CatIsHungry

@blue_dolphin thank you! Excellent idea for shallower / (smaller to pack fuller) i will definitely do that - I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me 🤦🏻‍♀️ ... Also, on the breads @kayb suggested - I can whip up buttermilk pound cakes like nobody’s business or a quick banana bread lickity split if so feel like I need to “stuff” the basket further ... *whew* - I am feeling much MUCH less stressed about this - thank you everyone! Stupid baskets were about to make my hair fall out 😂

Well - it’s finally starting to get cool here - I’ve made beef stew - chicken and dumplins (I heard Mr Cat sneeze ONCE - off to the grocery I went for chicken etc LOL) pinto beans with ham hock and cornbread - sausage gravy (made with wild hog sausage) and biscuits - and on the horizon is split pea soup with ham/potatoes/carrots ...

@Shelby I also meant to say your baskets are incredible! You did a wonderful job with them - you should be very proud!

@kayb and @Shelby Thank you so much! The basket and tray size / bags / how much variety is exactly what’s Im looking for ... I swear this stuff is worse for me than choosing what exactly to put in the baskets themselves 🤦🏻‍♀️ @Shelby if you don’t mind if I ask - about what size were your baskets you used (Generallly speaking) ??? I’d love to gift bread because everyone loves it but - I just don’t have it in me to do it this year 😔 - it will be hard enough to have it for our Christmas table and sending it to the in-laws - so everyone else will have to suck it (forgive the expression) ... Spiced Nuts are on my list as well as Cheerios Nuts -n- Bolts - couple of different types of fudge - couple of diff cookie bars (one cookie butter -one sugar cookie) - a few different truffles - I’m still deciding but I’m looking at pecan pie, coconut cream, Samoa’s, salted caramel, and there’s a couple more but I can’t think of them off the top of my head) - Pound Cake Cookies, oatmeal crack pie cookies? But I need to test that first - I don’t know — homemade marshmallows (I got some mini cutters in winter shapes to cut them out - ha! Plans - we’ll see - might be squares 😉) and hot chic mix, and - and - dang - i think that’s it? —- I worry about having enough variety 😔 - Dang - I look back at the list and it sure doesn’t look like much 😳 ... darnit (

Thanks, @pastrygirl those gift bags are great! Im all set for my recipes - that isn’t any problem ... What I’m having a problem with is how much / how many pieces to give / how much variety etc ... in years past I always extremely overdid it and this year I just physically can’t do it - I don’t know what a “normal” basket looks like ...

I have been baking a lot - I have made several loaves of French bread - several loaves of cheesy / sundried tomato / basil bread and a few loaves of spicy cheese bread — some of this stays home - most of it is given away ... I have also been baking cakes - cookies - bar cookies - Truffles - fudge - marshmallows etc - I am testing my Christmas giveaway recipes with a still more testing to do this week and next. I am trying to make things that will “travel well” and package well 🤷🏻‍♀️ Oof - I am tired 😴

Costco will let you in to look around and they’ll let you take as much time as you want ... We have a Costco here in our town and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to join / what all the fuss was about because I’d never been in one so I just went up to the door and told them - “Is it alright if I just go in and look around? I’m not sure - I might buy a membership ... “ ... They said, “Sure! Take as much time as you need ... “ ... So I did - didn’t buy one - Costco is not for me ... I will use the pharmacy on occasion and it’s never any problem - just tell them at the door “m going to the pharmacy ... they are all very friendly and helpful - never an issue.

I plan (ha! Plans 🙄) - I plan on gifting several (about 6) baskets of homemade goodies this years for Christmas and a general “tray” for Mr Cat’s workplace (he manages about 50+ people, but probably only about 20 -30 will be eating from the tray - they have a lot of ‘paleo’ and ‘keto’ people that work there ... I am having trouble with amounts ... I’m not sure how much to give of each thing and how much to variety to put in each basket - I don’t want to seem chintzy - but I also don’t want to make them feel like I think they’re a glutton, either ... how big of a basket to I need to buy? Do I need to buy a whopping 4ft basket for each person and stuff that baby full or just get a little 8” little thing - 16incher? ... Do I pack these things in cellophane treat bags? Bakery boxes? Stick ‘em in an old sock? This is worse for me than sorting through my Christmas recipes 😓😭😲 In years past, I far overdid (?is that a word?) things - but I was physically able to - this year, I am not. I would like to get things - if not right - at least close 😁 I would very much appreciate any advice or ideas you could give. Cat

You are quite welcome Kim - I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does 😁

More than happy to 😁 - originally, I found the recipe on King Arthur - titled something like Lemon Coconut Filled Bundt Cake ? - I don’t like lemon and I didn’t like their instructions and I always think a coconut cake should be made with coconut milk (theirs wasn’t) ... so here are *my* instructions and it hasn’t failed me yet ... 🤞🏻 1 10” Bundt Pan BAKE 50 mins. to 55 mins. Ingredients FILLING 2 large egg whites 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 ounces ( 1/2 C )confectioners' sugar 1tsp coconut flavor OR 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups shredded or flaked sweetened coconut 1/2 ounce (2 Tbsp) All-Purpose Flour CAKE 8 ounces unsalted butter 14 ounces sugar 1 teaspoon salt* 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons baking powder 12 3/4 ounces All-Purpose Flour 8 ounces (1 C ) milk (sub unsweetened coconut milk) 1tsp coconut extract *Use just 1/2 teaspoon salt if you're using salted butter. GLAZE 1tsp coconut extract 5 1/4 ounces sugar (maybe coconut milk or regular milk to thin if needed) Instructions To make the filling: Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl until the mixture is soft and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, and beat at high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks. When you scoop some up in a spoon, it should hold its shape easily. Stir in the coconut flavor or vanilla. Toss the coconut with the flour, and add to the egg white mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined. Set it aside while you make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a a 10", 10-cup capacity bundt-style pan, or 10" tube pan. *MIX BUNDT CAKE INGREDIENTS LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO! COMBINE FLOUR SALT BAKING POWDER. - BEAT SUGAR / BUTTER TIL REALLY FLUFFY / ALMOST WHITE - ADD EGGS ONE AT A TIME JUST TIL COMBINED THEN ADD EXTRACT WITH LAST EGG ... ADD 1/3 OF FLOUR - 1/3 OF MILK - 1/3 OF FLOUR 1/3 OF MILK ETC - END WITH FLOUR ... Spoon about 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. You want to add enough to cover the bottom, and start to come up the sides; but not so much that you don't have enough left over to cover the filling. Distribute the stiff filling atop the batter, centering it within the ring of batter so it doesn't touch the sides of the pan. Pat it down gently. Dollop the remaining batter on top, again smoothing it with a spatula. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. While the cake is baking, make the glaze by stirring together the extract, and sugar - add coconut milk to thin if desired. Set it aside. Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack. After 5 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen, and turn the cake out onto a rack. (I usually give my pan a good thump and it comes right out - normally, for a bundt, it for 10 minutes then turn it out - but this one - 5 minutes - turn it over - whack it - it’s out *shrugs* - according to the guys - delicious warm and cold) *sorry for the weird instructions - I had just sent this to a friend of mine who doesn’t bake often and I just copy and pasted ... Original recipe at KAF

Hubby doesn’t eat candy very often - but one his favorites is Butterfinger when he does eat candy - he will not buy the “new improved” version because he has heard it tastes like (behind) ... I don’t want to know how they know ... 😳

I don’t have a photo but I made a coconut pound cake with coconut filling the other day ... it turned out beautifully (and it also “turned out” beautifully ha! ) My guys loved it - it is a favorite of theirs - that and buttermilk pound cake ... I guess sometimes it is the simple things in life ... 😋

I know @suzilightning asked, but thanks for the answer, @CantCookStillTry - looks delicious and I will certainly put it on my list of to do recipes

I appreciate the convenience and space savings of a digital medium. How cool is it you can take a 500-750pg book with you that is no bigger than 5x7 and weighs no more than your phone?! And have it read to you even?! ... Having said that - I am totally a paper person - I love and appreciate great paper 📝 ... a well bound book printed on heavy, semi glossy stock with beautiful photo or two for each recipe and a description of how and why to get there notes on the side ... then again, I also believe in handwritten notes, etc etc so i am old-fashioned that way ... I will see recipes on the internet - I transfer them to paper of course ... my husband, otoh - totally opposite 🙂 digital all the way for him ... if someone died he’d shoot their SO an email 🤨😟😉

@Orbit and all other gout sufferers - oy - I really feel for you 😦 ... my husband suffers the occasional gout flare up ... I researched foods to death and it seems I often got conflicting information 🤨 ... Initially, he was told to drink cranberry juice - well that worked okay - then my sis-in-law ~ God forever love her heart - told her brother No! Drink cherry juice!!! - so ever since - whenever he feels a gout attack come on (or whenever he can’t help himself and has some forbidden seafood 😛 ) - he will drink a couple of glasses of Knudsen Farms Black Cherry Juice - it works very well. ... During the times he has ignored the signs of an upcoming attack and it turns into a full blown attack - he drinks 3-4 glasses and by morning it has settled way down - enough so that he can walk 😄 (it settles in his toe and finger). Hubby does recommend drinking it cold - he says otherwise it kind of tastes - well - not as good as cold 🙃 and he does drink it a few times during the week as sort of “maintenance”. we don’t use a cookbook for his gout - anymore - he just mostly tries to avoid most of the foods that causes flare ups ... Good luck and HTH!

@Kim Shook - the fridge! Ya gotta put ‘me in the fridge to cool for a few minutes next time so we can see them in all their individual glory! 😁

My husband and son enjoyed it - they had me put it in the “three month rotation” file. Notes: I could only pick up Navel oranges - it’s what was available. I used very little black cardamom - probably an 1/8 of a tsp (I cook by smell if one of the guys isn’t here - I cannot taste what i am cooking anymore 😞 ) - no one was here, so smell was it - no taste testers. Black cardamom is something that - well - I’m glad I used very little. At @JoNorvelleWalker recommendation, I used shallots - and I’m glad I did - I will continue to do so. I used extra — glad I did that, too. The After I removed the loin and oranges from the skillet, I added a couple of Tbsp of fresh squeezed OJ and another half Tbsp of zest to the remaining liquid and continued to cook it for several more minutes - “more orangey” - well, my nose liked it anyway.

We don’t eat a lot of commercial foods, either - I just don’t think the extra stuff in it is good for my guys ... I do make the odd exception for some things (like cookie butter - Peanut Butter- chocolate chips - yogurt - some things like that. Personally, I don’t think the odd exceptions i make here and there is going to kill them - ymmv.

If all goes well tomorrow - I will be making “my*” Coconut Filled Coconut Bundt Cake tomorrow ... *Its not mine - It’s a recipe on King Arthur Flour and it’s delicious. I sub the milk for coconut milk and don’t use lemon - I have an aversion to lemon. Coconut Filled Bundt Cake

Thanks for posting that @ElsieD - that is the brand I prefer - although I hear many wonderful things about TJ’s brand of cookie butter. Cookie butter is a wonderful thing - sub it anywhere you would use Peanut Butter or nut butter - (or - since I introduced my mother-in-law to it - do as she does and eat it straight up — with a spoon 😉 ) ...

Sorry - my mistake ... Savoy’s Scones ... http://www.fairmontmoments.com/food-drink/scones

Cayenne?! Hmmm 😀 I will have to give that a try in one of my next batches - thanks for the tip! ... A few years ago I turned my son on to cookie butter so I will oft sub cookie butter for Peanut Butter- that is his fave version, of course ... Oh - Kolaches!!! That was another big winner with the meeting crowd - I did a variety of fillings - apricot - cream cheese - apricot / cream cheese - prune - cherry - cherry / cream cheese - etc ... And the Savoy Scones - not like a typical American scone at all - these were good! - oh these are so delicious - so light - soft - absolutely heavenly. Haven’t made them in a while - I used figs instead of sultanas - the recipe is at fairmontmoments.com - I’ve made full recipe (makes a fair amount) and halved it no problem) ... the double egg wash absolutely makes a huge difference.

I don’t like most gummy candy at all - but these are so stupid cute I’d buy them anyway and give them to my neighbors who have kids and grandkids.

@HungryChris your table always looks so inviting - like anyone could come in, sit down, start chatting with you and have a nice comforting dinner.

@Anna N I don’t know if you’re still looking for ideas for snacks, but - my husband has to attend a lot of meetings where people come in from across the country (we live in N Central TX) - he always says, “If you feel like making something, that’d be great - if you don’t, that’s Okay, too ... “ ... well, of course I’m going to make something- put it to me that way - gah! 😉 I have made everything from tarts to buttermilk pound cake - brownies - Hungarian Nut Loaf - fudge - fat cookies (copycat levain cookies) - bar cookies, rocky road candy, rocky road brownies, muffins etc and on ... funny thing is - one of the things that get most get requested is homemade Rice Krispy Treats (I use extra marshmallow cream and extra marshmallows and and I use vanilla) and Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats ... sort of pedestrian, I know but takes a lot of people back “home” - back to childhood, etc ... And Thomas Keller’s coffee cake - I have made it with creme fraiche and subbed sour cream for cf when I’ve been out (the sour cream version won, oddly) - absolutely nothing better and I have made and eaten a lot of coffee cakes.