[Yogurt-making @ home]

I'm a big fan of the Yogotherm from New England Cheesemaking Company; I see you found one, Steven. I like that you don't have to wash all those teeny little cups, and it doesn't use electricity. NEC has some great yogurt making instructions here. I have used their starters and also used store-bought yogurt as a starter. I've found that adding a 1/4 cup of powdered milk to the heating milk makes the end result thicker. I use organic 2 % and it is yummy. I like making it myself because it is a little cheaper and I know exactly what is in it.

Less packaging to throw away and low tech. What's not to love?

[Cake or Pie? Take your pick]

Pie, because they are more forgiving to make, and I'm not a huge icing fan. I don't even turn my nose up at a decent pudding mix pie - there's one with a pecan/caramel layer base then vanilla pudding & whipped cream on top. I do draw the line at Cool Whip, however.

I have an easy pie crust recipe that I got from my Mom, who was a big pie person. I have done the whole cut shortening & butter into flour routine, but the result (IMO) was not that much better than this:

1 C + 2 TBLSP flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 C vegetable oil

Mix above with fork, then add

1-2 TBLSP water as needed

This makes enough for one pie crust.

[Maternal Instincts]

I'm another kid of this now-famous mom. I will add that she had a "Free Lunch" sign up in her kitchen for many years which many friends and relatives took advantage of - she truly loved to cook for others. Now she still loves to eat but does not have the space to cook much anymore, and being in her 80's I don't think she misses it very much.

When cooking with JAZ I follow orders as best I can, but while cooking for my own family I improvise, too; maybe it is genetic. And while J may have gotten the lion's share of skill, interest and taste in the kitchen, I got the love of stinky cheeses. Who is luckier?

We both inherited her looks!

[I Melt With You]

Very nice, J-bird. But where is the yellow mustard? I seem to remember yellow mustard.

Dare I mention grilled , um I mean griddled cheese sandwiches with French's on the inside and honey spread on the outside?

I also think the grease from many other stray diner sandwiches adds a certain je ne sais quoi that one cannot obtain at home.

[Q&A: How to Dine]

I have a question. I worked as a waitperson myself for five years, and consequently I'm a very generous tipper. I'm likely to cut the waitperson a great deal of slack when food is slow to arrive, because I know it's rarely their fault. HOWEVER, I'm more likely to do so when the waitperson acknowledges the flaws in the service, whether they are under his/her control or not.

Recently I have been to three or four restaurants where we waited more than 20 minutes between appetizer and entre. This alone wouldn't have been so bad, but I felt that the waitstaff didn't do enough to mitigate the situation. Plates weren't removed. Drinks weren't attended to. The waiter mentioned that the food would be out "right away," but by that was way after the appetizers were finished, and we were still looking at the dirty plates. It didn't seem that busy.

I remember the good old days when waitstaff seemed to have much more leeway to comp a drink or a dessert. It can make up for a lot. *sigh*

I read your advice about dealing with problems, and this is probably related. But it leaves me wondering: when (if ever) do you think it's appropriate to cut back on the tip?

[Hooch]

I agree. If I could be a one-drink person, I would be. Alas, I can't seem to be one. I'm glad others can.

[Hooch]

I was pleasantly surprised to find this topic.

I used to think I drank because I was bored. Now I think I was bored because I drank.

For years I tried to moderate my consumption and yet still woke up most Saturdays facing a headache and a less-than-stellar outlook on the day. It took me a year or two to "get my mind right," and then I was ready to be free of the worry and obsession. Lucky for me my husband was at the same place - ready to quit. So we did. Some of our friends were puzzled. Some were jealous. Some are not really our friends anymore.

I miss it, sometimes, when I am frustrated, or pre-menstrual. I miss the taste of beer and wine, and scotch, and gin, and tequila. I miss the rituals. But I have been free of alcohol for more than two years, and the benefits (to me) have far outweighed the negatives. It's as if a huge space opened up in my life. I don't miss worrying about whether I could quit, or whether I have a problem.

I wish I had learned to drink like a normal person (whatever that is) but I developed bad habits early. I'm really glad my daughter seems to be finding a much more moderate way - perhaps we served as a negative example!

I guess my point is, you don't have to be a waking-up-in-the-gutter alcoholic to make abstinence a logical, reasonable choice.

[eG Foodblog: JAZ - Park and Shop]

Miss E, here.

My claim to fame: I played Park and Shop with JAZ when we were tots. I was there when the burgeoning gourmet mastered the Easy Bake oven. Heck, I was probably bossing her around, as I am that dreaded being known as an older sister.

Now, to answer your inquiry, Miss J, "Anything else?" How about those frigging chocolate peanut butter balls? What is the shelf life of the truffle mix in your freezer? Is this the real reason you aren't going to visit?

Seriously. Love the blog. You can have an extension on the peanut butter balls. But don't tell Tom I said so.

[TDG: JAZ Hates Raisins]

OK JAZ here's another one for you: my mother in law keeps a jar of gin with raisins soaking in it. Each morning she takes 3 for medicinal purposes. She says she got the idea from an Italian friend who was remarkably well preserved.

And you thought I couldn't come up with anything better than the blue cheese and raisin thing?

Never torture your siblings: they will grow up to be writers.