MaryIsobel

I've recently seen the recipe for cranberry curd pie and think it would be a nice finale to a heavy, rich dinner, so I'm looking forward to heating your comments/reviews on it.

When I was a kid in the 60's, we called them Japanese oranges and they came in a wooden crate. Each orange was wrapped in green tissue papaer. We only had one box a year, shortly before Christmas. The wooden crates were always re-purposed. A step stool for the bathroom sink, lego storage, dog bone container...

I buy a couple of Costco chickens (I think around 10.00 Canadian) once in a while. Usually on the day before we leave for camping. I break them down, separating the dark meat from white and save the bones for stock

Those are some fine looking lunches. Won't bother posting my half of the banana that my husband didn't put on his cereal, then a few tablespoons of the orzo with olive feta sauce that wasn't eaten last night, followed a while later by a cookie and a cup of tea...

It really wasn't bad at all. I made it about 2 hours ahead and just kept it on the lowest setting on my cooktop stirring occaisionally. My sister always offered to make the gravy. She is a lovely person in a lot of ways but cooking is not her forte and we have had some pretty gloppy, gluey gravy in the past, so this saved me having to tell her thanks, but no thanks. I can instead find a kitchen task for her where no knowledge, experience or intuition is required!

INSTANT POT MASHED POTATOES yield: 6 SERVINGS prep time: 32 MINScook time: 8 MINStotal time: 40 MINS INGREDIENTS 4 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (see note about type of potatoes) ( Apparently I deleted the notes about the potatoes because I always use russets for mashed - I used an entire 5 lb bag) 2 teaspoons coarse, kosher salt 1 cup milk, preferably not skim ( I only used half this amount of milk initially and didn't end up adding more. I suppose it depends a lot on your potatoes) 4 tablespoons butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I skipped this - I think it would be good with beef or pork but just wanted traditional flavours with turkey) 1/2 cup sour cream INSTRUCTIONS Add the potatoes and salt to the Instant Pot insert (6-quart). Add at least 1 1/2 cups water or enough to cover the potatoes (either way is fine). Don't exceed the max fill line. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, making sure the valve is set to "seal" and not "vent." Select Manual and then dial up or down to 8 minutes. The IP will start on its own. While the potatoes cook, warm the milk, butter and garlic powder in a saucepan or microwave-safe container until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm. When the potatoes are done cooking, quick release the pressure. If liquid bubbles and spurts from the valve, cover loosely with a damp dishcloth while the pressure releases. Drain the potatoes in a colander over the sink, discarding the cooking liquid. Return the potatoes to the insert of the Instant Pot and coarsely mash. Add the 2/3 of the butter/milk mixture along with the sour cream, and mash until the potatoes are the desired texture, as smooth or as chunky as you like, adding more of the remaining milk/butter mixture if you want creamier, less stiff mashed potatoes (I usually add it all). Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately OR return the insert to the Instant Pot, secure the lid, and select Keep Warm. The potatoes can stay on this setting for up to three hours. (I held mine closer to 4 hours) When ready to serve, give the potatoes a good stir and a drizzle of warm milk, if needed. NOTES Instant Pot: I buy potatoes in bulk (I do live in Idaho after all), so I always weigh out the 4 pounds (or 8 pounds if using my 8-quart Instant Pot) for this recipe, but you should be able to fit in a commonly sold 5-pound bag of potatoes into the 6-quart Instant Pot, as long as the max fill line isn't exceeded after water is added. Just increase the milk/butter/sour cream/garlic powder a smudge to account for the extra pound. ©Mel's Kitchen Cafe — https://www.melskitchencafe.com/life-changing-instant-pot-mashed-potatoes/

Okay, I'll post in in the recipe section. Hopefully that is the correct protocal.

Regarding mashed potatoes, last year at Christmas I was not feeling great and didn't want the last minute kerfuffle of mashing potatoes and making gravy so I (clutch your pearls) used packaged gravy and made mashed potatoes in the Instapot. The gravy was really good, I used the lower sodium Club House mix. Used less water than called for and made up the difference with drippings. The instapot mashed potatoes were also good and the bonus was that I held them in the Instapot on the Warm setting for nearly 4 hours. For the first time since I have been hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas (about 30 years) I received multiple compliments on the mashed potatoes! I didn't note the source but I do have the recipe if anyone wants to try.

Welcome from another PNWer. Not much experience with vegan food, save for a brief stint with my daughter - but I'm always interested to hear how vegans cook.

When my daughter inquired about the recipe and I told her that it was from a woman who lives in Costa Rica, she thought that that was a wonderful story - and it is!

I used your recipe for a filling in a cake I made for my daughter's engagement party. It has now been requested that this be a filling in her wedding cake. Your recipe will live on in many of our family's happiest memories. Thank you for sharing it.

My Dad poured evaporated milk on jello, which my Mom always made in a 9"x9" cake pan and cut into cubes to serve. We had dessert almost every night but unless it was a special occaision, dessert was either jello or canned fruit or jello and canned fruit. Neither of my two sisters nor I adopted the evaporated milk on jello thing.

True. I think his distaste for curry stems from eating at an "all you can eat" Indian buffet back in his work days. I think I could probably sneak in a Thai curry as long as I don't call it curry. (And yes, he is a full grown man, not a toddler!)

I am so envious of all your curries. It is one thing that my husband really doesn't care for, but he thinks that all "curries" have the same flavour profile. I am tempted to make one and call it "Spicy Indonesian Chicken" or "Fish in Spicy Sauce or some such.

Adding my condolences for the loss of your mother. All the "firsts" are a bit heart wrenching. I hope you and your family find strength in being together.

I am in dire need of a meal like this. Well done!

I have only tsted umi once. I don't know if it was "off" but I literally could not force myself to swallow it and faked a kind of sneeze/cough and spat it into my napkin. First and ony time I have ever done that with any food. I should try it again but cannot bring myself to even think of it.

I thought the idea of drilling a hole in a stainless steel bowl and adding a handle was brilliant and therefore, I shall steal it! Thank you @AlaMoi!

I hope your re-admittance provides a solution and in any case is short lived. If you were in hospital here, you would have likely received mystery meat with some kind of brown sauce and instant mashed potatoes or something masquerading as macaroni and cheese - some type of canned veg and jello for dessert.

Started buying Krusteaz at Costco years ago and have found no reason to change. To me, pancakes are pancakes - I'm not a huge fan (I am all about fresh berries and such for topping) but my kids loved them and with the mix it is one of the first things they learned to "cook" by themselves.

Haha - same experience. I had been to Drago's before so told my husband we have to get the oysters for an appy. Then there were another dozen and yes, there was a 3rd and that was dinner and it was divine!

Depends on the cheese I suppose, but Drago's charbroiled oysters are the oyster presentation I have enjoyed above all others. https://www.thespruceeats.com/official-dragos-charbroiled-oysters-recipe-1135643

Wanted to add Breka https://www.breka.ca/#a-vancouver-favourite for breakfast or coffee and pastries or late night dessert. Or soup or sandwiches or donuts! There are 7 locations, open 24/7 - seriously excellent food for unbelievably low prices. Every time we go, I keep expecting the prices to have gone up. Grilled sandwiches for under 10.00, fabulous pastries in the 5-7 dollar range. Just unheard of in downtown Vancouver.

Nothing is appealing to me either. Started to feel flu-like symptoms last night and feeling worse today. Add to that that our furnace has just died and it's about 2 degrees celius today. Made myself Lipton chicken noodle in my favourite mug to be consumed under blankets with my lap dog keeping me compay- we shall see.