treat to the table.

and yet, unusually, in this case our condensed milk comes in the same 14oz cans as the us.

@Kayb sorry one of those lost in translation things, I meant how large are the cans of condensed milk? It sound like a lot of milk per eggs, not that its a bad thing as I can happily eat condensed milk off the spoon, just don't want to mess it up

@Beebs thank you for reminding me of naminio bars , I've been wanting to try them for a while so I will be giving it a go soon.

@Darienne really loving the ganache lemon/lime combo

@Toliver two appealing dishes, though I've not seen pudding mix over here and while we used to have chocolate pudding pots when I was younger (late 80's/early 90's) I have no idea if the flavour texture profile is the same, so I wonder (and would like to try it at some point) if they the recipes would have the same crowd pleasing effect given that we didn't grow up on those particular flavours. I'm sure they probably would, given the sweet, creamy chocolate combo but it does make me wonder how much is affected by our memory of a dish. For example, in the UK trifle is ubiquitous. It can be made very well from scratch; homemade jam, genose, crème anglais. But most Brits would probably be happy with a semi made version using shop bought sponge/swiss roll and birds custard because that is the flavour profile from our childhood.

@Chocomom we don't have cool whip but the rest is easily available here. I can imagine why its popular, and now quite fancy making a mini batch to devour by myself!

wow that sounds delicious, definitely going to give it ago - can I just check what size the tins are (I'm in the UK so sizes are usually different). another classic for my inlaws is this cheat key lime pie https://www.carnation.co.uk/Recipes/Recipe.aspx?RecipeId=6 only using gingernuts as a base

I couldn't find a thread covering this, but apologies if there is. As I'm planning the food for a family gathering I realise again that we have a few desserts that we often fall back on. Partly because they are easy to prepare, minimal effort for the cook that is busy producing food to feed 20-30, and don't suffer from sitting on the buffet table. But mainly, because these are the crowd pleasing desserts, the one that are enjoyed by young and old alike. They can be altered and elaborated but in reality everyone would be just as satisfied with the dish in its more simple form, perhaps due to the associated memories. some of our crowd pleasers are pavlova, banoffee pie and triffle. https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/strawberry-pavlova http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/banoffeepie_89031 so what about other egulleters, do you have a tradition of easy crowd pleasing desserts?

just wow. Thank you for sharing this, and at such a rate. I am also now having some serious sushi cravings and mentally planning our return to Japan (though it probably wont be for a couple of years yet). I do have to wonder if the fish lollipops are ever eaten as they are glorious.

wow, I'm absolutely loving these posts. Though it is really making me want to be back in Japan now.

I would agree with Allura that food that can be safely eaten over a fussing baby one handed wins. The salads and cut fruit actually sound awesome, refreshing foods that would be a faff to prepare with a babe in arms. For number one I stashed the freezer full of homemade cook from frozen dishes even my OH could deal with. With number two I filled it with more baking, cakes and fruity-nutty flapjacks already divided into single portions because I found I really wanted fresh food (or stinky cheese and cured meats) or indulgent carbs post partum.

I have had this after warming/ splattering butter inside. Takes a decent clean with a warm damp cloth to decrease it properly

thank you, this has been a wonderful blog to read

following as I have been eating my left over rice with milk and sugar since reading on here a couple of years ago. Can't think of any new examples though I like to eat the last of the yorkshire puds with greek yoghurt and golden syrup (will have to give the vinegar a go next time), and on pancake day I like to do a couple of savoury ones before we gorge on the sweet.

Not a recipe but I thought it might help your search to note that they look like a gingernut style biscuit (though a dainty example). Stem ginger shortbread is lovely (&I think I'll gave to be making a batch later) it's more likely to provide another addiction than replace this one.