Allura

We got this in pints at collge; definately a fav for late night study sessions. Two other favorites are coffee heath bar crunch & NY Super Fudge Chunk. But they changed from real chocolate to "chocolatey" pieces at some point, and they're not as good. Still, my current first pick is Everything But The... I love all the different stuff in it.

I suppose I ought to contribute, as my best friend says he can't take me anywhere...I *always* spill. And I'm another one that a napkin in the lap doesn't help. The "shelf" catches it first. I'm not sure which is worse; hitting the blouse or hitting the cleavage. Depends on the temperature/stickiness factor, I suppose. I do better the more upscale the place is, since I tend to pay more attention to the food, and I'm dressed better. Oh, and if all else fails, OxyClean can really clean *anything*.

I'm in a weird setup, where I have a small locker that my laptop & papers & such go into every day, so I don't have much. I do have a granola bar and a few Peppridge Farm cookies in there, though. I need to bring some nuts in though. I also tend to bring string cheese with me, but I can't leave it in the fridge for more then a day or two, b/c someone keeps throwing it out. Oh, yeah, there's some instant oatmeal in there, too.

DH brought home a dark chocolate kit kat, which claims to be limited edition. Not bad. Had it in the fridge, since my apt melts choclate otherwise. Better than regular kit kats, definately. Sweeter than the Valhrona 70% bar I stash for chocolate emergencies, but not bad at all.

Ok, that's all annoying enough. Ah, well. Thanks.

Would you mind sharing what was bad about the service? I've been thinking of going there, and I'm wondering if it's the type of thing that would raise my blood pressure.

Brownies. I kept thinking I smelled them at work today. Spaghetti Carbonara, courtesy of the thread on it.

Rosie, what's the info on the crepe restaurant? I'm sorta bummed about Emerald. I kept meaning to go there, but never got to it. Any other Russian restaurants in the (general) area?

I've tried corn pasta, but it really wasn't anywhere near as good as semolina. Rice pasta fared a bit better, but it had to be cooked very quickly or it turned to mush. So did the corn, actually. I ended up tossing the last of the "alternate" pastas I had, and just save up for something really good. Hmmm....like the ravioli I have stashed in the freezer.....

Soy is off my list of things to eat. As a (sorta) low carb eater, this means I can't eat alot of the imitation pastas and such. But I don't eat it b/c of my mother. She was taking supplements for menopause, heavily soy based. She kept getting cysts in her breasts. Eventually she did some research on her own and asked if she could try something else instead of the soy supplements (black cohosh, I think, but don't quote me). The cysts haven't come back. What she had learned was that while soy may have some benefit in preventing cysts and similiar growths in certain people, in those with a propensity towards cysts (for instance my family all has PCOS), it encourages the growth of cysts. Lovely, huh? I don't have any references, so obviously take this as hearsay. But simple imperical evidence in my immedate family is enough for me. So now I have an excuse to avoid my vegetarian friend's imitation meats.

Boardwalk Fries. And I remember ice cream sandwiches made with waffles and/or sundaes on waffles somewhere in Seaside. No idea where anymore, though; haven't been to Seaside in ages.

Ahhh...Holsetein's. I grew up on that. To this day, I swear I got a 3-4in sq piece of chocolate in my chocolate chocolate chip ice cream. And they make their own hot fudge. Do you know how disappointing it is to go for homemade ice cream, but they only have "commercial" fudge? There's also Hoffman's that has 2 shops, one in Spring Lake, and (the original) in Pt. Pleasant. It's very good, but take out only in Spring Lake (which is where we usually go). Ok, now I really want ice cream. I think there's some Edy's chocolate peanut butter still in the freezer....

We've been to the Grenville before, so we'll have to look into what they're doing for Mother's Day. I know my dad prefers AYCE buffet but the Greneville is so pretty, my mom might like to go there anyway. I was sorta wondering if/when you were doing an article, Rosie.

I hope it's not too early to start thinking about Mother's Day, but my mom loves the planning as much as the taking out, I think. I'm wondering if anyone knows of places for brunch, in central jersey. Preferably Monmouth/Ocean county, probably no further north than Union county. Under $30pp. And eggs benedict are almost a requirement. We called up Lobster Shanty down in Pt Pleasant, but they're only doing dinner (they used to do a nice brunch during the winter; haven't been there in awhile). The current candidate is Redhead's, in Eatontown (I think...). $18pp, fyi, but I have no idea what they have. Haven't been there since I worked in the area a few years ago. Lunch was decent at the time...

Ooh, all the photos made me hungry (well, except for the whole animal ones...). But the one I just went "gimme!" over was the ham pie/Easter pie. I miss my grandmother's. It's just not the same when anyone else makes it. But that won't keep me from scarfing down my aunt's tomorrow.

I find I have to eat *something* about 2 hours of waking up. Could just be a few nuts, but it's got to be something, preferably protein.

Easter dinner at my aunt's house, for about 10 people. My aunt has decided that she's not making pasta for a first course this year, in deference to the fact that my father is Jewish (other years she just serves him soup or salad while we have pasta). So, to "make up for it", she's apparently making a leg of lamb, a ham, *and* a turkey (breast?)! Did I mention it's only about 10 people?!? OTH, this topic reminded me that I need to search the archives for a butter cookie recipe. That's what I've been tasked to bring.

Oh, good, I'm glad I'm not the only fencer out there. I'm debating the merits of joining the SCA to learn "period" fencing, but the I'll never be able to go back to foil again. I think one possibilty behind the weather/dining out thing is that the more icky the weather, the less I actually want to cook. If it's icky but not unsafe, I'm quite likely to look around to go out someplace.

Finally, something I have a recipe I can share Mine comes from my mother's friend, and I don't know where she got it. It's super simple except for the cooking time. I tend to make way too much b/c for some reason I think I *have* to make a double recipe every time....then I'm eating it forever. Rice Pudding Ingredients: 1 1/2 qt. milk 1 cup water 1 cup rice 1 tbl. vanilla 1/2 - 3/4 C sugar Cinnammon Boil milk, water, and vanilla. Add rice and simmer on very low until most of the liquid has been absorbed (several hours). Stir somewhat frequently, making sure you scrape the bottom, otherwise it'll stick & burn. Add sugar at end. Sprinkle cinnammon to taste.

Tap. "Pur" filtered tap at my current apartment, unforunately, since it's somewhat..orange. I can't drink anything sparkling/carbonated, and I think the fruit flavored ones are extra calories I really don't need & don't particularly like. If I'm given lemon with my water, it'll go in the glass, but that's about it. I'll drink bottled water if I'm on the road or such, but I don't see the point in spending money on it, otherwise. Oh, and I drink a *lot* of water.

Well, I did have a suspicion, since I had seen something like that at the Edison Chinese Buffet on Rt1, NJ, and had asked my friend about it at the time. Umm...I didn't try it, though. It just didn't make it to my side of the table. Oh, darn, I'll have to go for dim sum some other time

It looks very interesting, what I can puzzle out (almost no Spanish language ability; took French in high school, and that's mostly lost). But what's with the ant? I mean, it sorta makes me think the place is going to be dirty...?

I think I know what you're talking about now. It's a taro ball. There were 5 of us, and after all that I wasn't allowed to pay. Oh, darn. We ate a *lot*. Things I ate: shu mai, veggie & shrimp dumpling, some kind of spinach pasta (?) dumpling, "spareribs" (good flavor but fatty), clear dumplings, "noodles" filled with shrimp, clams, frog legs, pork buns, chicken buns, sponge cake, ginger soy pudding, sesame balls. I"m sure there was more, but I don't remember Things we ordered but I didn't eat: duck's blood, duck feet, rice "porridge", almond pudding (apparently a fav of my friend, since she didn't share ). Oh, and I *really* need chop stick practice.

So I might be going to Chinatown on Saturday, and the plan includes DimSum for lunch, followed by shopping. The odds are that I will *not* be expected to pay for myself (between my Chinese friend & my Thai friend's mother, there's apparently usually quite a bit of arguing over who gets to pay the check ), but in the case that I do, any idea how much it could end up being? I've *never* been for dim sum, and I have no idea where we're going, so I guess it's not that helpful. But any vague ideas would be great. Ok, so I found out we're probably going to joy tsing lau. Any "gotta try" or "gotta avoid"?

I live in Scotch Plains & still haven't tried it. I've got a friend who grew up in England and says it's decent; but he's got a cast-iron stomach......