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Inlaws are out of control


mtigges

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I like the lamb stew idea. I would make couscous with it. Just heat up some broth/stock in the microwave, put in the same amount of dry couscous as the liquid, cover with plastic wrap and it'll be done in 5 minutes. To jazz it up, I would add some spiced almonds and/or golden raisins.

Another idea is lasagna. A big tray of lasagna with a green salad and bread (french or garlic).

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Wasn't so bad. It was actually kind of fun. Only one of the twins showed up, the other went to go pick their dad up from the airport who had unexpectantly arrived from Asia. Anyways, I braised about 20 short ribs on Friday, let them rest in the braising liquid overnight. Removed the congealed fat and shredded the meat. The amount of interstitial fat and the rendered fat came to a pretty big mound which seemed to put off the guests a little. It was amusing. Anyways, after I got the stew warming, I served canapes of smoked tuna and salmon. Read, "got them out of the kitchen". Then started some roasting of sweet potatoes, shallots, yellow carrots and garlic with rosemary. Unfortunately, there were so many veggies that they steamed themselves and didn't get a very good roast going, but they were still yummy. Salad of stuff from our garden. (I elected for the canapes instead of a noodle salad.) The stew was served over quickie egg noodles, it would have been nice to make spaetzle, but such is life.

We had fun, and everybody loved it.

The only poblem was that the braising liquid was VERY gelatinous (I used a great stock from the soup guy down at the lonsdale quay) so I mistakenly convinced myself that I wouldn't need a thickener. I'm not very bright sometimes. I should have made a rous or the very least used some corn starch. Next time.

Oh, this is the worst part. They brought a housewarming gift. An electric skillet. Aaaargh.

Thanks for all the help everybody.

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Oh, this is the worst part.  They brought a housewarming gift.  An electric skillet.  Aaaargh. 

Heh. Priceless.

I would never buy one, but I must say that both of my grandmothers used one to full effect in the 1970's. Fried potatoes, braised cube steak in gravy. I suppose it's a decent tool for a busy cook that's not too fussy.

Perhaps you can "re-gift" it to someone, or feature it in a future yard sale.

Or, make it into an ironic found-object art sculpture. Eh? Eh? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink...

Marsha Lynch aka "zilla369"

Has anyone ever actually seen a bandit making out?

Uh-huh: just as I thought. Stereotyping.

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Oh, this is the worst part.  They brought a housewarming gift.  An electric skillet.  Aaaargh. 

Heh. Priceless.

I would never buy one, but I must say that both of my grandmothers used one to full effect in the 1970's. Fried potatoes, braised cube steak in gravy. I suppose it's a decent tool for a busy cook that's not too fussy.

Perhaps you can "re-gift" it to someone, or feature it in a future yard sale.

Or, make it into an ironic found-object art sculpture. Eh? Eh? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink...

I looked at it yesterday. It's pretty obviously regifted. I don't regift. I think it's rude and obnoxious. Hmmmm. Before I said anything about it, my wife said, "we don't have to keep that" ... she's a keeper.

I believe that this will find its way to the salivation army (that's what my Mom calls them - it's her accent).

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My in-laws are a handful, too. Hubby's sister has 15 yr old triplets, and a bad habit of "dropping by" with them. We have 5 sons of our own, and coming up with something to feed all these kids at the spur of the moment is not an easy task. While I was busy trying to quick thaw some immense amount of food in the microwave, the triplets manage to drink all the soda and eat anything resembling snack food in the house.

This past Memorial Day, my sister in law was supposed to host a cookout at her house, which she asks everyone to bring a dish to. Well, the night before, she drank too much tequila and cancelled on us. So I was left with a large pot of baked beans. The day after her hangover, she invited herself and her husband, her triplets, and her 18 yr old daughter and 23 yr old son over to our house for the cookout. Of course, she didn't bring a dish. At least I had the baked beans. I ended up having the hubby go out and buy a large box of preformed hamburger patties and chips, all of which we had to pay for. Not to mention all the soda and beer. I was also 9 months pregnant at the time and in the middle of packing because we were moving in a couple weeks.

The year before that, 2 days after I got home from the hospital after having a c-section, my brother in law said he was going to celebrate his son's birthday at our house. I at first thought it would just be my family, my brother in law, and my nephew. Silly me. We ended up with the sister in law- triplets in tow, the other sister in law- who has banshees as children, even an uncle from out of state who ended up staying at our house for 2 days. I was only told that morning that i was cooking and was never told for how many people...until I started getting phone calls asking what time the "party' was starting. If it weren't for the vicodin pumping through my system, I think I would have killed them all.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food"-

George Bernard Shaw

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I've figured out a way to get rid of "drop by" guests... just be in your robe when they show up! My boyfriend's brother and his girlfriend had a bad habit of just dropping by at odd times. One day they dropped by, and we were having what we call a "robe day" (we hang out in our robes and cook and eat and just be lazy!) Needless to say, they haven't "dropped by" again! :wink:

"Many people believe the names of In 'n Out and Steak 'n Shake perfectly describe the contrast in bedroom techniques between the coast and the heartland." ~Roger Ebert

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I know of one good use for an electric skillet in a home kitchen, and that's making tempura. It's nice to be able to make it one piece at a time, at the table. Everyone gets to make the item they want, and consume it while it's fresh and crisp. If you like tempura, it might be worth keeping the skillet just for that.

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Well, this is morphing into an electric skillet discussion! Any heat source has its uses. Cooking is merely "apply heat to raw ingredients" right? :smile:

If the skillet looks good enough for table top cooking, hang on to it. Sukiyaki is a great company dish, and a little safer than tempura on the tabletop. However, if you have a bar that guests can sit at, then you can play tempura chef and cook and serve to your guests a la minute using the same skillet.

My old stainless steel Farberware electric skillet is my favored implement for cooking any type of meatball dish. The (old) Joy of Cooking has a wonderful recipe for Koenigsburgerklops that I like to serve with spaetzle. Mmmm, chopped pickles in the gravy, how yummy. Who needs capers, anyway! :biggrin:

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My in-laws are a handful, too. Hubby's sister has 15 yr old triplets, and a bad habit of "dropping by" with them. We have 5 sons of our own, and coming up with something to feed all these kids at the spur of the moment is not an easy task. While I was busy trying to quick thaw some immense amount of food in the microwave, the triplets manage to drink all the soda and eat anything resembling snack food in the house.

    This past Memorial Day, my sister in law was supposed to host a cookout at her house, which she asks everyone to bring a dish to. Well, the night before, she drank too much tequila and cancelled on us. So I was left with a large pot of baked beans. The day after her hangover, she invited herself and her husband, her triplets, and her 18 yr old daughter and 23 yr old son over to our house for the cookout. Of course, she didn't bring a dish. At least I had the baked beans. I ended up having the hubby go out and buy a large box of preformed hamburger patties and chips, all of which we had to pay for. Not to mention all the soda and beer. I was also 9 months pregnant at the time and in the middle of packing because we were moving in a couple weeks.

    The year before that, 2 days after I  got home from the hospital after having a c-section, my brother in law said he was going to celebrate his son's birthday at our house. I at first thought it would just be my family, my brother in law, and my nephew. Silly me. We ended up with the sister in law- triplets in tow, the other sister in law- who has banshees as children, even an uncle from out of state who ended up staying at our house for 2 days. I was only told that morning that i was cooking and was never told for how many people...until I started getting phone calls asking what time the "party' was starting. If it weren't for the vicodin pumping through my system, I think I would have killed them all.

You win. Hands down. I will never complain again! I would have killed them and used the vicodin in my insanity plea.

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Well, this is morphing into an electric skillet discussion! Any heat source has its uses. Cooking is merely "apply heat to raw ingredients" right? :smile:

If the skillet looks good enough for table top cooking, hang on to it. Sukiyaki is a great company dish, and a little safer than tempura on the tabletop. However, if you have a bar that guests can sit at, then you can play tempura chef and cook and serve to your guests a la minute using the same skillet.

My old stainless steel Farberware electric skillet is my favored implement for cooking any type of meatball dish. The  (old) Joy of Cooking has a wonderful recipe for Koenigsburgerklops that I like to serve with spaetzle. Mmmm, chopped pickles in the gravy, how yummy. Who needs capers, anyway!  :biggrin:

Actually, I do want a similar kind of device. The one they gave is actually quite good. It's quite large, has temperature control, and a lid. Unfortunately, it's way too shallow. It's only about a inch and a half deep. No doubt it could be used to great effect on a number of dishes. But it's just too large to justify keeping for being a poor braiser. It's essentially only a skillet. I will give it to S.A. and eventually buy myself a really good slow cooker. One that the pot comes out and can be used on the stove top. Granted, no sukiyaki at the table, but this was non-stick too, so I wouldn't want people digging in. Moreover, the finish means poor sears on many items.

Mark.

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