lindag

I get it.

I had an experience in a very nice local restaurant with dh and myself and two out of town guests. We were seated at the only available table which was next to a couple and their two young boys (about 4, I'd guess). The children yelled, threw silverware made so much noise that we could barely converse. The parents, apparently, saw nothing and chatted with each other. I was so mad I could have spit.

Yeah, but this is cow country.

I personally am irked at restaurant diners who cannot remove their baseball caps! WTF! What is this about? I grew up in times when men removed their hats indoors. What are they trying to prove or hide? It seems so very adolescent.

Couldn't help myself.

You could try this recipe from Ina Garten (published in the Detroit Free Press). She really knows her fish! Fish and Shrimp Cakes 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided 1 1/2 cups 1/4- to 1/2-inch diced yellow onion 1 red bell pepper, 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice 1 cup diced celery 1 1/4 pounds skinless cod fillets, cut into 4 pieces 1/2 cup heavy cream Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 cups panko bread crumbs, divided 3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill 2 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, or more if you like 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 pound cooked lobster or shrimp, 1/2-inch dice Olive oil Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Place the cod fillet on top of the vegetables and pour in the heavy cream. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 6-12 minutes (depending on the thickness of the cod), until the fish is just cooked. Set a side in the pan for 10 minutes, then flake the fish in large pieces with a fork. Place 2 cups of the panko breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add the cod mixture with all the cooking liquid, dill, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest, eggs, shrimp, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Mix gently. Using a large ice cream scoop as measure, shape the mixture into 3-inch cakes. Place the remaining 2 cups of panko on a plate and coat the cakes all over, patting the panko to adhere. Wipe clean the skillet you used to cook the fish. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet until butter is melted. Working in batches, cook the cakes until nicely browned on each side, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a sheet pan and keep them warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining cakes, adding butter and oil as needed. Serve hot with remoulade sauce.

I bought a jar of Nonesuch several years ago (it's what Mom used to use) but still haven't made a pie with it. I seem to remember a recipe for a bar that's made with mincemeat and I think I saved the recipe in my recipe software.

The last time I shopped for it there was only one brand,which I tried but didn't like. That was awhile ago so there may be more now. I'll check the SE list and see if any of them are available here. Thanks for that reference.

I'm not prepared to make my own but am looking for a good brand. Anyone have one they like?

Did the sugar work?

The answer to that is a dedicated egg poacher, they're inexpensive and work very well. I have two...poached is my favorite kind of egg.

Gorgeous!,,

Used this one today while making my big batch of dog food:

For most of my baking I prefer currants but I like raisins very much.

I just can't cook oatmeal that I want to eat. Not that's it's hard to make, I just don't like how it tastes. I've tried until I'm 'blue in the face' and now I've given up.

Back in the day, when I went to a school that didn't have a cafeteria, Mom would send me with lunch that often included these

You probably don't want to make your own since you've tried and failed and are happy with prepared crusts, but, just in case....this is the one I use and it is easy and tastes wonderful (however I do like to use leaf lard in mine when I have it). Foolproof Pie Crust 1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp table salt 1 Tbs sugar 6 Tbs cold unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 1/4-inch slices 1/4 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces 2 Tbs vodka, cold 2 Tbs cold water Process 3/4 cups flour, salt, and sugar together in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave overhanging dough in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pie plate. Fold overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Flute dough or press the tines of a fork against dough to flatten it against rim of pie plate. Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove pie pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil, and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake for 5 to 10 minutes additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp. Makes 1 pie crust

What wonderful people, all of them!

Tonight's dinner will be one of my favorite recipes from Epicurious. simple, easy and oh-so-good.Sillet Chicken and Vegetables Perfect for a Fall evening.

Great! I tried the Bourbon Barrel Aged Worcestershire Sauce on its own and liked it very much. I also put a couple dahses into my Bloody Mary, a What I think I noticed most is that it doesn't have the strong odor of L&P sauce. That's a big plus. I broke a bottle (Costco size) of L&P by knocking it off the counter onto the tile floor...I thought the smell would never go away!

Yeah, I've done something similar. And I hate grubbing around in my big ol' trash can.

Hubbard is my own favorite squash variety...it usually has loads of flavor. You may have seen it in the produce section but it would be cut in pieces because Hubbard's are so big. Try it, you’ll like it.

I have that exact same beer mug. I keep it the freezer so it's always ready!

I like how it seems to be well-toasted, sometimes that makes all the difference.