MaryIsobel

Is salt a spice? If so, salt. If not, then I can't decide!

I'm sorry to hear of your loss @Shel_B When my mother died at 75, my father had never cooked anything more than pork and beans or canned stew or meatballs (yuk!) He was spry and fit but was just eating crap. So one day, I sat down with him and made a list of things that he liked to eat but were simple to cook. We came up with bacon and eggs, shrimp salad, frozen chicken cordon bleu with a baked potato, things like that. While he had no cooking mojo to lose, he started to cook simple things and expanded from there. He would call me every day to tell me what he was having for dinner and I loved to hear it. So what I'm saying, is perhaps drop your standards for a while and concentrate on things that you like that don't take a lot of effort. When my husband was in the hospital for two weeks, I would order takeout (Chinese, Indian, pizza etc) and suppliment with fresh veg or salad. One takeout order would last me two or three days that way and involved very little effort on my part.

I can only imagine @Smithy(my husband loves peas and I don't!) We're going to have to have the hard conversation about getting rid of the 5th wheel due to his health issues and my ortho issuues. We had a dream of months long road trips as @Smithyand her beloved husband did. First Covid got in our way, then health issues and still health issues...I am going to go about it by suggesting that we could rent cabins all over the areas that we love to camp. Wish me luck.

Me too. I have also lost my mojo (long story) - but reading cookbooks makes me feel like there is still hope for me. Our local Salvation Army thrift store has most of their books for .50 or less and with my 25% senior's discount, I consider them disposable but of course I don't dispose of them. I ask my daughters and my sisters if they would like them and if not, I dontate them back.

We've tried the low carb/no carb thing but honestly, I could eat 4 litres of salad but if I don't have carbs with it, still feel like I'm starving.

My hood fan screens are held in with clips - simple to remove and I just spray them with Dawn Powerwash (love that stuff!) leave them for a bit and toss them in the dishwasher.

During Covid when it was just the four of us for Thanksgiving, I did Cornish Game Hens. That worked out well.

it is the lingering smell of shallow or deep frying that prevents me from doing it. I use a splatter screen, put the hood vent on, open windows and doors but I can still smell whatever we have fried two days later. How do you deal with that?

That being said, about once a year my husband makes fish and chips when halibut is in season ,for our immediate family for a treat. He does it outside to accomodate my dislike of things being fried in the house.

I aways look for the baked alternative. I cannot stand oi frying, deep or shallow. I just find that the smell lingers in the house for days.

Your desserts have inspired me to seek out smaller baking pans. I love to bake but goodness knows my husband and I don't need a full size dessert between the two of us and not all things freeze well, so thank you!

Husband is still in hospital - will be 11 days tomorrow, when he is expected to be released (aka discharged.) In the mean time I am gettin my fill of Indian food, which he does not care for. Tried a new place in our little town today. Mango chicken curry, rice, naan, pickled veg and coriader mint chutney (I could drink that stuff) Will likely do me for lunch and dinner today and lunch tomorrow - all for 21.00CDN. 1 0

If you know, you know. Accompanied by a mug of chicken broth and a glass of white cranberry juice.

My Mom made great baking powder biscuits but when I learned the folding method - mine turned out better. Sorry Mom🥰

It all looks lovely and the prices seem very reasonable. The pomegranate negroni is intriguing. I generally don't care for variations on Negronis but I could be persuaded to try try that one. And two short ribs! Most short rib presentations on menus in these parts are one short rib - much to my husband's chagrin.

Interesting - thanks.

I'm curious about your "vanilla baked cream" Can you share just what that is?

I happen to have pork tenderloin in the freezer and a butternut squash on the counter and spinach in the fridge - so thanks for a soon-to-be dinner plan!

i never buy self raising but use the same ratios that Kerry does - it has always worked for me.

Great find. I have that book and have lent it to one of my two daughters...Il have to get it back!

Thanks, we will be downsizing soon and I will definitely look into Neff.

While being laid up and housebound, I binged on The Great British Baking Show. I noticed that all the contestants used a large spoon to fold ingredients. I have always used a spatula. What do you use and do you think there is an advantage to using a large spoon? My other take from the show is that I want one of those ovens where once the opened oven door is parallel to the floor, it slides in under the oven, giving one unincumbered access to the oven. Would make it so much easier to lift a big turkey out of the oven or rotate baking sheets.

I have been making a batch of bark for each of my immediate family members for Christmas for years. I include each person's favourite nuts and dried fruit using their preferred type of chocolate. Always goes over well. New son-in-law is a Type 1 diabetic and is quite strict with his diet. He likes dark chocolate and nuts - easy enough. Purdy's (Canadian chocolate company with stores from BC to Ontario) has a no sugar added bar that he likes but they are pretty pricey. I'm looking for something that I could buy in bulk (like a pound or so at a time.)

Update: Even after 48 hours most of the leftovers were not brown. What I noticed is that if there was any bit of the core left, that part started to turn brown after about 30 hours. I sliced the apples (well, my husband did, hence the bits of core left🤣) swished them in the solution of fruit fresh (basically citric acid) and water for about 45 seconds, drained them in a colander and without patting them dry, put in ziplock bags. The next afternoon, we spread them on kitchen towels and patted them dry with paper towel. They were perfect.

The fact that your friend loved it says it all. Birthday cakes are my love language for my nearest and dearest. If that is your first - you did a wonderful job. If you are looking for constructive criticism, just work on your frosting and piping (which can take years, if not decades to perfect - ask me how I know!) and making sure that all of your cakes are level before you begin stacking, filling and frosting.