Margaret Pilgrim

Per son's request, simple whipped cream with sliced strawberries included between layers. Rose has a good recipe for stabilized whipped cream, worth the time if cake will be held for any time.

Sending all good thoughts. (I might order breakfast all day.)

Her White Velvet Cake is stellar. Son emailed "SAVE this recipe!!! PERFECT birthday cake this year!"

My bag nag is the eco-friendly compostable bag that plays gotcha when you drop in several ears of corn…which shoot through the bottom onto the floor.

Especially during masking when you couldn't moisten your finger to get some traction on the bag.

I could not have said it better.

Indeed! Never the intent to provoke digestive unrest.

Both good advice. I trust Campbell for KISS soups. Simple, classic, clean flavors. Tomato + grilled cheese is an American classic. Husband and I enjoy the occasional tomato and popcorn lunch. Not in the same bowl but alternating bites. Try it.

Probably told this before, but some half dozen years ago we returned to our weekend place after a month's absence and were smacked in the face with the stench from hell. Power had been off for several weeks during a heat wave of 100+ temps. Everything in the fridge was rancid, putrid and/or moldy. We tossed everything in their containers and schlepped a cubic yard to the dump. The worst was the substantial meat and meat product in the freezer. Husband totally dismantled the refrigerator, and we scoured all surfaces with Clorox water, then left them in the sun for several days. Even soaked the insulation. We left the fridge dismantled for several weeks, laying the panels out on the floor when we left, moving them to the sun when we returned. He put everything back together and turned it on. Within a couple of hours, the stench was back. Long story short, we had to replace the fridge. We now strip the fridge and freezer of ALL MEAT PRODUCT when we leave, and of course leave no produce. A very expensive lesson in housekeeping.

Something similar here. Grocery bagger put a whole chicken in the bottom of a bag and topped it with a half dozen liter bottles of water. We left the bag in the basement to be shelved later. Much later, it seems, since a week later we were smacked with the smell of death when entering the basement. Source found, putrid chicken jettisoned, basement doors and windows left open whenever possible for several days. Have packed our own purchases since then.

I use a blunt ended wooded "spoon" to crush tomatoes as I make sauce. I just keep "stomping" on them gently. I have never found rubbery parts in my sauces. Everything reduces to a thick sauce with body. While I would love to be hooked on San Marzano tomatoes, I find ordinary plum tomatoes from good brands their equal, IMHO.

Now you have me thinking. Maybe moosh it slightly and put it between two slices of good bread? With a little clinging sauce?

(Toss it. )

Absolutely. Been a favorite for some 50 years! But I have to note that mine is a Knopf first edition, not Harpers, the first first.

Yes, I thought it looked rather interesting. And yes, a picture is worth a thousand lies. I'm reminded of the classic cartoon of two dogs sitting at a computer. One says. "On the internet, no one knows you're a dog."

You're preaching to the choir.

This is not “red sauce” red sauce. It’s more summer in a bowl.

Are these anything for you?

I keep (probably several dozen) untried printouts in the front of my working binder before granting it plastic sleeve status. Even so, you will need to periodically review and vet your collection, as one needs do with any collection.

@heidih yes, plastic sleeves allow the original clipping or internet printout plus personal notes and additional drop-in recipes. I prefer the thinner 1" binders which come in colors which can designate recipe's course or classification.

I just attribute it to "different strokes for different folks" and follow precisely my guru of the day.

A local butcher whose meat and personality I didn't much like used to sell one pound blocks of frozen pet food, aka odd bits. I used to buy 10 pounds or so at a time from him, and nothing else. He always eyed my robust, rosy cheeked toddler with a wink and nod, and I'm sure he believed that that was what I fed the child. Our sheepdog adored the stuff, which I mixed with kibble. But it stank to high heaven when being cooked up. If we were entertaining, I had to cook it early in the day in order for the barf-inducing scent to dissipate.

True story: Was in a small family owned discount grocery. In the canned soup area, I came across Blue Buffalo Chicken Dinner. The ubiquitous TV commercial came to mind and I read the label. Yup. One of the kids putting out stock came by and I quietly handed him a can and told him, 'This is dog food." "No, it's people food. It says Chicken Dinner right here." "Yes, and HERE it says premium dog food." "THANK YOU!". he replied, as he moved the stock to the pet food area.

Just had 1% on hand. Usually I seek out 3.5 to 4%. Do you find that a factor?

Exciting part was making my first successful creme fraiche. In the country, 83F kitchen, 24 hour incubation -> perfect texture and flavor. Efforts in 68F San Francisco kitchen have been consistent failures.