MaryIsobel

Wow - that is calling my name!

You are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to cooking!

I buy the 10 calorie/cup cranberry cocktail and mix it 25% juice/75% water - definitely drink more of that than plain water. Yesterday I found a SunRype mango/passion fruit 10 calorie juice and that was a nice change.

Thanks - now I have no need to eat for the rest of the day

I haven't posted in a long while on this topic but I have been cooking. I just never think to take pictures until it's too late and since Christmas my husband and I have been eating like paupers. Tried this tonight in an ongoing effort to clean out the pantry and freezer. Served with a salad, it was a very enjoyable dinner. I cut the recipe in 1/2 but it still would have served 6 in my world. Not a problem - just another meal for another day. Just tossed a few Swiss cheese slices on top as yesterday I used all the bits and bobs of Christmas cheese to make fromage fort. https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/one-pot-creamy-french-onion-pasta-bake/

Very good advice about the canning jars. They are also much more effective at keeping out bugs!

Wine gums were a relatively cheap confection when I was a kid so I chose them often. Definitely not comparable to gummies - much chewier but not as sticky in the teeth as gummies. Now I'll have to seek out a roll (that's how they came when I was young.)

Gorgeous looking loaf. Roughly, what ratio of white to ww flour did you use? I've tried to recreate the "brown bread" that was served with soup in Irish pubs. Most pubs in the Repbublic (I haven't been to Northern Island) always have a seafood or fish chowder and a creamy vegetable soup on offer.I don't have access to the wholemeal flour they use in Ireland and I'm sure that is the difference. I've made a few attempts using the white/ww flour combo in different proportions but haven't got it quite right yet. I was planning on trying a bit of oat flour (rolled oats given a few spins in the food processor) and a couple of tablespoons of bran for my next attempt. All versions have been edible and enjoyable but just not right to my memory.

The spinach dip was a bit of a b***h to clean up, but when the greek yogurt hit the floor, it was Charlie Dog to the rescue!

Those are absolutely fabulous! You are truly an artist.

I'm prepping things for our Christmas Eve finger food dinner. Made spinach dip, transferred to a container, wiped off the container and as I was moving it to the fridge, it slipped out of my hand, hit the floor, the lid came off and covered me, the fridge, the floor and the island in spinach dip. I rallied and decided to make ranch dip instead. Believe it or not, when I took the greek yogurt out of the fridge, I dropped it. The container split and I had a replay of the spinach dip incident. Perhaps dips were not in the cards for me. I'm kind of afraid to attempt anything else today.

Well, everyone except me apparently! As I mentioned we don't eat a lot of sausages, mainly because I don't care for them and I'm the cook! I like the flavour of some but I just find them too rich. Is that a poem that you memorized in school or are you a poet?

Thanks everyone. I know my daughter will be delighted.

When my daughter went to uni in Galway, Ireland, she developed an obsession with bangers. She has tried what claim to be bangers here but said they just taste like giant breakfast sausages. I happened to see on a local reddit page that a butcher I frequent sells them and apparently they are the real deal. I'd like to surprise her with them for Christmas breakfast. We don't normally eat sausages and the few times we have, it is just the breakfast link type so I googled how to cook bangers. A lot of recipes, including Martha Stewart's call from browning them for a couple of minutes and then adding chicken stock, peppercorns and garlic and simmering them for about 10 minutes. Am I on the right track?

Ahh - I see, thanks.

Lovely plate! What is shamrock sauce?

Gorgeous!

I always made mince tarts because my Dad loved them, then found out that my boss did too but his wife thought they were disgusting so never had them in the house (?) Then my dad died and I retired and since I'm the only one in the family that likes them now, I quit making them. I honestly never thought about buying a few for myself so thanks for the thought! I could live on digestives and sharp cheddar, sometimes with a sliced apple or pear.

My sweet Nana (my Dad's Mom) must have used the same recipe as your ex-MIL. Bless her heart, she always put on a big spread for family - sometimes 4 different pies but all with the same inedible pastry. Honestly, you couldn't cut it with a fork and although I never tried, pretty sure a knife wouldn't work either. She was also very proud of her own seasoning mix, which we all called "Nana Spice." Unfortunately she used it in everything, so everything from devilled eggs, to bread, to mashed potatoes, to veggies all tasted the same. None the less, what I wouldn't give to sit at her table again.

That's a nice idea. There are 4 out of the twelve of us that don't like chocolate (cretins!) but the other 8 would fight over such a gift.

That's a great idea - thank you. I am suffering from gift buying fatigue!

Your pastry looks great. I have been using "Nathan's Never Fail Pastry" for about 20 years. I think the lard is the key. Having said that, I use half butter and half lard. Since I only make pies once or twice a year now, I don't fret about the lard. I have both cookbooks in the I've Got to Have That Recipe series. - lots of great recipes. Not gourmet by any means, just good, reliable recipes. NATHAN'S NEVER FAIL PASTRY ********************************** These quantities make enough pastry for 3 double-crust pies or 3 1/2 dozen tart shells - muffin size. 5 cups flour 1 teasp salt 2 teasp baking powder 1 lb (454 grams) Tenderflake lard 2 teasp white vinegar 1 egg - slightly beaten. Add water to vinegar and egg to make 1 cup 1) Mix together flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in lard until crumbly (using two knives.) 2) Add liquid and mix gently with hands. (I use a fork to help me here.) Roll into a ball. 3) Roll out amount needed on a floured board. Refrigerate or freeze remainder. Source: 'I've GOT To Have That Recipe' Doubleday Canada - Victoria, B.C. 1986

Dirty Santa is a game where everyone brings a gift (in our case the cap is 50.00) The gifts have no to or from on them. The first person chooses a gift and unwraps it. The second person can steal the first peron's gift or chooses a new one, and on and on. At the end of the game the first person chooses a gift and the game is over.

We are all adults so rather than giving gifts to everyone, we do a Dirty Santa game - cap is 50.00. I've already figured mine out. Going to get two really nice strip loin steaks from the local butcher along with a jar of steak seasoning from a popular local steak place, along with a decent bottle of red wine. My husband can't figure out his. I suggested a nice block of parm, some fancy pasta and a microplane but a thinks that is a lame gift. We are half 20 somethings and half 60 somethings. Most have their own homes and are interested in food and cooking. Any bright ideas?