kayb

This perhaps should go in the Food Funnies section. Someone got my grandson a hot chocolate bomb. His mom (Child C) fixed it for him last night. He didn't like it, so she poured it out. Then at bedtime, he wanted it (he didn't like it hot; wanted it after it had gotten cold), and she had to tell him she'd poured it out. A meltdown ensued. She thought she had the kid appeased, but he was playing in his room before bed and messaged his aunt, Child A, on his iPad (he can only message certain numbers). "JiJi, your sister poured out my hot chocolate. Me sad. I think she did that on purpose." Child C is now grounded, and the kid has another hot chocolate bomb he can drink after it gets cold.

I'll be damned. I guess somebody how to figured out to make a little more money while manufacturing bacon bits. Actually, given I can't accumulate my own any more unless Child A is not home (smell gives her migraines), I'm contemplating.

Know the problem about eating it if you have it on hand. I might suggest this, if you don't find the packaged dressing you like. Buy a pound of bacon. Dice the whole thing. Separate it into the size portions you'll need for a salad and dressing, put those in bags, vac=-seal and freeze. Then you can get out just enough bacon for dressing on your spinach salad, or whatever other nefarious purpose you have in mind.

Today I did some mini-chocolate pound cakes and tried my hand at vegan brownies (!) (that girl's about to start getting just jams and jellies for Christmas!), and packaged everything else up; made up three trays to go out tomorrow or Friday; another will go out Saturday evening, and that'll have the in-laws, but for one set, taken care of, and that set won't get theirs until the kids come after Christmas, so they can wait. Next week I'll make cookies, to give, along with all this damn fudge and such, to other folks who get just a goodie bag. And Christmas Eve morning, I'll make cherry almond muffins to take to a dear friend whose favorite they are. And I wrapped all the presents, at least those that have gotten here, today. Still outstanding: four, I think, unless I forgot some. Still have to get stocking-stuffers for Jamie. And I actually cooked dinner. I may be in bed by shortly after dark. It's about the time of the year I descend into grinchiness. I wish I could just enjoy Christmas instead of trying to DO so much.

Is there any special reason you're not frying the diced bacon, pouring it over your salad, and then splashing in a bit of wine vinegar?

Why in the name of God would anyone want to screw up a beignet by adding chocolate?

I made an Aldi run last week; I go there when I'm about to embark on Christmas treat-making, as butter, eggs, sugar(s), flour and such are significantly cheaper. And while I was in, I picked up a ham for Christmas. Their Appleton Farm spiral sliced hams are just excellent.

Elfing today. Brownie bites filled with caramel ganache. Three nut brittles -- cashew, peanut and macadamia. Still to come, almond, pecan and walnut. Pecan pie mini-cupcakes. I love these things. They're a cross between a pecan pie and a cupcake, and have sort of the texture of a brownie with lots of nuts. Candied spiced pecans. New recipe, made with sugar and ras el hanout, bound to the pecans with egg whites. I could have sworn I had some ras el hanout. I could not find it. Fortunately, the recipe included a sub-recipe for ras el hanout. These things are addictive. I may not give them away.

Y'all may have my share of all the collards in the world, as well as the turnip greens, kale and poke "sallet." I will cook and eat enough of the obligatory greens at New Year's to satisfy the Gods of Good Luck, and they will be mustard, as that is the only kind of cooked green I can tolerate even that much of. Granted, it may need to be a larger than usual serving this year, to make up for 2020.

Those are gorgeous. Makes me want to get up and make some, right now.

David, how do you store them? We might be inclined to try.

Fudge. From left, white chocolate macadamia nut, peanut butter, and milk chocolate walnut. As posted on the OT Holiday Decorating thread, purchased gingerbread houses from a kit, decorated by the resident elves. A goodly amount of candy may have been consumed during the process.

Breakfast this morning for Children A and C utilized the last of the Thanksgiving cranberry relish. Please pardon horrible cell phone photos. These are "cranberry brie bites," utilizing canned crescent roll dough in a mini muffin tin, filled with a chunk of Brie (or in this case, Camenbert), and topped with cranberry relish. I suspect it'd be good with most any fruit preserve or marmelade. Breakfast for me was a gluten free English muffin (similar to an English muffin only in shape, but an adequate vehicle for supporting assorted breakfasts), topped with a soft-boiled egg smushed up with grated smoked gouda and chopped bacon and a small squirt of Dijon mustard.

I swear, I think that's the cutest kid I've ever seen. He may be cuter than my grandkids.

Welcome, Jeff! Glad to have you here. What do you serve for breakfast in your shop? Breakfast/brunch is both my favorite meal to eat out, and my favorite meal to cook for others. In what part of the world are you located?

Tickled pink with my Misfits service.

Today's Misfits box: I think I may drop back to the smaller size; the variety of produce is getting fairly small. But I got leeks, Napa cabbage, carrots, butternut and delicata apples, potatoes, kiwi, onions, golden beets. I just like the larger amounts of each thing.

Thanks!

How much powdered sugar, or did I miss that?

Allegedly today only: Diana Henry's "From the Oven to the Table (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)", $1.99.

I take back my original post on this subject. My very favorite chicken recipe is Italian roast chicken, initially taught to me by a lady whose parents were Italian immigrants. Whole chicken Stuff with a stuffing made of ground beef, ricotta, a little Parmagiano, spinach and herbs. I usually use thyme, oregano, basil and sage. YMMV. Make any excess stuffing into meatballs and set aside. Peel potatoes, carrots, onions, cut in big chunks, and place in roaster around chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Distribute stuffing meatballs around atop veggies. Roast at 375, covered until the last 15 minutes. Takes about two hours. Serve with ginormous green salad and a great deal of hot crusty bread. She added green bell pepper to her veggies. Needless to say, I do not.

Oh, damn. I want a big mixing bowl full of that.

There's a restaurant in Memphis that periodically has a Brussels sprout side dish I absolutely love. It's a combo of raw shredded sprouts, sprouts shredded and sauteed with burnt ends in a barbecue-ish spice, and topped with crispy-fried whole leaves. I could eat a plateful of it, to the exclusion of all else.

Interesting. Never thought of flaxseed meal instead of breadcrumbs. How much would you use for, say, a pound of ground pork?

Been making a good bit of soup lately; it's cold, and when it's cold, I want soup. There was vegetable beef with the remains of a pot roast; chili; carbonnades a la flammande (I am still bemoaning that I can no longer find Green Flash Double Stout, which was simply wonderful in it, but Newcastle works moderately well, as does Guinness); taco soup; and today, I'm making corn and sweet potato chowder with the last of the leftover turkey. Think I'm cooking another pot roast tomorrow, so there'll be more soup in the future. I'm wondering if I can do beef and barley and just use sorghum or buckwheat instead of the barley? I've also done a carrot soup with sorghum grains in the past that was great.