Martin Fisher

Dry wood is definitely the way to go.

I had this problem for many years...I cherished the abundance of farming and I was obsessed with the bounty, Luckily in later years i was able to let go and give much of the surplus away when I could find those in real need who would accept it. Not always an easy task in the age of convenience foods. Unfortunately, the farm has been sold as of last December. I have health issues and I don't have the strength to fight the evil control-freak politics anymore..too bad.

It's going to depend on how you define good home cooking.....everyone defines it differently.

I love Lee Valley.

Silicone has certainly proved useful. I want some silicone pan lids but I'm not thrilled with most of them being "flowery." That's non-sense!

Cold smoke (less than 85 depress F) permeates better but often produces an initial assertive harshness that mellows and melds with rest. In general, it takes more time to develop flavor and color at lower temperatures. Depending on what you're smoking, warm or hot smoke can suck big time because it can lead to a nasty warmed-over flavor.

I've received several useful gifts. I think the biggest surprise was the Pampered Chef silicone basting brush that my Mom gave me. Silicone gadgets were completely new to me when I received it and my first thought was that it's an expensive and worthless piece of garbage. Boy was I surprised...I really love the thing...not only does it work quite well...it's VERY easy to clean compared to other brushes...that's a BIG plus! I also love the high-heat silicone spatulas that I've received as a gift.

Generally, less oil equals thicker, more oil equals thinner....the emulsifier (egg) can only do so much. In the many mayo posts I've read over several years folks seem to have a problem with thinness much more often than they do with thickness.

In regards to single clove garlic.....any garlic variety that produces bulbils up top will produce single cloves from the bulbils for the first year or two after they're planted. I agree, I started growing garlic in 1980 when I was 15 years old.....grew dozens of varieties for many years but now I've cut back to one because I sold the farm and have very limited space.

Never EVOO and it never lasts a week.

It's been my preferred way of making mayo since I first saw it suggested by Wolfgang Puck many years ago.

Some of Karen Barnaby's low-carb ideas are good..... http://www.lowcarb.ca/low-carb-recipes.html

As said above, meat or fish and salad is a good safe choice. Basically, any meat or fish has zero carbs....some seafood has a few. Most cheeses are relatively low in carbohydrate, especially hard cheeses. Most non-starchy veggies are relatively low in carbohydrate, especially if you subtract the fiber carbs which are indigestible. Fruits (or fruit like foods) that are relatively low in carbohydrate....rhubarb...blackberries...cranberries...raspberries. He's a site with some good lists.... http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/low-carb-food-list.html

Yeah, definitely not yet apple season here.

As I said above, there are differences, but the gasket is all that needs to be changed to make the Profi as versatile as the gourmet. "ISI Profi PLUS "Different then the Gourmet whip this does not come with a silicone gasket, meaning, you can not use it for hot items. If you want to use this dispenser for hot items you can purchase a silicone gasket here." ISI Gourmet Whip PLUS "....designed for both hot and cold foods." ISI Thermo Whip "It also keeps ingredients hot – without the need to reheat – for up to three hours." Source: http://www.creamright.com/blog/choosing-the-right-whip-cream-dispenser/

I don't think it ultimately matters to most folks and for what it's worth I'm going by some of the marketing materials...the Cream Profi is described as "The professional chef's choice."

Whoa!!!! You don't want to know!!!

Occasionally, the better-half makes toast and I scrape it...or attempts to make something else and I deal with the smoke detectors...that's the extent of our cooking "together."

Profi Plus and Gourmet plus both have stainless heads...minus the plus the heads are aluminum. The gaskets are different (the Gourmet has a silicone gasket that's appropriate for warm/hot liquids) but interchangeable and some of the included accessories are different but for the most part they're the same whipper. The Gourmet is more a barista model while the Profi is more for professional kitchens and the like.

They're interchangeable. The four Profis and two Gourmets that I have each have a different number on the bottom. Three of the Profis and two of the Gourmets are the same model.

That sounds great.

Sounds good but doesn't meet my definition of diabetic food.....I would just make what you feel is best. If Jim is the kind of guy who's on a very restrictive diet, he'll carry food with him or have some other back-up plan. Don't stress about it!

You need to talk to JIm. Some diabetics follow a MUCH more restrictive plan than others. I'm diabetic and try to limit net carbs (total carbohydrate minus fiber) to 30 grams per day....that means minimal amounts of starches and sugars.

Heinz doesn't represent America, it's an international company apparently making contaminated cereal in China from contaminated Chinese soybean products.... "A soil survey in April showed that nearly a fifth of China's farmland was contaminated by toxic heavy metals and chemicals, and that more than 33,000 sq km (12,740 sq miles) – an area the size of Belgium - were unfit for agricultural use." Source: http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2014/08/19/heinz-to-tighten-supplier-controls-in-china-after-infant-food-scare/

Okay, so, what 'readily available' (or reasonably available) safe food from China is so wonderful that I should definitely give it a try? Hey, I do agree, that "questionable" food exists everywhere...when humans and money are involved t's a good idea to be CAUTIOUS!!!!!!!!!