getcrafty :: popular topics :: food and wine :: cooking

View entire thread: Check out my new Crafty Tv Show

Posted by cathie_Filian on 2005-11-20 05:03:30      Post Subject: Check out my new Crafty Tv Show



Check out my new fresh & fun crafty television show on DIY….Creative Juice for the Holidays!

We kick off the Holiday Season with a 1-hour holiday special filled with funky crafts, cooking and an infused vodka recipe, perfect for holiday martinis.

Swing on over to DIY and join in the fun.

Happy Holidays – Cathie Filian

November 27 - 3:00 pm eastern
November 28 - 2:00 am eastern
December 5 - 10:00 pm eastern
December 6 - 1:00 am eastern
December 11 - 5:00 pm eastern
December 14 - 1:00 pm eastern

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/specials/episode/0,2046,DIY_14360_40616,00.ht

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View entire thread: Journalist seeking crafster feminists in the East Bay Area

Posted by lailaweir on 2004-12-10 17:28:22      Post Subject: Journalist seeking crafster feminists in the East Bay Area

Hi all,

I'm a journalist and I was fascinated by Jean's manifesto on the new domesticity, which put into words something I've been noticing and thinking about for a long time.

I'm interested in writing about young women who are embracing traditionally feminine activities -- crafting, cooking, whatever it is -- as part of their own expression of feminism, more than traditionalism. The catch: they need to live in the East Bay of the SF Bay Area.

If you fit this category or know someone who does, please email me to laila.weir@eastbayexpress.com or call me at 510/879-3737.

Thanks!

Laila Weir

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View entire thread: Need input, opinions, and ideas for 'newzine' column title

Posted by microsinger on 2006-04-18 12:22:11      Post Subject: Need input, opinions, and ideas for 'newzine' column title

I am preparing to present a proposal to a regional newspaper/magazine in my area. The newzine iteslf is called "Heartland Women" and it features articles/columns about local events, health and wellness, business, investing, etc., all geared towartd a female audience. My column would be a monthly or bi-monthly (depending on my options) one featuring an array of topics that revolve around the home; cooking/shopping, crafting, decorating, budgeting & simple living, gardening, recycling, etc. It would be similar to Martha's newpaper column; new subjects each week, a few recipes, a craft tutorial, hints and tips. The only names I have come up with are "Heartland Home" which fits well but is a little too 'pre-Freidan' for my tastes, "The Domestic Dabbler" which is ok, I guess. My audience is not likely to be too "hip" so I have to keep it somewhat tame. "The Renegade Hausfrau" would probably require too much definition and I would probably either offend the homemakers, the feminists, or both. Any thoughts, suggestions, tips??

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View entire thread: Starting an online "Zine"

Posted by StinkerbelleRock on 2005-03-11 13:15:54      Post Subject: Starting an online "Zine"

As many of you probably know.... I am in the process of opening an online boutique. I, in doing alot of thought, blogging, looking around online..... have decided that I would like to add a zine to my page. With all of the love and opinion that I have for fashion, hair, crafting, home decor, cooking, reading, and going to shows...... I thought it would be quite fun.

I have two questions regarding this revelation.....

#1- Any tips or suggestions from any of you who read online zines, run one, or know someone who does?? Things that bother you about some?? What you love about them?? Good sections of the zine to have??? Anything at all....

#2- I am pretty happy with my shoppe being very minimalistic. Mainly black and white with the actual work being the thing that stands out. Which is good because I am a programming dummy and need the templates and the copy/paste code for just about everything and I do want to do this all on my own (the building and running part. I would love to have guest reporters and editors for reviews and articles and such). I really want this to have a more eyecatching page once I add the Zine. What I want to know is if there are any computer programs that I can buy/downlad that would make building an attractive site easier for me where I can do it all visually and then it provides a code to place on the page?? I know.... I'm a dummy.... but with all of my other interests, I really don't have the time to devote to learning any programming languages.


Any and ALL help is greatly appreciated.

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View entire thread: community guidelines

Posted by jean on 2005-05-23 12:12:19      Post Subject: community guidelines

hey there,

in response to some recent complaints, i have created a new community guidelines page, which you can see by clicking here: http://www.getcrafty.com/home_community.php

**********
The Forum and Blog Codes of Honor
Here are the rules we live by here.

Get Crafty is a place for sharing your creativity, thoughts, dreams, plans, craft project updates or what you ate for breakfast. That said:

Please do not use your blog as an advertising tool. Even if your company is super-bitchen crafty-tastic, the blogs are meant to build community, not businesses. (We are working on a tool that can help you sell your stuff online called etsy.com, due to go live this summer.)

Please refrain from pornography, unless it is highly crafty.

Please do not use a flashing, animated avatar. It hurts our eyes.

Please do not post super-duper huge photos. It takes too long to download.

Please post your comments on other people's blogs and respond to forums. It's a nice thing to do.

Please have fun.

Moderators


There are a number of amazing moderators. Please respect, honor and worship them.

Forum Moderators
We love sarabell and are waiting for her bio! I will update this soon.
Craftista maka10 likes to describe her life as: WONDERFUL!
Amanda Rybin (aka for_esme) is an undergrad studying Art History and English, and her favorite creative activities include writing, cooking, knitting, and thrifting.


Blog Moderators
Sunni Johnson (aka lecandypoprock) is a business student in Atlanta, GA, who has amateur skills in web design, screen printing and knitting and loves baby animals, kid power and Glass Candy.
Kate Kerr (AKA saffronwoman) is a Stay-at-home unschooling mom, a wife and an artist/craftster.

Please PM the moderators by their get crafty names if you have any questions or concerns.

Technical Concerns


If you are looking for technical answers to your questions, such as how to post photos or PM (private message) a get crafty user or moderator, please see our FAQ: http://www.getcrafty.com/faq.php

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View entire thread: fun with meat cookery

Posted by slaster138 on 2005-10-03 12:53:56      Post Subject: fun with meat cookery

as a reformed veggie, i have minimal experience cooking meat (i was strict veggie through what i call my 'formative cooking years') and still don't cook meat often but i get all pleased with myself when i conquer a new form of meat cookery. this weekend i may have outdone myself-

stuffed lamburgers-
1/2 lb ground lamb
3/4ish lb ground sirloin
(hand-mash together w 1t-ish salt and about 1/4 t pepper)
refrigerate and mix together the following:

few tb fresh goat cheese
1 or 2 leaves of kale
a tb or so of chopped roasted tomatoes
a ton of roasted garlic
zest of 1 lemon (and juice of 1/2 a lemon)
s&p to taste

form 4 patties with the lamb mixture. divide the blended goat cheese between 2 of the lamb patties and top with the two remaining patties (so you'll have 2 stuffed burgers). refrigerate for 10 or 15 minutes. cook to taste. (i fried them in a bit of olive oil because i'm too lazy to clear out the broiler to use. 6 minutes per side-- covered for part of the time to make sure the middle got cooked). i served em up on sprouted wheat hamburger buns that had been toasted in the burger pan. they were f*ing delicious-- we had roasted asparagus w lemon, and rosemary roasted oven fries to go with them. oh. my. god. mmm. the burgers turned out kinda big-- i'd probably use less meat next time (but the boy sure didn't complain).

anyway, any other former veggies (or anyone really) have victorious meat cookery experiences to share?

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View entire thread: cooking for baby

Posted by jean on 2004-05-07 12:57:30      Post Subject: cooking for baby

anyone out the cooking for wee ones? syd is starting on people food and weve exhausted whole wheat pasta, risotto and peas, basically the only things he'll eat so far (10 months). any one have some clever ideas that can double as food for steve and i? i'm not that fond of cooking two different dinners every night.....

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View entire thread: "the complexites (and simplicities) of thai cooking&quo

Posted by belettepetite on 2004-07-11 13:47:25      Post Subject: "the complexites (and simplicities) of thai cooking&quo

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/harmony.html

did you know that so much was involved in thai cooking? i think its cool that its based on techniques that show you how to combine flavors so you can apply it to you own cooking rather than following strict recipes. are any other styles similar to this?

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View entire thread: To Brine or not to brine?

Posted by conolly on 2007-11-20 23:59:56      Post Subject: To Brine or not to brine?

This is my first year cooking a turkey and I have no clue which is better??? What kind of experiences have you had with either? I''m open to suggestions!

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View entire thread: History of crafting

Posted by mel_stormer on 2006-03-27 13:55:27      Post Subject: History of crafting

I need help from all you craftistas!!! I am writing a research paper for my English class on the history of crafting and how it has changed over time. The paper has to tie into my family history with. My grandmother, mother, and i all craft :G-ma-sewing, quilting, cooking & baking. my Mom-sewing, creating "country" folk crafts Myself- knitting, papercrafts, sewing, cooking. I need info on crafting during the 1940s, 1980s, and present. If anyone has any ideas or info please let me know...yall are the crafiest bunch i know!!! thanks in advance

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View entire thread: Valentines switch off.

Posted by art_skoolgirl on 2005-02-07 14:36:16      Post Subject: Valentines switch off.

This year I asked nick if I could be the one to make the plans and do things for him, since every year he does something for me.

we don't like going out on v-day , too crowded and we like unconventional ways of celebrating.

one year he sent me on a scavenger hunt, probably one of my favorite things.

I'm cooking him lunch and dinner. (We work in the same area and can meet up at the house.) I have a few other ideas but I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or maybe anyone that has ever done this before.

thanks

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View entire thread: Re-De-Lurking....

Posted by StinkerbelleRock on 2007-04-17 06:56:54      Post Subject: Re-De-Lurking....

Hey ladies! It's been a while. My life has been consumed by a terrible relationship and running a roller derby league for quite some time now.

Now I'm getting divorced and taking a temporary leave from roller derby to get my life back on track again.

Now I have time to do all of the things that once made me happy.... crafting, cooking, blogging, and such thing... YAY!

I've started back up my Pro Flickr account and started blogging again (see links in my sig). Since the ex made me delete my blog sometime ago I lost the links to all of your blogs (as well as everything else) so please post em here for me! I need some reading material!

So.... how is everything with everyone?? What have I missed? TELL ME EVERYTHING!!!!

It's great to be back :)

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View entire thread: Stenciling for painting

Posted by rkafka on 2006-09-06 20:17:17      Post Subject: stencils

I make my own usually, but Dover Publishing has lots of odd books of pre-cut stencils, generally small sized.

To make your own, you can photocopy just about any image onto card stock, and cut out lines with an exacto-knife. Brush some cooking oil in the card to make cutting easier. You can also do a line-drawing and cut out the lines.

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View entire thread: shiraz, syrah

Posted by empressCrash on 2004-07-06 14:35:36      Post Subject:

Opal (Australian) is very good.
I luck out because even though I live in a small town, for some reason we have excellent sommoliers (sp?) employed at the grocery stores. Extra bonus, they aren't snobby, you tell them your budget and what you like and/or are cooking and they hook you right up.

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View entire thread: Need advice from Vancouverites

Posted by breewell on 2004-10-20 19:09:50      Post Subject: Need advice from Vancouverites

Hello there,
In exchange for my mom finally hosting an open house at her place in North Van, I have agreed to do all the cleaning, decorating and cooking for the event. Problem is I haven't lived in Vancouver in almost 6 years and have no idea what resources still exist. The open house is for my Brother's graduation, and so the Vancouver extended family can finally meet my new husband. I don't want to go too crazy, but I do want to get flowers and candles (I love the gourd votive idea Ursonate mentioned and am hoping to steal that). If anyone can suggest good cheap places to get wholesale (or at least not already in bouquets) flowers, or any other party planning resources I would be much obliged. The open house is in mid November and I think I will come to town a week early. Even when I did live there, I was in east van, and rarely strayed too far from the commercial drive area. Now most of my friends from there have scattered all over the world so I don't really know what's going on in the city.
Thanks for any advice!
Bree

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View entire thread: New Crafty TV Show!!!

Posted by cathie_Filian on 2005-11-20 05:01:43      Post Subject: New Crafty TV Show!!!

Check out my new fresh & fun crafty television show on DIY….Creative Juice for the Holidays!

We kick off the Holiday Season with a 1-hour holiday special filled with funky crafts, cooking and an infused vodka recipe, perfect for holiday martinis.

Swing on over to DIY and join in the fun.

Happy Holidays – Cathie Filian

November 27 - 3:00 pm eastern
November 28 - 2:00 am eastern
December 5 - 10:00 pm eastern
December 6 - 1:00 am eastern
December 11 - 5:00 pm eastern
December 14 - 1:00 pm eastern

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/specials/episode/0,2046,DIY_14360_40616,00.ht

www.cathiefilian.com

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View entire thread: A quick 'n' dirty recipe- turkey

Posted by athena on 2006-11-16 12:40:59      Post Subject:

anthrogirl, maybe you should look into giving cooking classes in addition to the craft classes! :-)

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View entire thread: tofu recipes?

Posted by Deborah on 2006-11-15 11:03:11      Post Subject:

This is a recipe for vegetarian Korean BBQ. You need:
Firm tofu (silken firm tofu wouldn't be good though)
Onion(s)
Chives (spring onions in the UK)
Carrots (optional)
For the marinade:
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Black pepper
Crushed garlic/garlic powder
Sugar

1. Mix all of the ingredients in the marinade together. There aren't exact measurements because for a lot of Korean cooking it's taste as you go. There should be more soy sauce than anything else and just a tablespoon of sesame oil should do. Stir everything together and give it a taste. It should be slightly sweet. If it tastes too sweet add a bit more soy sauce.

2. Wash off the tofu and cut it however you like (slices would probably be best for cooking later).

3. Slice the onions thinly and the chives.

4. Mix everything together. You should let the tofu marinate for as long as possible, preferably overnight but a few hours is fine too. Then you can just stir fry it and have it with some rice.

You can add or leave out any vegetables you like. Carrots are another option too.

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View entire thread: "the complexites (and simplicities) of thai cooking&quo

Posted by danielepea on 2004-07-13 14:16:35      Post Subject:

That's pretty nifty. I think I will look into more about balancing the five flavors in Thai cooking. I love Thai food. Right now the only Thai dish I can make is red curry which has nothing to do with balance and everything to do with lots of trial and error!

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View entire thread: Intro <3

Posted by thginknnayoj1 on 2006-07-25 20:35:12      Post Subject: Intro <3

Hey,

I joined yesterday and have put a few things out there but i just wanted to give myself a formal introduction.
I'm 21 and live in Orlando, FL. I craft as often as possible and am attempting full time school and job. I looooove painting but i'm not too good, knitting and cooking are also addictions.
I compulsively collect odd salt and pepper shakers and souvineer ash trays. This site is so awesome i haven't been able to tear myself away. Thank you!

Joy

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View entire thread: Italian casserole (pics & recipe) + need help naming it.

Posted by Amber Nussbaum on 2005-12-29 07:45:04      Post Subject: Italian casserole (pics & recipe) + need help naming it.

http://static.flickr.com/38/78898647_cdc40d1e36.jpg

Last night I made this up as I went along. It was pretty much perfect, although I'm sure on Saturday I will find out it was 43616781512 Weight Watchers points (I'm joining on Saturday). But whatever, it's my last hurrah.

http://static.flickr.com/38/78898646_446d5c21c8_m.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/38/78898645_b717686030_m.jpg

I may be a decent cook but I'm still a horrible photographer. You want the recipe? Okay here goes.

===

Italian Casserole
(I'm sure this name is offensive or even incorrect but it's what I came up with at 8:15 in the morning.)

1 box rotini (or pasta of your choice)
1 pack Italian sausage
1 pepperoni (or you can buy pre-sliced, but Jimmy wanted chunks)
2 bell peppers
1 pack small mushrooms
1 onion
1 shallot
1 handful fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic
4 oz. mozzerella cheese
4 oz. parmesan cheese
1 jar spaghetti sauce (or make your own)

Note: I highly recommend using good cheese, no matter what you're cooking. It will totally make the difference between a dish people remember and a dish that evokes a "meh." This means stay away from anything that says Kraft on it. Also, I just combined everything in the baking dish as I went along, but it would have been less messy to do it in a big bowl, then dump it into the baking dish.

1. Cook the pasta, meanwhile prep other stuff and put into a 9x13 glass baking dish.
2. Slice bell peppers into strips, slice mushrooms in half and chop parsley. Place in baking dish.
3. Chop onion, shallot and garlic. Saute in olive oil, put in baking dish.
4. Chop pepperoni into chunks, place in dish.
5. Cut sausage into bite size pieces, fully cook (I just threw them in a teflon pan til done), place into dish.
6. Put cooked pasta into baking dish, followed by jar of spaghetti sauce and mix everything well.
7. Cut mozzerella into slices or break apart, and distribute over top of mixture. Grate parmesan and cover everything.
8. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted.
9. Serve up and enjoy. This would go great with garlic bread.

If anyone tries this or comes up with a better name let me know. Permanent link to this can be found at My Aim Is True.com.

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View entire thread: Vegetarian Chilli

Posted by pudding on 2006-04-02 23:04:42      Post Subject: Vegetarian Chilli

For some reason I can't work out how to add a picture to my post, but there's more than one way to skin a cat, so I've created a blog entry about my latest cooking exploit. I'm quite proud of my efforts! :-)

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View entire thread: Healthy Cozy Recipes

Posted by Nancy Flynn on 2006-11-16 20:13:57      Post Subject:

hmmm, quinoa is a slightly nutty-tasting grain that has the consistency of cous-cous (which I know is pasta, but a good comparison) when cooked. you have to rinse it very well before cooking, as it has a film on the outside of the grain that has a nasty taste if you don't wash it off!

it is a very nutritious grain-- high protein, low on the glycemic index and apparently a good alternative for people who don't do well with wheat gluten.

there! i sounded like an ad, but it really is very good and filling.

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View entire thread: Upstate NY Foodies

Posted by butterglory on 2006-01-09 21:06:21      Post Subject: Upstate NY Foodies

Hi all.

I'm starting a cooking club in the Albany/Schenectady/Troy area of New York. PM me if you are interested in joining the fun. It's going to be a monthly thing.

See ya.

Renée

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View entire thread: Newbie here! yikes!

Posted by PuchiMaiko on 2005-05-30 17:21:51      Post Subject: Newbie here! yikes!

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the getcrafty community - but I'm active in quite a few other communities around. I love meeting new people, so I thought I'd join up here also =)

My name is Naomi and I am an Aussie expat living in South Florida, USA. I have a deep passion for Traditional Japanese art and culture - which is strongly evident in both my website www.immortalgeisha.com and also my crafting side :] I am also a student taiko player and I have started to take Japanese dance lessons.

I am an avid DIY person and a terrible bookworm. I am also a good cook, but, I hate cooking and I watch way to much StarTrek. I live with my husband and cat, Onineko and tend to risk my fingers feeding the local squirrels.

I hope to participate quite often and I look forward to getting to know people :]

Naomi~

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View entire thread: vegan wedding cake

Posted by stella on 2006-05-16 22:08:21      Post Subject:

The Joy of Cooking has a couple of vegan cake recipes, and their recipes are usually reliable.

i know i've made vegan cakes before, but i can't remember if i used a recipe or modified a regular recipe.

you can get stuff called "ener-g egg replacer" at health food stores and follow the instructions to use it to substitute for eggs. use margerine instead of butter and soy or almond milk if the recipe calls for milk. you can just use margerine and powdered sugar to make frosting.

if you can, it's better to test the cake first to fine-tune it and make sure it isn't horrible.

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View entire thread: Healthy Cozy Recipes

Posted by Nancy Flynn on 2006-11-16 11:37:50      Post Subject: Healthy Cozy Recipes

With the eating holidays coming up, and the advent of cold weather (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere), it seems to me it is harder to eat healthy-- not only is there social eating of large quantities of yummy but not exactly super-healthy food, but I also crave warm, creamy, savoury things on cold days. Produce for salad is not as good-quality, and I just don't feel like eating cold stuff!

So, I'd love to hear all of your favorite warm, comforting and healthy recipes for inspiration!

One of mine:
Quinoa with Spinach, Eggs & Tofu (from a vegetarian friend!)
1c Quinoa- prepare according to package directions, I do mine in a rice cooker
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (you could use steamed fresh spinach if you prefer)
1 small onion, diced
2 eggs
1/2 block firm tofu, crumbled
2 t Thai chili garlic sauce
1T soy sauce
1 t toasted sesame oil
1 T olive oil

In a medium nonstick frying pan (this is because you'll be cooking eggs in here too. if you don't like nonstick for health reasons, increase oil so that you won't have a big mess!) heat olive oil over medium heat until hot, then sautee diced onion until translucent and soft. In a small bowl, add chili garlic sauce to eggs and mix with a fork until combined. Crumble tofu into egg and mix again with a fork until combined. Pour over onions and scramble together until it is somewhat dry and comes together in nice curds. Dump quinoa, spinach and eggs into a big bowl and mix together so it looks sort of like tabbouleh. Pour soy sauce and sesame oil over to season and mix again. Taste to see if it needs additional seasoning-- you can add more chili garlic sauce, or chili oil, additional soy or toasted sesame seeds. Eat warm. It also chills in the fridge for a tasty and nutritious cold salad.

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View entire thread: sprouting/live foods

Posted by Christy Petterson on 2005-07-31 19:39:24      Post Subject: sprouting/live foods

This is my first time to visit consuming pleasures...I think I've been missing out! :)
So I hope I'm not repeating a topic--if I am maybe someone can tell me where the thread is....
I'm wondering if anyone sprouts? And if so, do you have any favorite recipes. I tried this 3 years ago and then got distracted or actually, I think I got engaged. Anyway, I didn't last long at all. But my husband and I are interested in trying this out. He usually does almost all of the cooking since that's what he does professionally--lucky me, eh?! I think I could really enjoy the non-cooking of live foods though. And I thought it'd be fun if I suprised him with something for a change. I started sprouting black beans and garbanzos today.
Thanks to anyone who has some feedback! :)

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View entire thread: Anyone want this book?

Posted by insistal on 2005-04-18 10:43:43      Post Subject: Anyone want this book?

How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=dK8n3MJB9T&isbn=0786867973&itm=1

I paid 35$ for it- and I'm not happy with it. If someone would like to, I am interested in swapping.

Thanks

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View entire thread: am i in for a bread disaster????

Posted by sarabell on 2006-01-01 13:53:04      Post Subject:

I think it will be good...it's a very small difference!

Happy new year!

thanks for that. made me feel better about the whole thing. always seem to have the disasters when cooking for new people. but they turned out great. in fact, i think the slight extra butteriness made them even better.

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View entire thread: Introduction :)

Posted by sharopooks on 2005-08-05 10:36:20      Post Subject: Introduction

Though you are ahead of me as far as # of posts, I registered before you, so I believe I'm qualified to say WELCOME! and to introduce myself as well.

I'm 34 and have recently found marital bliss (last summer feels like recently). He's a social worker/guitarist, I'm a former bass player who works at an entertainment law firm in NYC. We both still enjoy live music whilst now laughing back at our former music-scene selves, circles and antics. We are also thinking of thinking of conceiving...!

My crafty side has been dormant until recently due to long work hours. Fortunately, I just worked out a deal w/ work to hire a night assistant so I can leave before 7:30 at night and have a life again. It's a paycut, but worth it in re-gained quality of life.

Reduced work hours will equal enough time to:

-Crochet and foster a general obsession with cool fibers and textiles. One day I will put those applique, dyeing and quilting books I bought over the years to use!

- Journaling, writing detailed fun accounts of various life events to distribute to family members.

- Create collages (I wanna post a pic of one that means a great deal to me but cannot find it in our apartment! I am slightly freaking out over that fact and have my fingers crossed that it turns up, soon!)

- Embark on my own style of scrapbooking, I have a vision of indie-scrapbooking. Nothing against traditional scrapbooking - some of it is awesome - but a lot of it doesn't resonate with me. One day I saw a nontraditional scrapbook page that a getcrafty member posted. I was like, aHA, THAT'S the kind of page I wanna do!

- Play bass - my strength and dexterity have faded and my interest in band life has diminished w/ age, but even if I just jam with the hubby at home, that'd be great.

- Creative healthy cooking, step aerobics, cardio kickboxing and general working out, snowboarding.

- Spend too much time on various message boards!

- Enjoy life, traveling, friends, music, etc with the hubby.

That's me in a nutshell. karlaBOO, see ya around...!

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View entire thread: NEEDED:Quick, Easy, Vegetarian Thanks giving for one person.

Posted by cherriesontop on 2004-10-11 13:32:37      Post Subject:

me thinks me found something:

Credit for this recipe must go to PeTA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), who published something very similar for Thanksgiving, 1994. There are many variations in many vegetarian cookbooks, and this version uses ideas from many recipes.

Richer than a basted capon, tenderer than a roasted turkey, this dish will please anyone at your Thanksgiving or other holiday meal. This roast has two parts: the roast itself plus a middle layer of "stuffing." But if you make it right, everything kind of oozes together once it's done, and the result is heavenly. Updated for 2000: fat has been reduced!

Ingredients:
The roast:

two tablespoons oil or margarine
2 large onions, chopped fine
5 cloves (or an entire bulb) garlic, minced
3 cups raw cashews
1 1/2 cups bread
1 cup soup stock (or water)
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons lemon juice
The "stuffing":

3 cups bread cubes, toasted
two tablespoons margarine, melted but not hot
1/2 to 3/4 cup finely-chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon sage
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
salt to taste
Method:
(From the first list:) Cook the onion and garlic in the oil or margarine until tender, and remove from the heat.

Chop the cashews by hand or in a food processor; cut up the bread as well. Add the cashews and bread to the onion, then add the vegetable stock, salt and pepper, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Put half of this mixture into a small, non-stick loaf pan (or line a regular loaf pan with parchment paper if a non-stick pan is unavailable).

Mix together all the ingredients from the second list. Put the mixture on top of the stuff in the loaf pan, and add the rest of the first mixture so that there are three layers of food in the pan.

Place the pan on a baking sheet or in a larger loaf pan (in case it overflows while cooking), and bake at 400 degrees F for half an hour. The top should be browned.

Let the roast cool for a few minutes, then turn the pan over and serve the roast on a plate (or simply serve it out of the pan). Serve with gravy if desired, keeping in mind that it is a very rich dish.

Notes:
The roast will take about an hour to prepare.

The stuffing works well on its own -- and I often make extra!

The roast refrigerates well and can be frozen for a few months and microwaved back to life.

As shown, recipe makes roughly six servings.

Vegetable stock is often available in concentrate or as bouillon cubes, in health-food stores and in general grocery stores. If you really can't find it, use water.

When serving this roast, please inform the diners that the recipe is based on one by PeTA.

When preparing this recipe and any other food you enjoy, please use organically-grown vegetables, fruits, grains, and flavorings. The Earth you save may be your own.



sounds yummy *licks lips*

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View entire thread: fun friday afternoon quiz!

Posted by jangrl on 2004-07-16 16:22:40      Post Subject:

Five things I really liked when I was a teenager that I don't much care for now:
.getting good grades
.being what others define as successful
.the grunge look
.writing poetry
.staying up late

Five things I didn't much care for when I was a teenager that I really like now:
.weezer
.cooking
.being politically aware (i was too self-absorbed, just like every other teenager)
.my mom's home cooking
.living in a metropolitan area with easy access to whatever i want!

Five things I've always really liked and very likely always will:
.crafting
.doc martens
.chris cornell!
.playing music
.talking to friends

Five things I've never much cared for and very likely never will:
.being "girly"
.not being particularly sporty
."rice rockets" (souped-up sports cars)
.growing up somewhere relatively homogenous and close-minded
.romance novels

jangrl

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View entire thread: RUM CAKE! questions

Posted by JediEmpressMel on 2005-11-13 20:07:45      Post Subject:

Actually, the alcohol doesn't all burn off. Some of it might, but in general it is still in the cake. I've had rum cakes that reeked of rum, and tasted like it too, because the alcohol was still in it.
I think I would just use rum extract instead of real rum if you are worried about anyone not wanting to have the alcohol. If no one cares, then the real one would probably be fine.

http://www.ochef.com/165.htm

What we found out has really surprised us. The conventional wisdom accepted by just about everyone in the food world is that all the alcohol you add to a dish evaporates or dissipates during cooking. It’s wrong. In fact, you have to cook something for a good three hours to really eradicate all traces of alcohol. And some cooking methods are less effective at removing alcohol than just letting it stand out uncovered overnight.

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View entire thread: just moved to brooklyn, want to meet new people

Posted by elixirbeth on 2005-08-10 08:21:55      Post Subject: just moved to brooklyn, want to meet new people

ladies, i just moved from baltimore to brooklyn and am having a difficult time crawling out of my shell. im a teacher, so ive got the summer off, but i find myself moping around and sulking to my old man that "theres nothing to do" (which is ridiculous). im into cooking and painting and yoga, and would love to try anything new.

ive considered taking a class, but im SUPER low on cash right now. i spend most of my days cooped up making art and cooking, which is great... but lonely. any tips?

geez, i sound PATHETIC. ;-)

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View entire thread: holiday cooking success stories?

Posted by moon_lemming on 2004-12-27 08:22:42      Post Subject: holiday cooking success stories?

I ended up making an elaborate dinner Christmas Eve for the three of us. Cream of Portobello Mushroom Soup, Nutty Brussels Sprouts, Mashed Potatoes & Parsnips with Garlic, Breaded Cod with Tomatoes, and for dessert, Chocolate (Croissant) Bread Pudding. (Most of those recipes came from foodtv.com; the bread pudding one came from Gale Gand's Short and Sweet.) The only things that came out perfectly were the soup (with a puff pastry top, so damn good) and the brussels sprouts. The croissants in the bread pudding weren't stale enough, the mashed potatoes/parsnips were okay, but I missed a few chunks of parsnip (made for a weird texture), and we've discovered we don't like cod (the sauce was good, though).

I cooked for a good five hours at least. It wasn't worth it food-wise, but it was worth it experience-wise, since I've never done any cooking that involved that much planning and work.

Non-dinner speaking, my holiday baking went really well. I pared it down to the basics since I didn't have much time and only made enough for us to eat that week and for gifts. The sugared pecans were excellent and everyone loved the peppermint bark.

How'd your cooking go this year?

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View entire thread: Yet another apple recipe

Posted by anthrogirl on 2004-11-29 21:30:48      Post Subject: Yet another apple recipe

This is one I received from my boyfriend the other day.

Apple Crostada / Gallette aux pommes

1 1/2 cooking apples, cored but not peeled
1 pie crust (if you want to be quick, use the new Pillsbury rolled-up one)
2-3 tablespoons semi-soft sharp cheese
3-4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw) or white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons honey

Heat oven to 350. Roll out dough on the bottom of a cookie sheet (I use a regular cookie sheet and a Silpat- it makes life easier). Cut the apples into small wedges- you should end up with about 12. Place them in a decorative way on the dough and leave about an inch of space around the edge. Roll and crimp the edge, rather like a pizza edge. Drizzle honey over the apples. Sprinkle on the sugar and grate cheese all over the apples and dot the them with butter. Put in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the apples have cooked; during the last 5 minutes, add some more grated cheese. Pull out and let rest for about 5 minutes. Serve with ice cream or dessert wine.

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View entire thread: i learned how to make tamales this weekend!

Posted by picapica on 2004-08-10 14:49:53      Post Subject:

I love green corn chili cheese tamales! I think I always learn better by doing the actual project (food or otherwise) with someone than trying to follow written directions. Plus, it's a nice opportunity to sip some wine and catch up on each other's lives.

My mom and her best friend JoAnn cook together all the time (professionally and casually) and last year we started the first of what was called their "cooking institutes". I wanted them to teach me how to make pirogi and then JoAnn's daughter-in-law came too. I've known JoAnn and her family since I was born, but as an adult, we rarely see each other. This was a good opportunity to catch up with her and get to know her new daughter-in-law. We had a great time and learned a lot about how the recipe changed from her mother's generation to her and will probably change with us. Afterword we ate a huge meal and all of our men cleaned up (they had been out drinking/male bonding during our classtime). It was fun to do something with several generations that was a learning experience but was also a fun social time as well. This year I think we will do a Christmas cookie "institute" and mom and I are going to do a canning institute in a couple of weeks so I can make my mother-in-law's neighbor's killer hotsauce.

Food is really important to my mom's family. My mother cooks professionally and her father and brother were/are farmers. My earliest memories involve group food events such as apple butter making and butchering, unfortunately we don't do the latter any more and the former only rarely. Although all family events do still include major food preparation. It's nice to do these things during non-holiday stressful times. I love cooking with my mom, but sometimes we have too many mother-daughter issues that come up during the process. Bringing other people into the equation sometimes allivates that stress.

Wow this is a really long post and I just noticed how amazing it is that something as basic as food can touch on so many other issues!

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View entire thread: Quick, Cheap, and Delicious

Posted by dvizzl on 2006-04-27 15:05:40      Post Subject: Quick, Cheap, and Delicious

Here's little something I've been cooking up lately. Quick and yummy.

Super-Simple Red Pepper Pasta
Note: From here on out BTAB = Bring to a Boil. :)

You'll need:
- Kosher Salt (Use Diamond. Not Morton's. Ick.)
- Pasta of your choice (I use a hearty spaghetti)
- Pure Olive Oil
- Mild Italian Sausage (Optional)
- Red Pepper Flakes (I like to stock up on the ones I get from pizza deliveries)
- Parmesan Cheese (Either the little pizza packets or do the real deal with Parmesano Reggiano)

Method:
Heat up some water for the pasta. Add enough salt so they water tastes like seasoned soup. i.e. not briny like the ocean, but not like plain water.
BTAB. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is just cooked, i.e. if you cut the pasta open, there is no opaque speck in the middle.

Meanwhile, cut open the casing on the sausage. Crumble up the meat inside and discard the casing. Heat up about a Tablespoon of olive oil (If you're using a nonstick pan, more if using stainless steel) until you see a thin veil of smoke rising. Add the crumbled sausage and DON'T TOUCH!. After about a minute gently lift a piece to check and see if it's golden brown. Then turn the pieces.

By this time the pasta should be about done.

Add the red pepper to the sausage to taste. I put about a teaspoon and a half. Let sizzle for a minute or so, to develop the spicy flavor, but don't let the pepper burn and turn black. Yuck.

Now add the pasta to the pan of sausage, along with a healthy ladle of the pasta water. Boil the pasta and sausage mixture until the water is gone, then plate it up.

Note:(Boiling the pasta with the sausage finishes cooking it, and lets the flavor permeate the pasta. I recommend this method for red sauces too. Heat up the red sauce in a pan, add the hot almost-cooked pasta and some pasta water. Then cook at a heavy simmer until the water's gone and the pasta's cooked.)

Shred some cheese on top and you're ready to eat.

Yum!

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View entire thread: calling all artists!

Posted by jean on 2005-11-25 17:49:43      Post Subject: calling all artists!

<cross posted on my blog>

Help me

I have no talent with illustrator and am at a blank as to what my get crafty avatar should be. Can you make me one? If I use it, i'll send you a free copy of my book: Get Crafty Hip Home Ec

What the? i want something inspired, sexy, strong and crafty. my favorite crafts are cooking and writing. i have brown hair and sometimes i wear glasses. (i can send you a photo too.)

How the? Create an illustrated avatar that is no larger than 6kb, and 65 by 65 pixels which I can upload to the site.

When the? The deadline for this is Dec. 10, 2005.

Where the? All submissions should be emailed to me through the site.

I'm standing by!!!!!

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View entire thread: Easy Treats

Posted by cackalackie on 2005-01-12 14:20:52      Post Subject: Easy Treats

I made these the other night in no time at all. No cooking, four ingredients. My husband and daughter say it's one of the best things they've ever had. Thought I'd share.

S’mores Clusters

1 bag (12 oz.) chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups Golden Graham Cereal
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Melt peanut butter and chocolate chips. (I put them in a glass bowl and did it in the microwave, a minute at the time, then stirring.) Cool a little and dump in cereal and marshmallows. Plop on waxed paper. Place in refrigerator to set.

Any other ideas for Easy Treats to share?

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View entire thread: Freezer Cooking

Posted by Moergy on 2005-08-09 17:27:51      Post Subject: Freezer Cooking

I'm starting graduate school in less than a month and I'm looking for ways to save time and money with cooking. I've been reading a bit about freezer cooking or "Once a Month Cooking." Has anyone ever done this? How did it work? Any single people ever try it? Thanks.

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View entire thread: I'm having a Grrrr sort of day

Posted by amanelle on 2004-04-14 12:21:35      Post Subject: I'm having a Grrrr sort of day

Who else is having a Grrr sort of day and why?

-I got up at 6 am to telephone register for my classes. I finally got through about 8am. Then the stupid thing told me my SSN or pin number was wrong. I know my SSN isn't and I verified my pin the other day. I know my class will be full by now and walk in registration isn't until next week.

-My husband works second shift so I make dinner the night before and just reheat it. Last night while cooking I turned my back for like 2 seconds and a cat had jumped on the counter and was chowing down on tonight 's dinner. As many times as it happens you would think I knew better.

-I keep having crazy dreams. Last night I dreamed that I was at my grandfather's funeral (he died about 14 years ago) and they had strippers. STRIPPERS!?!?!?!?! This about the 4th night in a row i've had weirdo dreams like that.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better

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View entire thread: HELP pie crust question

Posted by sallysunshine on 2005-08-20 23:44:46      Post Subject: Re: HELP pie crust question

hi hi hi

im so eager to bake a pie, but scared to death of pie shells. does anyone have a fool proof trick for making the perfect pie shell? (not pillsbury... haha)

thanks!

-- eli.xoxo

I have two pie crust tricks. First, don't attempt an all-butter crust until you have some practice. Butter melts really easily, and melted butter is the enemy of flakiness. I use half butter and half cream cheese. (I use the cream cheese pie crust recipe out of the Joy of Cooking.) Second, have everything really cold before you start. I freeze the butter (just for a few minutes), the bowl, the rolling pin, the pastry cutter... everything.

Supposedly, it's much easier to make pie crust in a food processer. I don't have a food processer, so I do it by hand, and it works out ok.

I got a little set from the cooking store that has a mat to roll your crust out on and a cover for your rolling pin. They're made of a fabric that absorbs flour, so they're non-stick. I keep those in the fridge, so they're really cold when I'm ready to roll out my crust. Wax paper works, too.

But the most important thing to remember, I think, is that it doesn't have to be perfect. It takes some practice to get the hang of pie crust, but even not-perfect crust is pretty darn great. You're better off if you stop angsting about it and just start practicing.

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View entire thread: Need input, opinions, and ideas for 'newzine' column title

Posted by microsinger on 2006-04-18 12:26:55      Post Subject: Need input, opinions, and ideas for 'newzine' column title

I am preparing to present a proposal to a regional newspaper/magazine in my area. The newzine iteslf is called "Heartland Women" and it features articles/columns about local events, health and wellness, business, investing, etc., all geared toward a female audience. My column would be a monthly or bi-monthly (depending on my options) one featuring an array of topics that revolve around the home; cooking/shopping, crafting, decorating, budgeting & simple living, gardening, recycling, etc. It would be similar to Martha's newpaper column; new subjects each week, a few recipes, a craft tutorial, hints and tips. The only names I have come up with are "Heartland Home" which fits well but is a little too 'pre-Freidan' for my tastes and "The Domestic Dabbler" which is....ok, I guess. My audience is not likely to be too "hip" so I have to keep it somewhat tame. "The Renegade Hausfrau" would probably require too much definition and I would probably either offend the homemakers, the feminists, or both. Any thoughts, suggestions, tips??

Edited to add: Sorry for the double post. My pc froze up and I guess I hit submit twice.

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View entire thread: Christmas dinner!

Posted by lazysundae on 2007-12-15 09:39:58      Post Subject: Christmas dinner!

i've got food on the brain. who's cooking xmas dinner? my bf and i are in nyc, both away from family this year so i'm going to try a german-inspired xmas since he is homesick for germany:

roast duck w/ cherries and black peppercorn sauce
red cabbage
mashed potatoes (we don't like potato dumplings)
green bean casserole (i didn't make one at thanksgiving)

cheesecake w/ lemon-blueberry topping (not really german but it's our favorite dessert)

i miss xmas in the philippines w/ my family, where we have a whole roast pig and someone stands there all night to carve it. i know there are a lot of vegetarians here but i grew up on meat! sorry if this grosses you out :)

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View entire thread: El Museo del Barrio, NYC

Posted by CraftyChicaAZ on 2004-04-20 11:21:52      Post Subject:

Thank you for asking!

I have Crafty Diva's DIY Style Book coming out next month (its a tween crafting book that has cool projects like altered books and picture bracelets). It got such a positive response from bookstore chain buyers that the publisher signed me to make it into a series. The next one is the Crafty Diva's Ultimate Makeover Guide (May 2005) - it combines cooking, crafting and finding your inner charisma. I love it because as a mom of an 11 year old, I want to counteract all the crazy peer pressure stuff she sees on tv! So a lot of the topics are geared towards building self esteem/creativity at a young age.

I still waiting to hear back from the DIY wedding book that went out to major trade publishers through a book broker. There are still four houses that are considering it, but haven't made up their mind. It was kinda hard because the book broker did the proposal, not me. I *know* if I had done it it would of had more of my energy and maybe would have been sold already...But all in good time. Maybe it isnt meant to be right now. It's my dream to someday do a title for a major trade. I'm working on a really fun novel right now, maybe that is when it will *happen* - who knows?

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View entire thread: Who is your crafty hero?

Posted by riotous lioness on 2007-01-23 18:57:07      Post Subject:

Honestly, I don't know of any "famous" crafty people. So my heros are the people who taught me, or encouraged me. Number one on this list is our own moderator, artgeek, who is always showing me some sort of cool thing she made, and who's been very supportive of my interests in a variety of crafts. She also completely "bah"ed my feeling that I wasn't crafty enough for this forum, and I'm glad she did. I wouldn't have thought of cooking and gardening as crafty, and I've always felt that since I'm following someone else's pattern in cross-stitch, I'm not that crafty. Still, I keep learning new things (like crochet).

My friend Ginger, who taught me how to crochet and tried to teach me how to sew. The only downside is that I was so bad at sewing that she's totally given up on me, and won't give me a "refresher" course in crochet!

Finally, my friend Judy. She's an amazing gardener, who's always helping me figure out how to make my plants do well. I had an amazing container garden this year, and in no small part due to her advice. Plus, she's going to coach me on growing winter spinach!

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View entire thread: garlic scapes

Posted by athena on 2007-07-23 10:58:43      Post Subject:

i found a recipe! well, it's not a recipe, i just roasted them:

preheat oven to 425 degrees, lightly coat in olive oil, salt, roast for 15-20 minutes.

in my googling, i saw that it is used in chinese cooking a lot, particularly stir fry.

they were tasty, and made my apartment smell wonderful.

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View entire thread: Victorian Crafts

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-01-22 11:27:31      Post Subject: Victorian Crafts

At the New York Publc Library, I just found a now out of print book called "Whatnot: A Compendium of Victoriian Crafts and Other Matters" by Henderson and Wilkinson. There were patterns for wide variety of useful, semi-useful, and downright ridiculous items that were made mostly by niddle-class women. I loved the book on several different levels. The highest one is that it made me feel grateful that I'm a relatively poor working teacher instead of an undereducated and sheltered Victorian lady. If I had nothing to do but make some of these crafts and read Bulwer-Lytton, I'd go straight out of my mind. No wonder feminism, temperance and other causes became important forces in women's lives- they got them out of those suffocating houses filled with beadwork and faux coral made from wax.

The crafts themselves are taken from a four-volume set of books written by a Mr. Cassel for the edification of Victorian families. The set was a kind of proto-Martha Stewart, right down to the overly complicated meals and dubious craft projects. The best/worst one was the fake Oriental decoupage jar, made by sticking pictures inside of a glass jarr and then painting the inside to make it simulate porcelain. Now, inthe right hands this could be a lot of fun- but I keep imagining ladies of various ages and skills attempting this. Some of those jars must have been the equivalent of those hideous acrylic afghans and toilet-paper covers one finds at rural jumble sales. Since it was considered very bad form for decent young ladies to discuss politics, religion, or art in any detail that would show a deep knowledge of such subjects in mixed company, or to offer any advances towards the men they fancied, women often gave the crafts and whatnots they made as presents- bad luck to the man whose belle had no artistic talent. Nowadays people who do crafts usually have some small aptitude; in the Victorian era, the polite fiction was that all women had natural skills in crafting, singing, and cooking.
Would I try any of these crafts? Yes. I'm probably going to attempt the faux lace projects and the buttonwork teacozy/egg basket combo. I wish there had been more information on cooking, crochet and knotwork, but one can't have everything. The book, which was published in 1977, can be found used on Amazon.com.

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View entire thread: Crafter's Insurance & Permits

Posted by meexie on 2007-02-19 22:21:43      Post Subject: Re: Crafter's Insurance & Permits


-- Do I have to report Etsy earnings on my taxes?

Short version: yes. Depending on how much you make, you may or may not have to pay taxes on your Etsy earnings. To be on the safe side, report your earnings. I keep track of my costs and earnings with accounting software and do my taxes with Turbo Tax. This can also come in handy later on if, say, you want to get a loan from your bank to expand your small business.

Check with your state government to find out how to register your business name, get a tax license, etc. You can generally do this online.


-- If I am selling food products on Etsy or at farmer's markets, do I need food service certification or permits?


Again, check with your state gov't. You pretty much always need some kind of permit; the sort you will need can vary from state to state and sometimes on the situation (one-time deal or long-term). Whether you sell on Etsy or at a farmer's market, you'll need to find out what your state (and possibly city/county) requirements are, like having the heath department inspect your cooking site.


-- To sell at craft fairs or farmer's markets, do I need to hold limited liabilty insurance?
Check with the individual fair/market. On a related note, you can register your business as an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) for certain legal benefits and protections.

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View entire thread: d.i.y. / environmentally friendly cooking spray?

Posted by xuli on 2006-06-05 11:20:44      Post Subject: d.i.y. / environmentally friendly cooking spray?

OK, seems like the stars are aligned for me to just pester with board with all of my most clueless questions, so here's another one:

Ever since I got my own first apartment, I've eliminated all aerosol containers from my life (they are so bad for the environment!) except cooking spray. I love cooking spray -- it balances and portions out cooking oils perfectly for me. And yet, every time I use it I feel a horrible pang of guilt ... except that we all know guilt does nothing for the earth.

Is there a way to make my own? Like, by putting cooking oil in a re-usable spray bottle? Would the spray bottle gum up and jam? Would the oil come through?

This is a question I've been wanting to ask forever, but have not had the courage to admit I still use cooking spray.

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View entire thread: Freezer Cooking

Posted by homuncula on 2005-08-13 16:27:56      Post Subject:

Hi Moergy, I did freezer cooking for most of the last year. I am also a grad student (though not for much longer... wha haha!). I'm not single, but my husband travels all the time, so I mostly cook just for myself, which is why the freezer cooking worked so well for me. I found it impossible to motivate myself to cook just for myself.
I recommend doing casseroles and stews especially-- they freeze best. what kind of questions do you have? I'm a huge fan of it and I'd be happy to tell you more... : )

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View entire thread: homemade snack bars

Posted by ThePeach on 2007-09-21 09:29:51      Post Subject:

I love www.Mrbreakfast.com!

Granola Breakfast Bars

(This recipe yields 12 servings) Printable Version


For Granola:
2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup almonds or walnuts - coarsely chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar - packed
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup honey
1 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup raisins (optional)


To Make Bars:
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1 cup light brown sugar - packed
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
First, make the granola:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Lightly grease a wide cooking pan.

Combine the oats and nuts in the pan and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan on medium heat, combine all remaining granola ingredients. Stir about 5 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. If it starts to boil, reduce heat immedietly.

Pour mixture over oats and nuts in the pan. Stir up the oats and nuts, so everything get a little coated.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes - stir once every 15 minutes for even cooking. Remove from oven. If using raisins, stir them in right after you remove the pan from the oven.

Allow granola to cool at least 10 minutes.

Now, make the bars:

Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Prepare a 9 x 13 pan with a light coating of butter or cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until you get a wet sand-like texture. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

In a seperate large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and cinnamon.

Combine the two mixtures in the large bowl and mix well.

Stir granola into the bowl.

Spread the mixture evenly in prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until lightly browned. If a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, it's done.

Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cut into 12 bars (or fewer or more depending on the size you want).

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View entire thread: Fat free/Sugar free Apple Recipes

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-10-02 17:54:28      Post Subject:

APPLESAUCE!
That's my favorite. A whole bunch of cut up cooking apples, a little bit of water, some low heat with a little bit of stirring, and BOOM! Nummy applesauce. No sugar needed if you use sweet cooking apples.

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View entire thread: craft vacation

Posted by italianchildhood on 2008-04-20 15:37:17      Post Subject:

I think it's a great idea. It seems that there are theme vacations, like biking, cooking, etc., so crafting would be a good one, people could learn, share ideas, chat, fun!

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View entire thread: free cookbooks- all claimed -please post when received!

Posted by Athos on 2005-04-23 17:36:25      Post Subject: free cookbooks- all claimed -please post when received!

hey craftistas,

i'm cleaning out my kitchen. does anyone want any of the following? i'll mail them to you in the US only, totally free, just to get them to a better home and not be wasteful. the cookbooks are meaty - part of the reason i don't use them is because i stopped eating meat a couple years ago. ha, looking at my list, i guess you'd notice that i also really don't drink alcohol any more either!

101 essential wine tips by dk publishing:
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=65-0789414643-2

the ultimate a-z bar guide:
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=62-0767901975-0

BH+G cooking for friends
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=2-0696208539-2

williams-sonoma seasonal favorites - can't find a link, but it's 28 fall and winter recipes, full color, smallish book - retailed for $12.95.

PM me or post if you want them! again, US only - i just can't spring for out of the country shipping.

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View entire thread: soy alternative for cream?

Posted by stella on 2007-02-28 14:39:28      Post Subject:

you can get soy creamer! Silk makes one. it's usually in the same section of the milk cooler as regular creamers and half-and-half. it's more like non-dairy creamer than real cream in texture and taste, but it's much better than plain soy milk. you can use it in cooking, too, but it is a little sweet. it is vegan, unlike regular non-dairy creamers that have casein in them.

*typing "creamer" so many times made it look weird, and now i'm not sure that's even the right word. i hate it when that happens!

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View entire thread: sea salt

Posted by teagrrl on 2005-03-12 06:27:31      Post Subject:

I thought of another possibility: dried herbs? Lavender, for example, has quite a strong scent, and you can use it in cooking so it should be non-toxic.

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View entire thread: Veggie Stuffing?

Posted by MonaMew on 2004-11-22 22:46:32      Post Subject:

I make non-stuffed stuffing all the time... go carbs go! :o) No real recipe, I just wing it:

Boil a 4-5 cups of water and disolve some veggie boullion powder in it. Make it fairly strong because this is where a lot of your flavour comes from (mmmmm, MSG!). Add some spices (no salt, the boullion takes care of that for you). Thyme and Rosemary really are the key ones for a truly yummy stuffing. Set aside.

Chop up some onion & garlic, toss into a large pot with some butter and olive oil and saute for a few minutes. Add some of your prepared veggie boullion chopped carrot, celery and mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes until your veggies have softened up.

Add some of your bread cubes (a mix of all different breads is nice and lots of crust is good, too). Pour a small amount of the boullion over the cubes and toss with veggies. Keep adding cubes and more boullion until the stuffing is damp but not soggy.

All done! You can eat as is or put into a cassarole dish and bake in the oven for a little while at low heat to dry it out a bit if you like.

Now the version I gave above is the "proper" way to do it. When I make it I just boil some water and leave it in the kettle. As it is boiling, I chop my onion and garlic and toss it in with the butter and oil. As that is cooking, I chop my other veggies and toss them in. As that is cooking up, I chop my bread. Throw in my spices and then, I start putting in the bread, sprinkle some powdered boullion on top, add some water and fold it in. More bread, boullion and water, etc until all the bread is in the pot. Easy-peasy!

Mmmmm, stuffing! :o)

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View entire thread: adding to tinned soup

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-02-18 17:03:26      Post Subject:

You can add noodles, croutons, cheese, frozen veggies, minced chicken or beef, onions or chives, mushrooms, dried tomatoes, wine, sherry- all sorts of things. It depends on the kind of soup. You might want to look at one of Jeff Smith's old books- he talked a lot obut cooking with wine. Or look at the Joy of Cooking- anything that you can use to make soup can be put into a soup to flavor it. Soup is actually very easy to make, especially if you have access to a fridge to keep the extra.

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View entire thread: best video sites

Posted by womwom on 2007-10-03 15:57:43      Post Subject:

I really like http://Better.tv. They have "channels" on different things like decorating, cooking, fashion, workouts...all sorts of stuff. It's great for ideas and I find it much easier to follow directions from a video (where I can see someone do something) rather than just read instructions :-)

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View entire thread: Toddler Tips

Posted by sarabell on 2005-06-05 23:57:31      Post Subject:

myh 32 month old son has tired of coloring in his coloring books. so he paints in them but usually does collages with them - glues pieces of paper from the shredder, beans, macaroni, salt, and rice that i dye (really easy. i've posted it a couple times. lemme know if you want the details on that.)

he's really into "cooking" with play dough. has special pans, spatulas, colored salt that he sprinkles on it.

we color on any BIG paper, box, whatever. he likes to have his whole body traced and he colors it in.

small shovel/trowel and magnifying glass when we're outside and he digs for bugs and checks them out.

he's also a big helper with the laundry, too. and a great way to get him to help clean up the house, i've learned, is instead of telling him to put away all the animals or blocks (WAY too big of a task for him) is to have him put things away one by one. really keeps him busy for a LONG time!

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View entire thread: family dinner whilst on vacation

Posted by E. Bess on 2005-05-24 11:47:12      Post Subject: family dinner whilst on vacation

My man and I have been charged with cooking the family dinner while we're on vacation one night. I have to figure this out, like, today. Any suggestions? We're talking something for four couples and one baby.

The easier and simpler the better... I'm not going to be able to pick up any fancy ingredients between now and 8 am tomorrow morning!

Thank you, lassies!

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View entire thread: a great evening in!!!

Posted by louisa on 2007-02-25 01:09:22      Post Subject: a great evening in!!!

My friend Lisa and I are both going through a tough time... Lisa split with her guy and has recently moved to my city.. and well... I am in relationship and home organization distress... I invited Lisa over for Dinner and we go so much done...She helped me hang a heavy mirror I had recently bought... found better spots for my paintings..and even turned some material I had into a wall hanging.. I am a crafty girl (I have a drill, all the nails and pins necessary for the jobs.. but I am a huge procrasinator.. We split a plant I had...it had five ferny things..so we carefully separated the plant...and repotted two of the smaller ones into a plant for her... She was so happy leaving with a new plant..(and a decorative pillow that was in my thrift pile!!! I am also going to give her another plant I am tired of...What a great friend she is... Cooking is my thing.. I love the idea of decorating..but I often buy the stuff and don't get around to using it!! It would be so great to have the decorator fairy come more often.. I feel like my apartment is on my way.. I bought the book Apartment Therapy a while back.. But I Am so behind on everything...This is my year.. More Yoga..less shopping... More dinner parties etc...Hopefully I will be on my way soon..

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View entire thread: My bread machine...tips?

Posted by boheme-anne on 2006-02-12 11:11:14      Post Subject: My bread machine...tips?

I just started using my bread machine again. I had stopped before because on a few occasions my bread came out really bad. I thought it was a little odd because I usally am decent at cooking and it's a no brainer to use a bread machine. I think that it is off balance, even though none of it's rubber pegs are missing from the bottom. It dances across my counter, so I have to put a wet rag under it so it doesn't move. Normally you don't see that kind of behavior in a home appliance, quoted from ghostbusters. ha ha ha
Anyway, now I'm looking for some nifty recipes for my machine. Allrecipes.com is annoying to me, the website always freezes and it takes forever to load. Does anybody have anything to share?

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View entire thread: First attempt at homeade paste

Posted by mel_stormer on 2006-04-02 18:54:08      Post Subject: First attempt at homeade paste

I am soo excited!! i love to cook and watching cooking shows. I have not really adventured out into cooking anything too difficult yet, but i told myself that i would try to make pasta. So tonight i am making a basic pasta with a butter an fresh sage sauce and i really hope it turns out. It is from the book Lidia's Family Table. So here we go...wish me good cooking luck!

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View entire thread: Remedial home ec

Posted by Becky65301 on 2004-06-30 09:59:24      Post Subject:

Jasmine, being domestic is a learned skill... I think maybe some people might be born just knowing how to do that stuff, but surely not me. Really cool that you found someone to teach you.

I do some freezer cooking/ once a month cooking type stuff and once you understand the concept it's very handy and also saves money. But I read like 3 books to understand it- would have been so much easier just to have someone explain where I could ask questions.

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View entire thread: Remedial home ec

Posted by Becky65301 on 2004-07-01 21:32:06      Post Subject:

What good is knowledge if we don't share it or pass it on? It seems like the things we take for granted knowing how to do put others in awe...

Very good point. This being a crafty board, I'm sure most of us have encountered people who were impressed by our craftiness that we don't even think is anything much. Y'know?

I still remember high school home ec (yeah I'm old). Half semester of cooking, half of sewing. Boy I suck at cooking, I'm better now but back then I couldn't come up with a decent grilled cheese. Fortunately I kicked ass at sewing so I ended up with a decent grade. Everyone has their "thing" that comes naturally, I guess. And I'm sure it's not coincidence that I come from a long line of women who can't cook to save their lives, but could all sew and draw and paint. Sharing is good, there's always something new to learn.

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View entire thread: black bean quesadilla

Posted by cackalackie on 2006-10-16 09:11:43      Post Subject:

My secret ingredient is cream cheese.

You saute some onions and things - and then add the (drained) black beans to the pan. Then put slices of the cream cheese and stir until it's blended. Then toss in some cilantro once you've removed it from the heat. I always add a can of ro-tel tomatoes to the beans (before adding the cream cheese). But if he doesn't like that, you could always saute some red bell peppers as you're cooking the onions.

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View entire thread: Family grab bag?! Help!

Posted by girlsavage on 2006-11-29 13:05:56      Post Subject: Family grab bag?! Help!

Usually my family does a name drawing for all of us kids. This year they have decided to do a grab bag... I'm stumped! What do you get or make for someone, boy or girl, between the ages of 20-44? I have an idea to make an adult size apron in a nice neutral color and some cooking supplies, spices and or recipes... since quite a few of us like to cook. Does that sound like a good idea? Then we still have one more to do. Any ideas? Help!

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View entire thread: black bean quesadilla

Posted by MizMosa on 2006-10-20 10:14:05      Post Subject:

My secret ingredient is cream cheese.

You saute some onions and things - and then add the (drained) black beans to the pan. Then put slices of the cream cheese and stir until it's blended. Then toss in some cilantro once you've removed it from the heat. I always add a can of ro-tel tomatoes to the beans (before adding the cream cheese). But if he doesn't like that, you could always saute some red bell peppers as you're cooking the onions.

That sounds SO delicious! I'm definitely going to have to try that.

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View entire thread: New Here :o)

Posted by SINderella on 2004-12-08 02:41:35      Post Subject:

I hope you don't mind that I'm adding to this. (It just made more sense than starting an entirely new thread :)).

My name's Karissa. I'm a 22 year old soon-to-be college graduate. I attend the College of Charleston where I'm majoring in Elementary Education, with a minor in Psychology. I'm psyched to start applying to graduate schools soon.

I'm a part time bartender, and I like to read, exercise, shop, craft, and travel in my (limited) free time.

My main crafts are decoupage, scrapbooking, stenciling, and cooking.

Like onyxrose, I've been looking for forums to join with like minded people, but have been finding a hard time finding a good fit for me.

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View entire thread: Indian food recipes

Posted by stella on 2006-10-24 00:15:58      Post Subject:

what ingredients are you having trouble with? i love Indian food and like to try cooking it, so I am familiar with a lot of the ingredients.

my favorite cookbook, Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking has a lot of Indian recipes, and most of the ingredients are available in a decent gourmet grocery store like Whole Food. she also gives substitutions for ingredients that are really hard to find. you can also look for Indian markets in your area.

there are also a lot of regional styles in Indian cooking, so what you get at most Indian restaurants (unless there is a large Indian population where you live) is sort of like American Chinese food, in that it's pretty generic.

some ingredients can be hard to find unless you can find an Indian market... i've never seen fenugreek greens even at Whole Foods :)

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View entire thread: Are you making your christmas gifts this year or buying them

Posted by AinsleyKath on 2008-12-05 04:30:15      Post Subject:

bacon infused bourbon:

nice bottle of bourbon (i''m going to use bulleit but i''ve heard maker''s mark used also)

3 strips or so of bacon

glass jar
coffee filter
airtight container

1. cook bacon and reserve the fat.
2. transfer bourbon to the jar or other wide-mouthed glass container and add the bacon fat, let it sit 4-6 hours. the alcohol in the bourbon will draw the flavors out of the fat.
3. put the mixture in the freezer - this will allow you to scrape the fat off the top.
4. funnel it back into the bottle using a coffee filter to catch any bits. i bought some airtight containers from a kitchen supply store that resemble old italian bottles - very cute!

i haven''t done this yet so i can''t say how it tastes but i''m looking forward to it.

hi lazysundae,

The recipe is very simple. but you have said that you havent tried before then how it tastes.

let me know how it is? if anybody try cooking this recipe.

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View entire thread: freezing bread dough?

Posted by sarabell on 2005-12-26 18:32:05      Post Subject: freezing bread dough?

so i want to make my cinnamon rolls to have for new year's at a friend's house. the thing is, i don't want to waste precious party time kneading dough and getting my party clothes all messy. i'd like to have the pan all ready to go for the morning.

i made these for christmas morning and had them chilled in the fridge and ready to rise and bake in the a.m., but i have a 45 minute drive to get to the suaree on new year's eve and don't want them to rise on the way up, only to have to put them back in the fridge and wind up with cinnamon hockey pucks for breakfast..... i thought about just partially cooking them, but they will be sitting in caramel gooiness until i finish them up.

any tips? or should i just nix the idea all together?

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View entire thread: curry lentil recipe?

Posted by stella on 2006-02-09 18:30:47      Post Subject:

well, i gave you my other lentil recipe in the other thread, but i make masoor dal frequently. i just saute some onions in oil with curry powder and garam masala, then put in the masoor dal and enough water to cover it, and a can of peeled, diced tomatoes. last time i also added chunks of potato with the onion, and that was really good. sometimes you have to add more water as it's cooking to keep it from drying out. i like a fairly soupy dal.

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View entire thread: Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Posted by Maddie Haunches on 2005-01-11 18:24:18      Post Subject: Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Hello!

My name is Kristi and this is my first official post in the forums! I learned about get crafty through my sister, the AMAZING Jennifer of Textile Fetish.

I am married with 4 cats. I perform with a couple of local theatre companies, enjoy papercrafts like making cards, collages, and origami, love reading, and adore food and drink of all sorts!

I have slowly come to realize the fact that I am not truly happy and truly MYSELF unless I'm involved in some kind of creative pursuit, whether it be acting in a play, making a birthday card out of an old grocery bag and rubber cement, or cooking Thai curry. I am not living an honest life if I don't expend the effort to live creatively, which I admit I have not always done.

So . . . I have made a commitment this year to be unafraid to live life to the maximum, to create joy and art out of the everyday. I want to say THANK YOU to the folks who post to this board, to Jean (your Editor's Letter is what really got me moving), and to my fabulous sister, all of whom have inspired me to get off my ass and . . . get crafty!

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View entire thread: holiday cooking success stories?

Posted by lizzymahoney on 2004-12-28 10:16:55      Post Subject:

culinarymartyr,

I Never, okay rarely, copy recipes from boards like these. But that brown sugar chile pecan recipe has been added to my repertoire. So simple!

No elaborate cooking for me this year, working and dwindling family.

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View entire thread: PUMPKIN LIP BALM

Posted by yardenxanthe on 2006-05-06 12:29:42      Post Subject:

If you already have beeswax (usually the most difficult lip balm making supply to find), I suggest skipping the petroleum jelly!!! Instead, use any kind of cooking oil (olive, etc.) and if you have coconut oil (can also be found in the cooking section of your local store), some of that.

Use 1/3 beeswax, 1/3 olive (or whatever other liquid oil), 1/3 coconut.

If you can't find the coconut, use roughly 1/2 and 1/2 (although you might want a bit more liquid oil to make it softer).

This is a natural lip balm that can be absorbed by your lips. Petroleum just makes a seal over your skin, but doesn't actually penetrate your dry skin. Also, do you really want to smear a product that is a by-product of crude oil on your lips??

Hope that helps!

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View entire thread: is anyone a newbie cook?

Posted by pudding on 2006-09-12 03:08:36      Post Subject:

YAY!! I love hearing about new people drinking the cooking kool-aid...
Thread hijack: this is the second reference I've read to drinking the kool-aid in 20 minutes. Where's it from???

CraftinFool, I second the YAY!! It is amazing fun to cook! It's exciting to hear that you began your cooking career with such impressive and yummy sounding dishes!

I'm going through a bit of a healthy, high quality, whole-foods, full of goodness phase right now. I've rediscovered a Jamie Oliver cookbook I own and I'm trying to adopt his approach of cooking simple dishes using high quality, fresh ingredients. I made spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, chilli and parsley last night and I do have to say it was awesome.

My piece of advice: Would you consider planting a little herb garden (or maybe you already have one)? I have herbs growing in little pots on my balcony and it's wonderful adding your own home-grown herbs to your cooking.

The other thing I love doing is making shopping lists! For the last few nights I've been furiously scribbling down foods I want to buy and cook. I like planning what I am going to cook almost as much as cooking itself! It's coming in to summer here and I'm planning all the salads I want to cook over the next few months.

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View entire thread: 30 minute meals

Posted by jean on 2004-09-13 14:52:46      Post Subject:

i know...her cuteness is annoying, and yet, her techniques offer great shortcuts and i just love her whole short cut approach for week-day meals. maybe its because i'm pregnant, but i'm finding cooking, my craft of choice, to be sort of draining these days. many of the other shows are more about cooking stylishly, but she is really bare-bones, here is some quick and good food.

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View entire thread: new recipes

Posted by janaka on 2007-07-18 16:27:39      Post Subject:

i can see that. i don't like cooking meat or chicken, and when i do buy it, i make sure to buy organic at whole foods. usually my stomach is fine with that. i don't cook steak, and if i have it at a restaurant, i usually tell them to cook it with no added seasoning - that is usually what keeps me up all night!!

chicken i can deal with better than red meat. i am bored with the recipes i have and need to find new ones.

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View entire thread: Family grab bag?! Help!

Posted by craftfetish on 2006-11-30 12:26:03      Post Subject:

You could do a movie night - with a gift card, some of those giant boxes of candy (they have 'em at the dollar store), some microwave popcorn and a cute popcorn bowl (the melted LP kind are fun to make) or blanket to snuggle under.

You could do a pasta night - gourmet pasta sauce, dry pasta, cool bowls, one of those fork-spoon things, a bottle of wine, cloth napkins or whatever fun stuff you find in the home section until you are out of money.

You could do a game night - with poker chips or a board game. Add a bit of craftiness with a set of handmade invitations and/or snacks.

A windowsill herb garden or one of those garden in a bag things with some other fun cooking things (recipes, hot pads, gadgets and the other things already suggested).


If you want to go with a gift card, you could throw in a little project to make it a little crafty and personal.

Home Depot/Lowe's card + you could paint, embroider, bedazzle (okay, that's not gender neutral) or otherwise embellish one of those little aprons for holding nails. (or you could embellish a tape measure or any other small tool)

Starbucks card + espresso truffles or a knit coffee cozy (basically a 3 inch tapered tube - I have pictures of one of these on my blog- super easy)

Williams Sonoma/Whole Foods or any other foodie gift card + homemade hot pad, recipe cards, embellished apron, spice rub, etc.

Sporting Goods card + gender neutral hat or mittens, "Team (Your Last Name)" stencilled gym bag/shirt

Bookstore + fancy coffee/hot cocoa mix (my ideal rainy afternoon) or you could make a glasses case (unless reading glasses are a sensitive subject with some of your fam)

Okay, I'm getting carried away. But you get the idea.

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View entire thread: i learned how to make tamales this weekend!

Posted by Lucy Furr on 2004-08-15 19:31:41      Post Subject:

Me and my mother and aunt use to have to help my grandmother make these every christmas...man, i hated it. living up here in Washington while the familia is down in Texas makes a gal ache for some home cooking. lucky for me, i know how to make them.

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View entire thread: Sexy Girls...What Makes You Feel Sexy?

Posted by xuli on 2004-05-31 10:36:49      Post Subject:

* the beach
* cooking/eating a good meal
* candles
* sustained eye contact
* flirting
* a good outfit
* having yummy-smelling hair

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View entire thread: best brownie recipe needed!

Posted by ti on 2004-11-04 00:32:56      Post Subject:

these are wonderful! pm me if you want me to email you the doc - the intro to it has some cool info.

CHEWY, FUDGY TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
Makes sixty-four 1-inch brownies

Either Dutch-processed or natural cocoa works well in this recipe. These brownies are very rich, so we prefer to cut them into small squares for serving.

5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Fold two 12-inch pieces of foil lengthwise so that they measure 7 inches wide. Fit one sheet in bottom of greased pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; overhang will help in removal of baked brownies. Fit second sheet in pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth. Whisk in cocoa until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture; then stir in flour with wooden spoon until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread into corners, and level surface with rubber spatula; bake until slightly puffed and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan using foil handles. Cut into 1-inch squares and serve. (Do not cut brownies until ready to serve; brownies can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 5 days.)

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View entire thread: Have you ever had a donut peach?

Posted by Katrin on 2004-06-19 19:32:46      Post Subject:

A few years ago I had this temp job at the cushiest office I've ever seen - they actually had an on-site professional chef whose only job was cooking a gourmet lunch for the employees every day. There was also a tray of pastries and a bowl of fresh fruit every morning, and we could eat as much as we wanted. This was the first place I had doughnut peaches.

Unfortunately after about two days, it became clear that I didn't know how to do the work that needed to be done. Apparently the company had specifically asked for an "expert" in this obscure database program which I knew nothing about, and my temp agency didn't understand what they wanted, so they sent me because I was a good typist or something.

So I had to leave; no hard feelings anywhere. But man, those lunches were good while they lasted. And yeah, I could eat those doughnut peaches forever.

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View entire thread: anyone been to flagstaff, arizona?

Posted by spiderlady on 2006-03-03 10:53:43      Post Subject:

It's my second home! My sister lives there, though she may be moving to Phoenix soon.
Check out Lowell Observatory, the Riordan Mansion, the Museum of Northern AZ, all the funky hippie shops downtown, the Museum Club on Route 66 if you're into clubbing (I'm not, really, but my niece loves it).
As for eateries, there's a place on Beaver St. near the train station called Altitudes Bar and Grill that absolutely makes the best damn burger in Flagstaff. Good beer, too. Down the street a bit is the Beaver St. Brewery, which has the best chicken caesar salad in Arizona, bar none. And yes, they make their own beer. If you feel like cooking, the Flagstaff Farmers Market is the best place for great produce--I wish we had one like that in Phx!

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View entire thread: milk alternative

Posted by peppermintsquare on 2004-05-19 07:41:35      Post Subject:

I use Silk Original. And as mentioned above, I very rarely (maybe once or twice a year) drink it solo. I use Silk in my coffee (sometimes I even splurge on Silk Creamer), tea, cooking, on cereal, etc.

Mmmmm... love the stuff. I've been using it for several years, even with baking. I like Silk, so I have never really tried other brands.

Oh and don't get me started on the Silk Nog available at holiday time. The stuff is like crack!

Oh and for an ice cream substitute, Tofutti Cutie ice cream sandwiches are pretty good.

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View entire thread: VA Crafters?

Posted by mizsmartypants on 2005-12-16 11:27:35      Post Subject: VA Crafters?

Hey everyone, I've been looking for other crafty people and I can't find them. I am in Lynchburg, but up in Richmond every weekend. I'd love to meet up with others interested in crafts/cooking. Anyone else out there?

-gina

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View entire thread: is anyone a newbie cook?

Posted by elixirbeth on 2006-09-05 15:59:51      Post Subject:

YAY!! I love hearing about new people drinking the cooking kool-aid... I'm hooked, too. I love love LOVE cooking. As soon as I finish cooking one meal, I'm already thinking about the next.

To answer your question, every time I try a new recipe I feel like a new cook. I get that same giddy feeling in my belly, wondering "will this work?!?!" I love it.

My one bit of advice to you is to not get discouraged if a meal turns out shitty. Sometimes its our own faults, as the chefs... but often its because of a crappy recipe or a bad cut of meat or whatever. Sometimes I will go for a long spell where I feel like I've "lost my touch" and I get really sad... but then I'll whip up a bitchin tenderloin or some sexy cornish game hens and I feel like my old self again.

Props!

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View entire thread: is anyone a newbie cook?

Posted by artgeek on 2006-09-21 13:40:03      Post Subject:

Not a newbie cook, but definitely one who's still learning, particularly relating to meat dishes. I am, in fact, roasting my second ever chicken now.

I mainly learn by hanging out with other people while they're cooking and watching Food Network. Even when I don't rush out and make the recipe featured on an episode (this rarely happens), I just learn by watching people cook and by taking in their attitude toward cooking. The Barefoot Contessa, for example, always says, "And this is going to be just marvelous!" I've honestly never made one of her recipes, but I have learned a lot by exposing myself to that kind of healthy attitude toward cooking (I tend to freak out when I fail at something, so I need her voice in the back of my head telling me things are going to not only be okay, they're going to be "marvelous" or "delicious"!)

But what I really came here to post was in response to this:

...that committed mass-suicide by drinking grape kool-aid laced with cyanide. Saying that someone "is drinking the kool-aid" means they are practicing cult-like behaviors.

As an amusing pop culture tidbit, they actually didn't consume Kool-Aid; it was Flavor Aid, a lesser known but similar drink. It's an interesting bit of brand confusion, and I'm sure it drives the folks at Kool-Aid insane. More info here.

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View entire thread: anyone have a good mexican rice recipe?

Posted by Karla on 2004-05-21 08:50:12      Post Subject: Here is a very basic recipe from allrecipes.com

I've tried a couple mexican rice recipes and haven't yet found my ideal. I found this one at allrecipes.com, one of my favorite resources for recipes. It's very basic so I think you could add whatever vegetables (corn, black beans, bell pepper, carrot) or spices (coriander, chili powder, turmeric, red pepper flakes, garlic) you prefer. You can read the reviews of other home-chefs and even adjust the portion size to change the ingredients. Either way, there are a bunch more to choose from if this isn't what you're looking for. Boy, I love allrecipes!

http://sidedish.allrecipes.com/az/MxicnRicII.asp

Happy Cooking-Karla

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View entire thread: RUM CAKE! questions

Posted by xuli on 2005-11-13 12:04:13      Post Subject:

Can't answer your question #2 as I don't do a lot of baking, but as for question #1, my parents work for an overtly Christian organization and over the years have taken/eaten a number of rum-based desserts at work functions (the recipe for a rum-based pecan pie my mom got from a co-worker is amazing). The rum has a distinctive flavor, but its alcoholic properties should burn off with cooking. If you're concerned, though, you should make one in advance and see what you think, and then maybe substitute some of the rum with another liquid if you're concerned. I've never ever heard of anyone getting tipsy off rum cake, pecan pies, beer bread or beer cheddar soup though.

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View entire thread: holiday cooking success stories?

Posted by culinarymartyr on 2004-12-28 08:48:13      Post Subject:

I cut way back on my cooking this year. Did the turkey for Christmas dinner with the family, but there's not much in that. I made my standard peanut butter balls (I think there'll be a riot if I ever stop) and dipped pretzels & candy canes in the leftover chocolate. I also made brown-sugar chili pecans that were a big hit. 4 cups pecans, tossed in 1/4 cup melted butter. Add 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 heaping tablespoon of chili powder (i used ground ancho chili pepper & a pinch of salt). Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes.

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View entire thread: Post Labor Recipes

Posted by cackalackie on 2004-07-29 09:37:05      Post Subject:

I was back to cooking within days of my daughter's birth. In fact, I enjoyed it when my husband was looking after the baby and giving me the chance to spend some quiet time in the kitchen. Plus, in the beginning, when the baby sleeps a lot, it's easier to find time to cook - and shop.

Now that I have a 5-year-old that needs a balanced meal, and a 9-month-old who's just started eating table food (but has very few teeth), and we all three get home from work/day care at 5:45, before my husband is home from work, now THAT's a challenge!

Last night I cooked some pasta (spaghetti-type noodles). I steamed some chopped brocolli in the microwave, then sauteed an onion and garlic, then tossed in a can of tomatoes and some lemon zest (and salt & pepper). I drained the pasta, put the tomato mixture and brocolli on top of it, mixed it all together and then added lemon juice. Voila! Pasta primavera in less than 30 minutes. Add red pepper flakes at the table for the adults.
My 5-year-old daugther asked, "Mama, are you making a 30-minute meal?" (Thankfully, my husband was home from work and feeding the baby while I was doing this.)

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View entire thread: Life Skills

Posted by CraftinFool on 2007-10-25 09:39:36      Post Subject:

I wish I had learned basic cooking skills in school.

My family didn't show me anything and I have no confidence in the kitchen. Everything else I've been able to pick up on my own, like how to clean stuff, checkbook, etc but cooking takes a lot of practice and experimentation.

I also wish I had gotten more job prep stuff - how to write a good resume and cover letter, interviewing skills, etc.

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View entire thread: pity party & everyone's invited.

Posted by elixirbeth on 2005-11-14 18:19:13      Post Subject: pity party & everyone's invited.

it feels like my fiance is always working late... im not a clingy person, but im starting to get irritated.

i love cooking for the two of us, so after work i went to the gourmet market & picked up some delish odds and ends for a nice meal. began cooking and the phone rings-- "taking a client out for dinner, will be home late" he says. no doubt a fucking fantastic restaurant, as we live in NYC. and here i am with a half cooked meal and no one to feed.

i called all the ladies, and no one's available (go figure, its 730).

i guess i just never thought id be in the position-- home, alone, waiting for some man to come home. ive never been the domestic/committed type, but made the compromise and "settled down" for this man. sometimes it just feels like a big fucking mistake and im so TIRED of it.

thanks for listening.
-- eli.xoxo

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View entire thread: yarn dyeing questions

Posted by lindastar on 2005-04-07 23:01:14      Post Subject: yarn dyeing questions

I want to try my hand at dyeing some yarn this weekend and just have a few questions in case anyone has done it before or has tips.

1) The book says you should keep separate tools for dyeing. I am going to use easter egg dye, which is food safe, so I think I should be ok using my cooking pots and pans, no?
2) To set the color you are supposed to steam the yarn. It says you can use a ziploc bag in the steamer to keep colors separate. Ummm... would that not melt? Assuming I am doing it on a steamer in a pot on the stove.

I think that's it. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

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