getcrafty :: popular topics :: food and wine :: pudding

View entire thread: Books read in June 2008

Posted by brdgt on 2008-07-30 10:13:23      Post Subject: Books read in June 2008



Woah! I'm behind on this!

Runaways (Volume 3) by Brian K Vaughan (Author), Adrian Alphona (Author), Mike Norton (Author) - Seriously, the best "superhero" comic out there.

Intuition by Allegra Goodman - a great novel about academic politics and lab life. I like how she never reveals the truth about the central plot point.

Half Life by Shelley Jackson - this book had a great concept and some interesting parts, but overall it was pretentiously confusing.

The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay - an adorable and timeless children's book. An Aussie professor in my department suggested I read it and I'm glad I did.

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View entire thread: Why can't I buy Simplicity 4176 in Australia?

Posted by artgeek on 2006-07-22 07:47:55      Post Subject:

pudding, if none of those other options work for you, please PM me and I will see that this cute pattern makes its way to you.

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View entire thread: holiday cooking success stories?

Posted by moon_lemming on 2004-12-27 09:22:42      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: milk alternative

Posted by Katrin on 2004-05-19 00:04:17      Post Subject:

Silk unsweetened is my favorite, but I never drink it straight up - I usually put it in coffee. I use it in place of milk for any cooking that calls for milk; never had a problem with it. It might be tricky with complicated recipes that rely on the specific properties of milk, like popovers - haven't tried those. Pudding mixes often have milk already in them, in addition to the milk you add - so if you're avoiding dairy, check for that. I've had some excellent pudding from a mix that was made with tofu (I forget the brand).

If you don't like the taste of unsweetened soy milk and vanilla is too sweet (I agree that it is), have you tried original flavor Silk? It's still kind of sweet, but more neutral-flavored. I used it all the time before they came out with the unsweetened kind.

Soy Dream is another good brand that's just like Silk but slightly cheaper (and doesn't have an unsweetened flavor, alas). 8th Continent is very rich and creamy - great for soy lattes and probably cereal too, but makes sauces taste really funny. Sun Soy is inexpensive but kind of gritty, like it's not blended well, and tends to separate in coffee.

I know some people who swear by Rice Dream. I think it's okay as a drink - I can imagine having a glass of it, unlike soy milk - but I'm skeptical of it as a milk substitute. It seems too sweet and watery for my taste, but your mileage may vary.

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View entire thread: breakfast bread recipes?

Posted by craftytricks on 2004-12-08 12:02:13      Post Subject:

This isn't so much a breakfast bread as it is a breakfast cake, but it's so delicious I can't resist sharing:

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 box instant vanilla pudding
3/4 C vegetable oil
1 C water
4 eggs
1/2 C sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 C powdered sugar
3 T milk
handful of marshmallows

Grease 13 x 9 pan. Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Combine cake mix, pudding, oil, water, eggs in large bowl with electric mixer. Pour half on bottom of pan. Sprinkle half of cinnamon/sugar over mix. Sprinkle handful of marshmallows over cinnamon/sugar. Pour other half of mix over marshmallows. Sprinkle other half of cinnamon/sugar on top. Cook on 350 for 44 minutes. Right before cake is done, mix powdered sugar and milk in same bowl that used to contain cinnamon/sugar. Pour over cake right after it comes out of oven.

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View entire thread: I'm having trouble posting an image

Posted by artgeek on 2006-05-20 08:31:20      Post Subject:

Pudding, I am in no way "official" help, but I played around with your link and think I've discovered the problem. Look at the Flickr URL, all the way at the end. I think the issue is the ?v=0 at the end of the URL. I expect the bulletin board software used here at Get Crafty needs your image links to end in .gif or .jpg (.png, too, if they're superhip).

So, try again, but just delte the ?v=0. :)

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View entire thread: Chocolate fondant pudding recipe

Posted by nikki-shell on 2005-01-07 22:42:51      Post Subject: Chocolate fondant pudding recipe

I'm a pastry chef and have made millions of these (i'm not exagerrating!).
155g Dark chocolate
130g Unsalted butter
Melt the above together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
3 eggs
3 yolks
55g caster sugar
Whisk the above until thick and fluffy
Fold the cooled chocolate and butter into the egg mix
Fold in 55g plain sifted flour
Pipe or spoon into individual greased pudding moulds.
Bake at 180C for approximately 10 minutes (depending on your oven, it may need less or more time)
Tip out into a bowl and serve with hot chocolate sauce and an icecream of your choice(vanilla, pistachio maybe).
The centre of the pudding should ooz out when cut into.

I have a large selection of dessert recipes, so if anyone wants anything in particular let me know and i'll do my best.
Nikki
PS This is my first post.

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View entire thread: Baby Karaoke: sing to your baby

Posted by CraftinFool on 2006-06-08 08:51:08      Post Subject:

Thanks for this pudding. I am going to share it with my husband.

When I worked with developmentally challenged kids years ago I learned a ton of these and I sometimes forget that not everyone knows all these interactive songs so sometimes he feels left out I think. so having this will help for him.

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View entire thread: Desserts for Diabetics?

Posted by amanelle on 2005-04-02 11:21:31      Post Subject:

I'm not sure what kind of diet your Dad has to follow, but I'm diabetic and so are my parents and we love these (very easy) recipes

Chocolate Moose

large box sugar free chocolate pudding
large container fat free cool whip

Use skim milk to make pudding according to directions and then add the cool whip.

Banana Pudding

large box sugar free banana pudding
large container fat free cool whip
Nilla Wafers
Bananas (optional)

Use skim milk to make pudding according to directions then add cool whip. Add Nilla wafers (I use about half a box) You can add sliced bananas but I don't because bananas have a lot of carbs in them plus the brown bananas the next day gross me out.

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View entire thread: Dirt Cake

Posted by elixirbeth on 2008-03-27 19:46:13      Post Subject:

personally, i have an aversion for dirt cake and all other pudding-based confections in a pot-luck situation. they just end up looking like unappetizing troughs of muck.

have you thought of making a nice layer cake and topping it with pansies? they are edible and look lovely, even if you don't put an egg white and sugar glaze on them. if you really wanted to go wild, you could shake some coconut with green food coloring to make grass. if you can't come across any pansies, perhaps you could decoratively arrange berries in a floral pattern.

don't mean to offend re: the dirt cake... it's just my two cents.

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View entire thread: Cooking with food scraps

Posted by artgeek on 2006-10-05 18:37:59      Post Subject:

I'm among those who repurpose leftovers, but hopefully not in the gag-stella way. ;)

For example, tonight my husband repurposed the leftover chicken from one meal and the leftover burrito fillings from another to make us both a plate of nachos. Leftovers from two different meals make up a brand new third meal.

Talking about scraps as opposed to leftovers, I always have two large ziploc bags in the freezer: one of the cut ends and peelings from carrots, onions, celery, etc for stock and one of bread bits and bobs (eg, the last piece in the loaf, a lonely hot dog bun) for stuffing.

A lot of my meals come about from a desire to use up leftover food; in my house, that's where bread pudding comes from.And where rice pudding comes from too! Store-bought rice pudding and bread pudding always cracks me up for that reason.

Also, I'd never tried putting cheese rind in my soup stock. What kind of soup stock does this work best with or does it not matter?

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View entire thread: 70s weight watcher cards

Posted by baltica on 2005-01-31 17:44:14      Post Subject:

Oh man..."Fluffy Mackerel Pudding"!?! I can see how those cards could work...I have absolutely no desire to eat right now.

The '70s certainly were a burnt orange time, weren't they?

That "Gallery of Regrettable Food" link is worth checking out too, if only for "Broiled Yeti Penis."

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View entire thread: Drawing Class

Posted by Nancy Flynn on 2005-03-31 14:08:56      Post Subject:

hooray for pudding! how inspiring.

i couldn't agree with you more. taking a class is the best way to get out of any kind of rut.

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View entire thread: holiday cooking success stories?

Posted by bessiemae on 2004-12-27 10:32:08      Post Subject:

Really cut back this year to simplify, plus had horrible cold/flu yuck. Doubted most folks would appreciate my germs for Christmas.

Did make super yummy dried cranberry, white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies..tres yum!

Aside from that, not much else. Did make a tropical banana bread pudding with a rum sauce. OK. Not great.

Baking today to use up my supply of ripe nanners...lemon/orange banana bread with pecans; banana chocolate chip muffins for freezer.

Maybe a pear bread with crystalized ginger?

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View entire thread: milk alternative

Posted by stprcsm on 2004-05-18 23:06:03      Post Subject: milk alternative

so for some long boring (kinda gross medical) reason that I wont go into I decided to try soy/rice milk. this is what I tried.
store brand soy milk vanilla. it was good but sweet, ok to drink but not so great on cereal etc.
then I found silk brand milk that said "unsweetened" but it tastes really "beany". its ok on cereal but not so great straight up.
my last try was rice dreams original flavor. I havent yet tried it becuase Im using up the other first.

is there a particular brand that is good? can this stuff be used like milk? I mean can I make pudding mixes or bake with it?

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View entire thread: Chocolate fondant pudding recipe

Posted by nikki-shell on 2005-01-13 02:13:09      Post Subject: moulds

Hi, thanks for the replies. I would say the recipe would make approximately 6 puddings made in small 3 inch diameter pudding moulds ( i normally make at least 10 times the amount of the recipe). I suppose you could have a go at using ramekins, i've never tried it.
Let me know when you've tried it and what you think.
Nikki.x

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View entire thread: Knitters & Crocheters: Check This Out

Posted by pudding on 2005-03-15 04:51:20      Post Subject:

Pudding's husband: "Hey Pud, whatcha knitting?"
Pudding: "Oh, I'm just whipping up a hyperbolic plane..."

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View entire thread: The appropriateness of email...

Posted by Spoilt Rotten on 2006-02-07 20:52:58      Post Subject:

Thanks all,

MlleEmily I hadn't thought of it that way... But I just think she has more chance of remaining friends with us both if she doesn't get involved. At the moment I feel that saving our friendship is not her objective. I interpreted it more as a condescending "even though you're a terrible person, I'll still be your friend..."

Chelsea, yeah I know the other friend wouldn't have asked her to say anything, but having known each other as long as we have she could have anticipated that she would react this way. I didn't call (oops! I felt like it, but hey if she wants to email we'll email) I just emailed and said that I knew what I had done and I felt bad basically, twas very short. Don't want to feed the drama addiction too much.

pudding yes she is always like this. She has a very "self-help-book" type approach to things (I love self-help books don't get me wrong, it's just the language and the cliches that she uses...) It does annoy me, particularly because I'm older than her, not that it makes a difference. I just don't see why she has the right to speak to me this way, I feel like calling her on it but I don't have the guts!

Anyone else?

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View entire thread: Favourite Halloween Recipies

Posted by rebeccas85 on 2004-10-26 16:24:14      Post Subject:

Mine is definitely the famous kitty litter cake. Just make one chocolate and one white cake, and crumble. Add green food coloring to 1/3 to 1/2 of the white cake crumbs. Add all the crumbs to enough vanilla pudding to make moist. Finally, heat some tootsie rolls in the microwave until you can stretch them to look like... well, you know.


It's probably overdone, but I still like it, and people who have never seen it before love it.

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View entire thread: I love payday!

Posted by cannibalsandwich on 2005-03-23 14:30:37      Post Subject:

Sadly between paydays here. I did just spend the rest of my birthday money (yes, I am well over 30 and still get birthday money, mostly from mr. sandwich's family, i love it!) on a cute pair of cropped pants from the Gap. $30, or around 15 pounds for you of the sceptred isle.

Okay chicas, are cropped pants about to go violently out of style? Or already out? My closest neighbors are cows. I have no idea what actual human females wear in cities. I still have the receipt and haven't taken the tags off. I was just so taken with the lovely dark green color.

Next payday will be very sad, so few hours, so i'm milking my birthday money to the last penny.

Pudding, mr. s ordered his last pair of blundstones directly from australia. They cost $135 american dollars here. I'm not quite sure what that is to you, but it's a lot here. Yikes! Sorry for going off topic. I'm really bad about that. I talk the same way. My grandmother used to tell me that I was vaccinated with a phonograph needle by mistake.

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View entire thread: Favourite Halloween Recipies

Posted by CraftinFool on 2004-10-26 14:16:13      Post Subject:

We made boogers on a stick, which were a hit with our nephews.

We tinted melted cheez whiz with green food coloring, then twirled thin pretzel sticks in it and put it on wax paper to let the "cheez" harden.

Also, we made a graveyard scene - chocolate pudding for the bottom, with crushed oreos on top, with gummy worms throughout, and mint milano cookies for tombstones and cool whip blobs for ghosts.

Holy crap, my halloween recipes are so unhealthy!! (But so yummy)

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View entire thread: Friends w/ an ex?

Posted by rmeb on 2005-03-10 11:44:41      Post Subject: Re: Friends w/ an ex?

I think you've probably already answered your own question. Is this one of those situations where in your heart you really know what to do but it's just hard?

I think you hit the nail on the head, pudding. Thanks for the input and support ladies. I've decided to give it some more time and see what happens.

-r

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View entire thread: how often do you think about food?

Posted by Parel on 2005-01-30 14:25:29      Post Subject: how often do you think about food?

I think about food all the time-- in a good way.

I don't really think "Oh, I had too much for breakfast, so many calories, la dee dah; maybe I shouldn't have any lunch."
I'm more of a "Dang, lunch was good! Maybe I should try that Indian lentil recipe for dinner... and maybe some spiked rice pudding for dessert......" type.

So, how about you?

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View entire thread: I want some coloured pencils.

Posted by squiggle on 2006-08-01 23:29:03      Post Subject:

pudding: i just realized that you're in australia. derwents are some of the best pencils you can buy there :)

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View entire thread: I want some coloured pencils.

Posted by eixmi on 2006-07-30 01:43:11      Post Subject:

Pudding, I just bought a tin of 40 coloured pencils for $2.99 at my local Lincraft. They were on display on the counter, and they seem nice enough (the brand is Scribblers).

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View entire thread: polenta!

Posted by kindarana on 2004-10-06 15:55:26      Post Subject:

Butter and salt are good to add. Especially sweet butter. Are you eating it pudding style? You can also whip it up, let it rest and have it like tofu, can pan-fry it if you'd like which is super yum.

Also investigate tamale pie, spicy Mexican pork on top of essentially polenta. Mmmm.

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View entire thread: Pregnant and Feeling a Bit Down

Posted by cackalackie on 2006-01-20 07:36:21      Post Subject:

Pudding - This is completely normal and I'm sure most mothers here have gone through similar things. First of all, never underestimate the effect of a bad night's sleep! And then there are all the other uncomfortable things...

At times my issues were more hormone-related. I was bitchy and stressed-out. And the last four weeks were hell. Allergies, congestion, (no sleep), etc.

I don't have any advice apart from, "Don't beat yourself up about it." Vent when and where you can! Like here!

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View entire thread: Pregnant and Feeling a Bit Down

Posted by honeybee on 2006-01-20 12:03:14      Post Subject:

normal normal normal. not that that makes it any easier, but you are in good company.

in addition to everything already mentioned, i was also conflicted about giving up my days of freedom and independence. and as excited as i was for big life changes and to finally meet my daughter, there was some major insecurity about my ability to be a good mom mixed up in there, too. plus i was so damn tired all the time, it was hard not to feel down. i never got that burst of energy everyone talks about around the secong trimester. and my morning-noon-and-night sickness was present the entire pregancy. i couldn't wait to be not-pregnant!

so, treat yourself to books and movies and fun pasttimes that you might not get to enjoy for a little while. pudding time.

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View entire thread: Selah?

Posted by Selah on 2006-05-27 08:33:54      Post Subject:

LOL - Am I a dork for being flattered someone noticed I'd been away?

I'll get some photos up and do a proper G.C. announcement soon but yes I had the baby (3 weeks early)! He's cute as all get out. He was nameless for a day or so (we tried out a couple different names) but we finally went with Caleb Williams Lastname!

I'm just now recovering from the C-section and feeling back to my old self.

Thanks sjkmaurice and Pudding for thinking of us! :)

More info to come...

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View entire thread: Pregnant and Feeling a Bit Down

Posted by sjkmaurice on 2006-01-20 09:26:41      Post Subject:

For example: You're hot. Post partum hormonal hot flash. You strip down to your undies and turn on the ceiling fan. Suddenly, WHY DOES THAT FAN HAVE TO MAKE THAT AWFUL CLICKING NOISE?? You get up and yank the chain, swearing you'll never buy another ceiling fan again as you grit your teeth. Is it too much to ask for to have a quiet fan? Afterall, ceiling fan manufacturers should know how sensitive a new mom can be! A new mom...I AM a new mom! Oh, look at how beautiful she is! Commence crying in sheer joy at her beauty. Until you hear that fan clicking again. Fun, huh?


:-)

Pudding, how far along are you? You might be subconsciously "mourning" the end of the pregnancy already. I know that even though I was so happy to have my babies to look at, after they were born I missed feeling them in me all the time.

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View entire thread: Pregnant and Feeling a Bit Down

Posted by pudding on 2006-01-22 06:27:18      Post Subject:

Pudding, how far along are you? You might be subconsciously "mourning" the end of the pregnancy already. I know that even though I was so happy to have my babies to look at, after they were born I missed feeling them in me all the time.
I'm 35 and 1/2 weeks and what you're saying makes sense.

Thank you everyone for such sublime advice and for the empathy and laughs (just what I needed).

I've been thinking reading would be a good idea, too. I might make a trip to the library tomorrow.

I've just come back from spending the night visiting friends. We ate beautiful food, spent all evening in the pool (that was so, so fantastic) and talked late into the night. I feel revived.

My husband drove and carried my bag and I think I also feel a bit better because I've started to accept that I do need some help and do need to slow down and rely on him and other people a bit more at this point. I was getting anxious about "keeping up" and letting that go has given me some peace.

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View entire thread: New car suggestions?

Posted by calicoon on 2006-07-01 11:13:41      Post Subject:

Oo-good question, Pudding!
We will be having a baby in the next 2 years or so. I also have a 60-lb. boxer/pit bull mix who is used to owning the back seat!
What kind of car do you have?

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View entire thread: Pregnant and Feeling a Bit Down

Posted by pudding on 2006-01-20 06:17:48      Post Subject: Pregnant and Feeling a Bit Down

Has anyone else felt a bit down at some point or another during their pregnancy/ies?

Don't misunderstand, I am completely overjoyed and excited about the upcoming birth of my baby, as is my husband. I don't think I am in any way a candidate for pre or post natal depression, it's just that for the last couple of weeks I've felt a bit blah and down. A bit weepy. I've felt a bit clingy towards my husband too, and worried about him.

Of course, there are lots of physical reasons which I think contribute to feeling this way: I'm not sleeping well, my feet are swollen and sore, I'm at the point where I feel really cumbersome and heavy and it has been sooo hot and humid where I live. My brain feels incredibly alive and active, and therefore bored, because my body is so easily tired.

I've finished work (it's school holidays here and I'm a teacher) and I have plenty of ideas of things I want to do but everything is such an...effort. I feel like I can't do anything. I go out to the shops, or to see a friend and when I get home I feel like I need a rest!

On top of this I feel guilty every time I have a negative thought because I'm so happy to be pregnant! I feel like I shouldn't be ungrateful. (I know how silly this sounds)

Here's how I'd like you to respond: "Pudding, this is just something many pregnant women go through, it's completely natural and will pass. Of course you're allowed to complain a bit! Here are some great ideas for things you can do to entertain yourself for the next few weeks...." ;-)

My gut feeling is that this is all very normal and I think I just need a bit of empathy! Thanks for letting me type all that out, I already feel a bit better!

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View entire thread: Meet My Baby Daughter

Posted by rocket helene on 2006-04-27 10:34:32      Post Subject:

Bienvenue à la petite Clio et félicitations à ses parents!
Pudding/Philippa, since our "purse swap" from months ago I know you live on the opposite side of this planet, and I've noticed from your posts that we share a lot (even tomatoes seedlings ;-). Your posts and blogs entries always have that special something that moves me.
I don't have much time to post regularly in any forum.
This afternoon I wanted to know how you were doing and searched "Pudding" across the whole forum, then I found this topic,
OF ANY TOPIC!!!
I'm a bit late but for sure the lil' baby has plumped to a bigger version of herself... I hope she is enjoying life and already crafting little surprises for you, like a first smile, or a funny sneeze!

Lots of kisses from Belgium,

Hélène

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View entire thread: Meet My Baby Daughter

Posted by pudding on 2006-04-27 22:23:19      Post Subject:

Bienvenue à la petite Clio et félicitations à ses parents!
Pudding/Philippa, since our "purse swap" from months ago I know you live on the opposite side of this planet, and I've noticed from your posts that we share a lot (even tomatoes seedlings ;-). Your posts and blogs entries always have that special something that moves me.
I don't have much time to post regularly in any forum.
This afternoon I wanted to know how you were doing and searched "Pudding" across the whole forum, then I found this topic,
OF ANY TOPIC!!!
I'm a bit late but for sure the lil' baby has plumped to a bigger version of herself... I hope she is enjoying life and already crafting little surprises for you, like a first smile, or a funny sneeze!

Lots of kisses from Belgium,

Hélène

Helene,

What an amazingly thoughtful and kind post. Thankyou! Yes, Clio is growing larger by the day and she has recently started smiling and gurgling. Every time she does something new it is exciting - for AJ and I at least! ;-) This week Clio has learnt how to put her hand up to her mouth, and she has almost mastered reaching out and touching AJ and I when we lie beside her.

Cheers from Australia,

Phillippa

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View entire thread: get crafty newsletter

Posted by udandi on 2004-10-03 20:04:47      Post Subject:

pudding,
go to your profile > edit your profile
click the yes radio button that says something like to receive email notices of new private messages and I think that should do it.

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View entire thread: Where did your handle/username come from?

Posted by pudding on 2006-01-23 22:29:10      Post Subject:

I should begin by saying that my real name is Phillippa.

My brother was behaving ridiculously one Christmas day and singing the verse about "figgy pudding" from the song We Wish You a Merry Christmas . My husband took up the tune and changed the words to "Philly pudding" (Christmas with intoxicated men is just a riot), which was eventually shortened to just "pudding" and stuck. He calls me by some version of this nickname most of the time now (his favourite being "Phil-pud"), although thankfully rarely in public.

I sometimes become alarmed and wonder if people think I'm called pudding because I in some way resemble a pudding.

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View entire thread: Problems with an ADD student

Posted by cackalackie on 2006-01-27 12:55:22      Post Subject:

I'm with pudding on this one. I'm afraid taking such a confrontative approach would have the reverse effect. If they took offense and withdrew him from the tutoring situation, then the opportunities pudding mentioned would all be gone.

You made some very good points, pudding. This boy has a chance to learn from anthrogirl, despite what he gets from his parents. That is an opportunity in itself.

And you are right about how adults can really send the wrong message to kids. I will never forget being on the bus once and seeing an adult shove past a school kid (and sort of tut tut), as if he wasn't supposed to be there or something. I thought, "What kind of message is that sending to our youth? That it's OK to be rude to each other? That he isn't important?" They need to learn as much about good behaviour from us as possible.

And although teachers are limited in the effect they can have - because they aren't the parents - don't ever discount the positive effect one person can have on another. Just think of all the stories (and movies!) about the one who made a difference!

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View entire thread: vegan desserts

Posted by cannibalsandwich on 2005-05-27 14:52:52      Post Subject:

This thread makes me wonder if you can make a cornstarch-thickened pudding with coconut milk. Wouldn't that be delish?

Ooh, I have a simple chocolate cake that's vegan. My grandmother used to make it for us, though she wasn't a vegan. It's a bit sweet, more like a dark chocolate bread. You could serve it with soy ice cream.

Crazy Cake

1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Water (or cold coffee, or soy milk, or whatever, probably coconut milk, though I've never tried it)
1/3 Cup oil (canola is best, I think)
1 Tablespoon Vinegar (white or cider, not wine)
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Instructions: Heat oven to 350. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Stir together wet ingredients, add to dry ingredients. Stir until mixed, no longer, batter will be lumpy. Pour into an 8x8 or 9x9 pan, bake for 25-30 minutes, until done. (Slightly pulled away fom sides of pan, springy when touched, toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, etc.)

Serve warm. You don't have to grease the pan if you are just going to serve it from the pan. I usually have the dry ingredients ready, mix and add the wet just before baking. That way you can nip into the kitchen during dinner and throw the cake in the oven so it will be warm.

Vegan warning: some vegans won't eat anything made with regular white sugar. Apparently some cheap brands use finely ground bone meal to make it white and keep it separated. I don't know if this is true. But you might want to sound out your friends to see if you need to buy some other kind of sugar (raw or unrefined should be okay, I think).

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View entire thread: New car suggestions?

Posted by pudding on 2006-07-08 04:53:02      Post Subject:

Oo-good question, Pudding!
We will be having a baby in the next 2 years or so. I also have a 60-lb. boxer/pit bull mix who is used to owning the back seat!
What kind of car do you have?

We have a Ford Laser: a little hatch-back, similar to a Corolla. I'm not sure if you have Lasers where you are. They've stopped making them here (mine is almost 10 years old) and replaced them with the Ford Focus. For ten years every time someone travelled in my car they commented on how spacious it was for a small car. And then the baby arrived, and I feel like we need to tow a trailer...

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View entire thread: Cooking with food scraps

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-10-05 15:22:45      Post Subject:

The parmesan rinds are fantastic in soup. I've done it. A lot of my meals come about from a desire to use up leftover food; in my house, that's where bread pudding comes from.

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View entire thread: I swear i'm not one of those Dog Freaks...

Posted by StinkerbelleRock on 2005-02-09 14:10:35      Post Subject:

Pam.... it is indded what you think! Like Pudding said, My little girl dog seems to be trying to show my little boy cat who is boss!! hehe It's funny but quite creepy to see for yourself.

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View entire thread: Baby-free time

Posted by kateastrophe on 2006-02-02 22:54:42      Post Subject:

i agree with pudding, i have a tendency to say stupid things when i am first trying to make friends, and she probably didn't mean for it to come out quite that way.
although i'm nowhere near a parent myself, i read a lot of blogs by both moms and dads of babies to toddlers and it seems like every one of them needs baby/kid-free time. (one woman, upon first wanting this time alone, freaked out a bit, feeling like she wasn't being a "good mom" and boy you should've seen the flood of understanding and supportive comments she recieved!)

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View entire thread: Cooking: Weird substitiute ingredients!

Posted by stella on 2004-12-18 14:53:09      Post Subject:

ti, if you Google "vegan dessert recipes" i bet you'll come up with tons of them!

if you have a local health food store, you can buy packets of pudding mix (i think they're made by Mori-Nu, but i'm not sure) that you blend with silken tofu in the blender. it makes REALLY good pudding, and you can use it to make pudding pie also.

i used to make awesome chocolate chip cookies by substituting the eggs with applesauce or that flax goo i described above. most dark chocolate chips are vegan, but if your cousin is a super hard-core vegan, you might want to ask if she eats chocolate. i use Willow Run soy margerine instead of butter, and unfiltered cane crystals instead of white sugar. since there's no eggs in them, you can bake them until they're just barely done, and they stay nice and soft.

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View entire thread: Food Preservation?

Posted by microsinger on 2005-10-11 13:37:41      Post Subject:

I have food dehydrator which we use to make venison jerky but I have not done fruits or veggies in there yet. I have canned jams/preserves, tomatos, and salsa with a water bath canner (giant pot) and I had no trouble with it. Things that are highest in sugar or acid are the easiest things to can without a pressure canner. I am kind of afraid of them to be honest but I want one as well. I have done freezer jam which is really simple and usually the recipe is on the sure-jel package. USDA should have info on canning with a water bath, boiling times and whatnot. I think you may even be able to get a free booklet about safety. All in all, its not hard but very time consuming and messy. Also very rewarding when you see those nice jars of jewel-toned jams lined up in your cupboard. I don't do jelly because I think its a pain to get it clear and I happen to like fruit pieces in my spreads.

I make my own yogurt and if you are not too picky about your consistency, its really easy. Slowly heat a quart of whole or 2% milk (dont have much luck with our skim) in a sauce pan and let it get a little thick without boiling. If I remember correctly the ideal temp is 125F. When its good and hot add about 1 1/2 cups of dry milk. This will concentrate the mixture. Remove from heat and let cool to 80F and add a cup or two of yogurt with active cultures and mix well. I have done it with both amounts: one cup will produce a slightly runnier product, two will be thicker. Then you can do a few things to 'incubate' your yogurt. You can put it in a gas oven with a pilot light (no need to turn the oven on) and let it sit in there over night; you can use a commercial yogurt maker; I tried a water bath method in a crockpot with warm water surrounding the bowl of milk/yogurt mixture. Keep the lid on and put a few towels over the top to retain the heat. You can't leave the crockpot on so this method requires some maintenance; you have to check the temp about once an hour to see if it is around 115F. If its too cool in there, I turn it on for a few minutes, then turn it off. About 8 hours later it should be done. The gas stove method is the best, but alas I am stuck with electric for now. I once read about creating a little 'yogurt oven' with a heating pad, some towels and a cardboard box but I have yet to try that one. The yogurt at home is pretty different from store bought. There's no gelatin so its not as thick and there is a nice, acidic aftertaste that I really like. Tastes like yogurt instead of pudding. If I have a batch that doesnt get thick enough we just make smoothies. We add canned fruit and a little sugar if we like and I use the yogurt as a base for creamy dressing too. I have rambled on....I hope that helps. I love my yogurt!!

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View entire thread: baby shower centerpieces

Posted by di521 on 2005-09-27 09:48:16      Post Subject:

here's a recipe for it if you're interested:
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
32 ounces chocolate sandwich cookies with creme filling

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS:
Chop cookies very fine in food processor. The white cream will disappear.
Mix butter, cream cheese, and sugar in bowl.
In a large bowl mix milk, pudding and whipped topping together.
Combine pudding mixture and cream mixture together.
Layer in flower pot, starting with cookies then cream mixture. Repeat layers.
Chill until ready to serve.
Add artificial flower and trowel. Enjoy!

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View entire thread: Baby-free time

Posted by Sewlittletime on 2006-02-03 10:22:25      Post Subject:

Hmmmmm....she doesn't ever really need baby-free time?? EEK! EVERYONE needs baby-free time sometimes!!
OK...so I understand really enjoying being around your kids. I love hanging with my boys, and for the most part, always have. But, we NEED time to be with other adults.
With that said......maybe she isn't confident in her husband's child care abilities, for whatever reason.
Maybe she is WAAAAYYYY too absorbed in the mommy thing.
Maybe, as pudding suggested, she's afraid she wouldn't have anything "important" to discuss w/o having the babies around to help carry the conversation.
Ummmmm....I ran out of "maybes"! Anyway, why not have a "date" with the kids the first 1-2 times, then if you seem to still have a connection, try inviting her out w/o the babes again. You could always suggest a place that you know that it would be very difficult to bring a baby, to gage her response. OR during those 1st few playdates, one of your discussions could be about what kind of places you'd like to be able to go w/o the kids, and discussions of reliable babysitters you both know, etc.
My kids are 11 and 4 now, and I've only had 1 babysitter that I can recall who was NOT a family member or friend, primarily because I never needed to hire anyone else. If she's not confident in her husband's skills, and doesn't yet have a reliable babysitter, that could be keeping her from agreeing to a date w/o the kids.
OK...that was kind of long! But some things to consider! LOL!

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View entire thread: get crafty newsletter

Posted by pudding on 2004-10-03 03:05:18      Post Subject:

in order to receieve the newsletter, you have to set your options on the forums to have new messages emailed to your regular email address. does that make sense?

I'm sorry to be so dumb, but I don't understand how to do that. Please bear with me! I tried looking around to see if I could see how I might set/change my options but I can't work it out.

I noticed that other people have said it is possible to look at the newsletter at the site (?). I tried to click in the newsletter section on the 1st page, but I am already registered (as pudding, which is how I can post on the boards). I don't know how to change things so that I get the newsletter. But it might not be so important, because I like looking at all the new posts on the forums anyhow.

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View entire thread: Banana Recipes?

Posted by sjkmaurice on 2005-03-22 10:27:27      Post Subject:

My personal favorite is Banana Pudding layered with Nilla Wafers and banana slices.

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View entire thread: New kitten! Help me name her.

Posted by Joyosaurusrex on 2006-08-09 15:19:41      Post Subject:

Joyosaurusrex, I do believe we are destined to either fight to the death or become dinosaur buddies.

Or you're destined to think I'm a weirdo.

Just so you know if its up to me i think we should become awesome dino-buddies...

p.s. - pickle pudding is one of the best names for an animal i think i've ever heard

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View entire thread: Sandra Cisneros read-along?

Posted by Anonymous on 2005-03-15 13:10:51      Post Subject:

Thank you so much Pudding for picking up my slack on this! I've been worrying about the fact that I haven't been doing as much as I should to keep this discussion going!

I totally agree with you Pudding about her descriptions of women in love -- I just think that Cisneros has some of the sexiest writing around.

Another thing I love about her work is the way so many of her narrators are people that might be considered "unreliable" by mainstream society (young children, teenagers, undocumented immigrant women, etc.) And she writes these characters very truthfully, but gives them some really powerful, wonderful insights ... to me, I think there's a really phenomenal project underlying her work, which is about questioning who is considered a "reliable" source and who isn't, and reminding us that some of the most important insights into the workings of our society come from people who have the least power within it.

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View entire thread: New kitten! Help me name her.

Posted by Craftasaurus Rex on 2006-08-04 02:32:30      Post Subject:

Joyosaurusrex, I do believe we are destined to either fight to the death or become dinosaur buddies.

Or you're destined to think I'm a weirdo.

As for cat names, my roomate had some good ones for the the kitten that we're fostering:
- Falafel
- Isosceles triangle
- (oddly enough) Tyrannosaurus rex

Then again, two of our cats names are E-mail and Pickle Pudding (Pickles for short), so I think we have a tendency towards weird names.

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View entire thread: Cooking with food scraps

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-10-05 22:32:58      Post Subject:

If you make a good chicken broth or soup, especially one with pasta and veggies in it, take some of your cheese rinds, cube them, and put them in. Let them cook until they are soft and chewy- yum!

I'm one of those types who likes additions in my eggs- but not random stuff. I'll put cheese in them, or add tomatoes, or asparagus, but you wouldn't catch me adding baloney or anything. I don't eat hot dogs or luncheon meats, so they would never end up in a dish. I've added cooked chicken breast to eggs though.
As for repurposing potatoes, they make good hash browns. I will follow your bread idea- I have a stale baguette right now. I was thinking of turning it into pudding, but I don't need the extra fat in my diet at the moment. I'll do the same thing with the veggies. I hate wasting food if I don't have to, and I'm doing much more farmhouse cooking nowadays.

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View entire thread: kitchy, labor-intensive holiday baking!

Posted by microsinger on 2005-12-21 15:15:13      Post Subject:

I once made a 6 ft log with branches coming off of it for a catering gig. I experimented with several cake and filling recipes. It was years ago but I do remember that the recipes that worked best had the most eggs in it. I think it binds well while keeping it moist. Use a tea towel when rolling up to keep it from cracking. For filling I just made a hommade pudding and folded in cream whipped to stiff peaks. It didn't soak in too much. I just used a whipped cream for icing but I tinted it with cocoa. Running a fork down the icing will make it look like bark. Toasted nuts, very finely chopped and sprinkled everywhere, make for good lichen-looking things. The merengue mushrooms were fun, too. I wish I could help more with recipes but I did it all in a frenzy and did not mark the recipes I used. Later when I looked for them I couldn't remember what I did. I guess eventually I will do it all over again!!

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View entire thread: kitchy, labor-intensive holiday baking!

Posted by microsinger on 2005-12-21 15:14:53      Post Subject:

I once made a 6 ft log with branches coming off of it for a catering gig. I experimented with several cake and filling recipes. It was years ago but I do remember that the recipes that worked best had the most eggs in it. I think it binds well while keeping it moist. Use a tea towel when rolling up to keep it from cracking. For filling I just made a hommade pudding and folded in cream whipped to stiff peaks. It didn't soak in too much. I just used a whipped cream for icing but I tinted it with cocoa. Running a fork down the icing will make it look like bark. Toasted nuts, very finely chopped and sprinkled everywhere, make for good lichen-looking things. The merengue mushrooms were fun, too. I wish I could help more with recipes but I did it all in a frenzy and did not mark the recipes I used. Later when I looked for them I couldn't remember what I did. I guess eventually I will do it all over again!!

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View entire thread: The Saga of Baby Clio's Hips

Posted by cackalackie on 2006-09-11 11:14:38      Post Subject:

pudding - I am so pleased to hear this. What great news indeed!

I know that in a way when you have to go through things like this, it's always harder that the last time, because as my brother once told me, you just love them more each day!

Thanks so much for the update. Give Clio a big kiss and a cuddle from us!

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View entire thread: Banana Recipes?

Posted by Tomico Revilak on 2005-05-03 14:42:34      Post Subject:

Banana / chocolate crepes are the best. I should try the wafles that way. On the same lines you could make a banana chocolate bread pudding. Maybe you could try a banana cheese cake.

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View entire thread: Going to NYC-need advice

Posted by anjalouise on 2007-09-09 13:16:32      Post Subject:

I definitely second the recommendation for Beacon's Closet. I never had any money when I was living in NYC so I only bought something there once or twice, it definitely is more pricey than an actual thrift store, but they have lots of cool stuff.

OH! You guys should go to this crazy rice pudding place that is not-so-secretly run by the mob. It is called Rice to Riches and they have all sorts of super delicious rice pudding. I know it might sound gross, but I had this pumkin pie stuff that was AMAZING. There are also weird things in the store, like signs that end in "...and no one gets hurt." It's a WEIRD place!

http://www.ricetoriches.com/frameset.php?content=/startpage.php

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View entire thread: What are you looking forward to?

Posted by CraftyChicaAZ on 2004-05-13 18:21:45      Post Subject:

right now all i can think about is:

getting my new computer so i can be glued to it again.

embroidering a woven bag

finding out from my boss if i get to go to the nyc harry potter junket next weekend

warm bread pudding drizzled with warm whisky sauce

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View entire thread: the shakespeare thread (how now??)

Posted by cannibalsandwich on 2005-02-19 00:40:43      Post Subject:

Methinks pudding doth secretly LOVE Keanu, for sooth.

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View entire thread: pot luck party- theme ideas needed!

Posted by twilight on 2005-08-20 01:25:00      Post Subject:

How about having a pot luck where you have to bring a dish that starts with a certain letter? Like B could yield burritos, breadsticks, butterscotch pudding...seems like a neat idea.

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View entire thread: winter coats

Posted by DJules on 2006-07-01 09:27:46      Post Subject:

Heehee- My MIL grew up in California, and is wimpy about the cold too. But she laughs and says my kids are "true Idaho kids" because they start wearing shorts as soon as there's no more snow on the ground! :) (Uh - when it hits that 50F-64F range, actually.:D)

And it''s okay, pudding - I'm a total wimp about the heat. (It's going to be over 85F? I'll be inside by the air conditioner, thankyouverymuch!)

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View entire thread: Meet My Baby Daughter

Posted by cackalackie on 2006-03-06 09:03:36      Post Subject:

Congratulations, Pudding and family! She's beautiful! Enjoy your babymoon! It's not every day you get to participate in a miracle!

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View entire thread: Hand me the vitamins, Tom. I think I may have Craft ADD.

Posted by Selah on 2005-06-27 13:04:55      Post Subject:

Pudding, your posts on the EOTC thread have been very crafty and clever. I hear you on the half-craft problem but just redefine your definition of craft. Cooking, gardening, teaching, mocking - all these things involve creativity and can be done with serious crafty attitude. At least this is what I tell myself!

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View entire thread: microchips inside your pets?

Posted by strawberryjulius on 2004-10-03 11:32:56      Post Subject: microchips inside your pets?

In the dependent kitty thread, pudding brought up the subject of pet microchips. would any of you do this to your pet? what are your thoughts on these things?
maybe it's safer, but it seems too futuristic to me.

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View entire thread: dirt cake recipe

Posted by craftytricks on 2005-01-18 13:53:24      Post Subject:

When I was little we used to make dirt cups, a variation on dirt cakes. It's basically the same ingredients layered in a cup: chocolate pudding, crushed oreos, whipped cream, etc. Then we put gummy worms on the top and kept them in the refridgerator. Easy to make, very tasty.

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View entire thread: Sigh...so sad about my kitty

Posted by Sewlittletime on 2005-05-24 07:24:46      Post Subject:

Thanks you so much for your kind words!! I was feeling so guilty yesterday throughout this whole thing-not b/c we decided to let her go, but b/c there were signs that she was sick and we totally missed them. She had lost a few lbs., but we figured it was aging..and she was overweight anyway! She had seemed thirstier than usual and wasn't cuddling up w/ us like usual. Now I realize that it was her that was urinating in our piles of dirty laundry in the basement...her kidneys were starting to become damaged from trying to compensate for the high glucose in her system. OY!! My poor sweet baby!

Let's see...pudding asked for some good Kaatje stories. We got her as an 8 wk old from a co-worker of my sister's. I didn't have a cat carrier, so I brought a small laundry basket w/ some fuzzy towels when I went to pick her up. She ended up climbing out of the basket on the drive home, and climbing into the hood of my jacket and passed out! So my husband's first look at her was this little sleepy fuzzball in my hood!
As a kitten, every morning she would dig her nails into the mattress and climb up on the bed (cringe at the sound!), then curl up by my head. My DH said it was hysterical to look over at me and see these 2 little ears sprouting out of my head! When she'd get hungry, she'd nip at my earlobe. Once she even nipped at my DH's nostrils...you know, that divot that seperates your nostrils? OWWWWIE!
We have several pictures of her sticking her head way inside our cups of water until you couldn't see any of it. It amazed us that she never got a cup stuck on her head! She loved peanut butter-everytime my DH made a PB sammich, she was there, licking at the PB b/t the slices of bread. The vet used to always ask how she got such a shiny coat...must have been the peanut oil!
Oh yes...as a kitten, she used to leap off our bed w/ her legs sprwawled out, like a skydiver. It was hysterical to watch! Later on, as she got bigger, she would land w/ a loud thud. We decided that she must have a depth perception problem b/c she never liked to jump onto counters and such. She would get up to high places by hopping up to a chair 1st.
That's all I can think of now. I'll try to get a picture of her in my album today so y'all can see what a pretty baby she was!

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View entire thread: motherhood and identity

Posted by pudding on 2006-01-23 23:00:05      Post Subject: Re: motherhood and identity

One thing I have noticed on the various parenting boards, my local freecycle listserv, and even here, is a lot of women who use screen names like "evasmommy" or "momof3"

My goodness, I've been noticing the same thing and thinking about how I feel about it. I'm 8 months pregnant.

I don't wish to offend anyone with my thoughts and I respect other people who choose to name themselves like this. After all, it is just a message board. However, I do find it a bit surprising to make your defining characteristic being someone's mother and I don't think it's the right thing for me.

Of course, my thoughts on how I'd define myself on a list or message board are totally separate from how I feel about my role in my child's life. I am completely comfortable about being known as "such and such's" mum, it seems especially natural in contexts where someone will have more of a relationship with my child than me eg. with my child's friends. I also feel very positive about the importance (that's the only word I can come up with right now) I will have in my child's life and do think of myself as "baby yet to be named's" mother as well as as "pudding" (although I don't think of myself as a pudding).

I've been thinking about why people define themselves like that on message boards and so on and I imagine two reasons. Firstly, they may feel it is appropriate to the context eg. on a message board discussing their child. Secondly, perhaps at the time they joined the message board they were overwhelmed by the joy of their new role and wanted to celebrate that?

Again though, it just isn't for me.

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View entire thread: spice up my cornbread!

Posted by xuli on 2005-12-24 23:18:31      Post Subject:

I'm sure you do this, but I always add corn kernels to mine and that makes for a better texture.

I NEVER thought of doing that. This is going to sound dumb, but do you have to cook them partially or at all first, or do they cook up just fine along with the batter? I'd guess the latter, but I'm a fairly new cook and don't trust anything that seems scientifically sound until more experienced cooks pat me on my hand and say, "There, there, it'll be fine."

Probably if you were pulling the kernels off a raw cob, you'd want them to be cooked first, but since I always use frozen or canned corn, I never cook it first ... just dump it in the batter. It's so good, you should definitely try it.

Oh, and be sure (if using canned corn) to use whole-kernel, not creamed corn. Although if you add enough creamed corn to your cornbread you'll end up with corn pudding, which is also quite lovely.

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View entire thread: Meet My Baby Daughter

Posted by Pokey on 2006-03-08 14:38:03      Post Subject:

She is absolutely gorgeous Pudding!! And she looks so feminine!!! I used to work in NICU with the premature babies and most of them are pretty androgenous. But she is definitely a lady!!!
CONGRADULATIONS!!!!

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View entire thread: Meet My Baby Daughter

Posted by delqc on 2006-03-06 10:05:03      Post Subject:

Pudding, she is absolutely beautiful. Congratulations! I'm glad she arrived safely and that both you and her are doing well.

I look forward to your birth story - whenever you have the energy to compose it.

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View entire thread: How Many Craftistas Have You Met In Person?

Posted by midnightandlulu on 2004-11-29 02:38:34      Post Subject:

damn, snufkin, how could you forget that weekend we spent together on the coast? and the fabulous bread pudding you made for breakfast? ; )

hmmm... who else?

afro
starfish
jo
lilyblue
bloodredrose
tallulah / QPP
punkybrewster
athos
cornie
stella
guhrrl

I think that's all. so many I'd love to meet.

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View entire thread: Meet My Baby Daughter

Posted by artgeek on 2006-03-10 09:09:56      Post Subject:

Welcome to the world, Clio Phillippa! Congratulations, you already have a great start with two loving parents who are so happy to finally meet you. :)

Congratulations, pudding. You, too, are likely entering a whole new world. You, your husband, and your daughter have my best wishes!

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View entire thread: procrastination

Posted by stella on 2006-04-30 20:59:22      Post Subject:

hey, i clean to procrastinate also!

pudding, you just have to have something that needs to get done that isn't housework, so you can procrastinate on the other thing by doing the housework.

having just woken up from a nap, one piece of advice i can give myself is to avoid doing boring reading in bed, under the covers. heh.

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View entire thread: lentil recipies

Posted by miightymiighty on 2006-02-14 06:42:57      Post Subject:

my boyfriend makes a very simple lentil soup, except he overcooks it to the point of being the thickness of pudding.

but it's super good, just super simple.

chunk up an onion, saute just a bit, add four cups (ish) of water and lentils that have been rinsed, boil for a while stiring often, then add a cup of rice and loads of pepper, once most of the water is sucked up by the rice, (low simmering btw) add a cup of milk ((soy milk works well in this even)) and stir again , let it sit for ten or so minutes.

's pretty plain, but i like it.

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View entire thread: lentil recipies

Posted by elixirbeth on 2006-02-15 06:35:40      Post Subject:

my boyfriend makes a very simple lentil soup, except he overcooks it to the point of being the thickness of pudding.

but it's super good, just super simple.

chunk up an onion, saute just a bit, add four cups (ish) of water and lentils that have been rinsed, boil for a while stiring often, then add a cup of rice and loads of pepper, once most of the water is sucked up by the rice, (low simmering btw) add a cup of milk ((soy milk works well in this even)) and stir again , let it sit for ten or so minutes.

's pretty plain, but i like it.

no other seasonings?

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View entire thread: Cleanse?

Posted by girlthursday on 2005-04-06 11:38:26      Post Subject:

It's Day 3 of 7 now eating the same as you, Pudding, brown rice, fish, vegetables and fruit. No yogurt for me. I am slightly less sleepy today but I don't really feel light and empty, maybe that comes afterward. I was told that the first 2 days would be the most difficult. I'm curious too Lizzymahoney, about the toxins being released, etc...
I'm pleased that although I should be PMSing at this time, I have no symptoms, no bloating. I am craving salt, though, which I am not allowed to eat. I guess that's why I'm not bloated!

I know this sounds crazy but rather than seeing any physical benefits at this time, I am just feeling more "virtuous" about not eating fast food or my usual frozen fish and chips and Crystal Light for dinner! haha.

Pudding, do you think you could eat like this ALL the time?? I would like to try and eat healthier once this is over– closer to how I'm eating right now– all the time, rather than reverting back to my frozen fish and chips.

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View entire thread: need an awesome cake recipe

Posted by MRSM103 on 2005-06-04 19:47:14      Post Subject:

1 pkg orange cake mix 2(3 ounce) pkg orange gelatin
1(3.5 oz.) pkg vanilla pudding 1 c milk
1 tsp. vanilla 1 (8oz) container whipped topping

Bake cake as directed in a 9x13 inch pan. When done, use a meat fork to poke holes across the top of the entire cake. allow to cool. In a medium bowl, mix together 1 box of gelatin, 1 c. hot water, dissolve and let cool. pour over top of cake. Refrigerate 2-3 hrs. Mix remaining box of gelatin, pudding mix, milk and vanilla together. Beat well. Fold whipped topping into this mixture, and spread on top of cake. Chill in refrigerator until serving. If you cant find an orange cake mix use a lemon mix and a packet of orange kool aid.


let me know how it turns out!!!!!!!!!!!!

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View entire thread: dirt cake recipe

Posted by sewpunk on 2005-02-22 16:56:17      Post Subject:

a variation on the dirt cake I have made for Halloween is the kitty litter cake. It is the same ingrediants as the dirt cake, but I use vanilla pudding, Cool whip, chopped 'nilla cookies, you get it, all vanilla...ect...

Assemble as a dirt cake but for the top layer - add a bit of green food coloring to the cookies as you chop in a chopper (to simulate the the clorophyl in acutal litter)

Over the top layer garnish with tootise rolls. You have to heat the tootsies in in the microwave for a few seconds and shape then into kitty poops.... having then half burried in the cake is good effect.

the ultimate in grossing out is to serve the concoction in a fresh dollar store litter pan with a cheapo pooper-scooper. This presentation worked expecially well when layed out the cake on a sheet of newspaper with extra "litter" spinkled outside then pan.

Yeah, I know it's gross. Most people couldn't bear to eat it, let alone look at it. But it was certainly funny.

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View entire thread: Book Group

Posted by brightcorner on 2006-01-28 02:10:54      Post Subject:

not being a smartypants myself (at least not in the live chat area), pudding's second suggestion sounds great to me...

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View entire thread: So It's Time To Write About This (long)

Posted by artgeek on 2006-05-12 10:40:14      Post Subject:

Pudding, I'm so sorry you're going through this stressful time. I've no children, so I only have a smidgen of an idea of what you're going through, and my heart goes out to you. As others have already said, you are doing the absolute best you can for your baby girl and that's the most important thing. I hope you have a partner and family to support you in the upcoming months, and I'll certainly be thinking of you.

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View entire thread: Flylady for non mommies?

Posted by honeychild on 2005-02-17 23:57:05      Post Subject:

ooh, thanks for the *-fly links!

like pudding i think i'm too heathenly to pick up on the christian messages; or maybe the solid wall of sudden emails that swarmed into my inbox shut me out of seeing WHAT the heck was going on in there, christian, cutesy, or no.

i work at home and already get 'dressed' for work, so i thought the system would likely be something i could incorporate... but for me, email traffic IS a huge part of my mental clutter, so i got immediately overwhelmed and it didn't help at all.

* off to browse yahoo groups *

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View entire thread: procrastination

Posted by craftfetish on 2006-05-01 09:22:37      Post Subject:

Nice to know that there is another generation of procrastinators on the way pudding!

Like many of you, I am presently procrastinating. I just can't seem to get anything done until I am up against a deadline crunch.

The manageable chunks advice is good stuff, but for me, if there isn't a deadline, I'll just let the manageable chunks pile up.

Try enlisting the help of a friend/coworker/classmate - it helps if they are sympathetic to our kind. I need someone to check up on whatever self-imposed deadline I have invented for my manageable chunks.

If someone is waiting on me, I am more likely to get stuff done on time. Plus, if they are a procrastinator too, I can further procrastinate future projects by returning the favor and nagging them about stuff.

So if it helps stella, I would be happy to nag you. How's the lab report coming?

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View entire thread: the best you ever had, dessert that is!

Posted by sun bear on 2004-04-26 11:36:39      Post Subject:

creme brulee with fresh berries
chocolate bread pudding made with croissants
chocolate puff pastry shell with strawberry ice cream and a chocolate glaze
Ghirardelli's brownie sundae with mint chocolate chip ice cream.

mmmm (drool)

jt

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View entire thread: Book Group

Posted by mele on 2006-02-10 10:32:00      Post Subject:

I can't wait! Has Pudding gotten the info for where to discuss, and for those of us who are not computer gurus, the how? I suggest Selah

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View entire thread: Book Group

Posted by mele on 2006-02-12 14:49:29      Post Subject:

I agree with pudding on choosing a book to comment on for March. I have seen threads about tv shows, so why can't Selah start one on a book here?

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View entire thread: businesses you support

Posted by artgeek on 2006-08-01 08:16:28      Post Subject:

I'm afraid I'm moving in to a place like that, pudding, where my best option for a coffeehouse is actually inside a Books A Million.

My family completely thinks I'm a heathen when I suggest going to some local restaurant rather than a mass-marketed chain one.

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View entire thread: So It's Time To Write About This (long)

Posted by cackalackie on 2006-05-12 15:41:45      Post Subject:

Oh, pudding, I am so sorry to hear you all have to go through this.

I haven't gone through anything like that myself, but my cousin has endured almost a year and a half of having to see her wee boy have surgery, as he was born quite premature. And I know that for her, the ones when he was an infant were much easier for them than now, when he's over a year old. At least you can be sure she won't remember it - and it will be much, much harder on you two.

And my niece also had heart surgery when she was 10 or 11. And I do remember by brother and SIL saying the same thing an earlier poster did about there being so many other children down the hall in much more difficult circumstances. Now my lovely niece is 17 (and is proud of her scar - and wears bikinis, too!) and is 100% fine. In fact, I remember my brother saying, after the surgery (which she waited years for), "She no longer has 'a heart condition'". (Followed by, "She can get health insurance!" But alas that is another thread.)

I hope you will continue to post and keep us updated. I'll thinking of y'all!

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View entire thread: What was blooming in your garden in May 2005?

Posted by moon_lemming on 2005-06-02 10:41:51      Post Subject:

I managed to kill almost everything we were growing. but my bonsai tree is growing tons of leaves again after an extreme pruning, and our tomato plant is growing tomatoes!

I have also somehow restrained myself from killing my little chocolate mint and lemon thyme plants.

but of all the seedlings I was growing, only about ten are still alive, mostly of the cherry tomato variety. poor things. at least next time I'll know how to water them.

I'm jealous of your garden, pudding! it sounds fantastic. limes? olives? maybe I'll pack up and come live in your garden. :)

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View entire thread: So It's Time To Write About This (long)

Posted by CraftinFool on 2006-05-15 08:49:53      Post Subject:

pudding,

you have been made to go thru so much, more than a mom should have to, and it sounds like you have been handling it as well as anyone could. I'm sure it's a frustrating and scary time but you are there for your precious girl and hats off to you and everything you are getting through.

I definitely haven't been thru as much as you have, but we have had some challenges with our daughter. She was born 6 wks early so was in the NICU for a bit, and then had to be treated for janudice. She had a heart murmur so had to have an EKG not long after she was born which was scary, but it turned out ok. Now's it's been asthma, but we do meds via a nebulizer every day and that has gotten things mostly under control, but we did have to go to the ER a few times.

I guess after dealing with those things, my thoughts are twofold: one is that I make sure my partner is very involved - I try not to go to apts, etc. by myself unless i have to, so the fear is much easier to deal with. The other is something that's not completely in your control, but: that the nurses and docs have been exceptional and that has helped a lot - they have been talented but also very caring. That has made a huge difference. I hope that you are able to have professionals who make the journey a bit easier.

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View entire thread: So It's Time To Write About This (long)

Posted by Knits4Fun on 2006-05-12 17:55:46      Post Subject:

Watching Discovery Health all the time doesn't help either.


Don't ask me WHY I watch that channel either, but I'm obsessed with it!


Pudding, I also had not much to do with hospitals before I gave birth (twice by c section) and now, it seems I can't get away (well, it's not THAT bad I guess, but I hate them so).

I feel for you in this. My daughter, Caroline, was also breech and had her hip ultrasound May 5 (she was approx. 1 mo. old) and there was a question with her left side so we are returning on June 2. I'm so HOPING nothing turns up but I'm trying to prepare for things if it does the best I can. Reading your post helped me realize where this can lead.

Caroline's hips aren't dislocated, however, but still. I'm awaiting what is said on June 2.

Hang in there. My nephew is is one year, had to have an operation back in February on one of his testicles (they didn't 'fall' before he was born) and in June, he will have the second one done. It was not easy at all on my sister to see a baby go under anesthesia (my nephew also has other complications) and I'm going to try to be there in June for her as I'm home from work for a bit on maternity leave (be there in that even if it just means bringing a meal over). My nephew pulled through great.

I'm sure you have great medical care where you are and she is in great hands.

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View entire thread: abercrombie and fitch article

Posted by Marina-Trilobyte on 2006-02-07 15:51:50      Post Subject:

I must say, it distresses me a little to see TV (I assume Daria is a TV show) referenced to criticize this guy and his business. TV & advertising are the great homogenizers of our nation, turning us all into boring vanilla pudding.

That's like saying books turn us into boring vanilla pudding or that movies or magazines do.

I agree that there's a tendency for all these genres to bland-out and cater to the lowest common denominator and that's how the money is made. But I'd suggest we're as far away from homogenization as we ever have been.

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View entire thread: abercrombie and fitch article

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-02-08 16:20:40      Post Subject:

the Daria reference is actually a totally appropriate to this situation.

I apologize for not knowing the Daria reference specifically. If it's as creative as you imply, I am sorry they were absorbed by (truly) awful MTV but I guess no one feels they have much choice anymore. I wasn't trying to single out that show in particular but just to throw the thought out there that TV is as corrupt as our original subject matter.

As far as TV not being the great evil system spewing pudding, I'm afraid I can't go there. Without getting into the promotion of passivity & short attention spans & all that, what about simple ownership? The bottom dollar is the motivator behind ALL programming (public access excepted). I forget the exact number but aren't all the major television stations & newspapers owned by something like only 6 corporations? Indie TV is harder to find than an unpolluted gallon of ocean water.

Hmm. Does that mean that Mythbusters, Iron Chef, The Sopranos (which, if it were a novel, would have been made into an opera by Verdi), Nova, Frontline, are all vanilla pudding? Maybe you need to watch tv more.

Do you know what motivated Dickens to write? He was paid by the word. When he started his magazine Household Words, he had to fill it every month- he was his own big, bad conglomerate. Bach wrote music because he had a very large family to feed, and it was his job. Duke Ellington spent most of his career playing dance music. Mozart wrote many of his pieces to pay the bills and please his patron, who was a rotten harpsichord player but had money to burn; most of his audience was too busy playing cards to listen to his music. Opera used to have vaudeville-type skits in between the acts, because it was the equivalent of popular tv.

On the other hand, most 'indie artists' who aren't concerned with making cash turn out crap, or something most people don't want to see or hear. Laurie Anderson comes to mind. But a goodly amount of music and art over the centuries was created to please patrons and make oodles of cash. You don't have to believe me, though. All you have to do is check for yourself. The concept of the 'indie artist' is a new one, just like the idea of someone going into a boxing ring and getting punched in the head for sheer fun is a new one. Most artistic people do what they do in large part because it helps them eat, and they're good at what they do.

I won't even mention Michelangelo's demands and food bills, Picasso painting for patrons like Gertrude Stein (originally a wealthy art collector), or Stokowski happily performing for Walt Disney, because as an educated person who looks down on tv and such, you probably know all this. Oddly enough, I love the thrill of seeing a new episode of Law and Order, or daydreaming of Gil Grissom on CSI.

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View entire thread: Seed catalogue drooling anyone?

Posted by pudding on 2006-02-02 21:56:14      Post Subject:

To further assist your drooling, I've posted some pictures of my vegie garden. It's the height of summer here and everything is growing madly... especially pumpkins!

Click On This Link Below:

Pudding's Mutant Pumpkin Patch

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View entire thread: Book Group

Posted by happyhats on 2006-02-01 08:16:29      Post Subject:

I'm in, and I third pudding's second suggestion. It could be similar to a swap gallery or the weekly showoff on supernaturale/glitter (if anyone's familiar with that forum). What's everyone interested in? Fiction, nonfiction, what genres, etc? Who would pick the books from timeframe to timeframe, pick the deadlines, etc? I've never been in a bookclub before, but it sounds like great fun and it would probably help me broaden my reading horizons.

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View entire thread: So It's Time To Write About This (long)

Posted by Sewlittletime on 2006-05-12 08:05:50      Post Subject:

Oh pudding!!
What an ordeal you've all been through!
I haven't had to go through any big porcedures with either of my boys thus far...knock on wood.
But my family had to go through the stress of open heart surgery for me.
My mom was sick, went to the doc, and found out she had Rubella. They gave her a pregnancy test, and sure enough, she was just barely over a month pregnant with me.
My mom was very cautious about what she did for the rest fo her pregnacy, because she was terrified that if she took so much as an asperin for a headache, that somehow it would make things worse for me.
Well, I was born with a defective pulmonary valve and a small hole in my heart.
I had my surgery when I was 6 1/2 yrs old, to repair the valve. (The hole had closed on its own by then.)
My parents, of course, were at the hospital during my whole surgery and into PICU, etc. My older sister, who was nearly 10 at the time, stayed with close family friends. Much later I found out that my sister pretty much spent the whole day sobbing because she was so terrified for me.
In the end, I came out of it GREAT!! I never had any physical restrictions, I have a very mild heart murmur, and life goes on.
That was in 1971. the procedure they did to fix my valve was relatively new back then.....surgically going in and cutting the excess tissue away to enlarge what had been a teensy little hole in an abnormal flap of tissue, where the valve should have been. I hear they do it via catheter now.
You know, when my older son was 6, I looked at him one day and it hit me just how terrifying it must have been for my family to see me go through the surgery. I mean...my son was just this wee little guy, and I look at my scar now, which is about 8 inches long, and am just floored by how HUGE that must have looked on my little 6 yr old chest.
My mom used to dress me in clothes with higher necklines, so people wouldn't be constantly asking me questions about me scar. When I got to be old enough to pick my own clothes out, I didn't really care who saw it. I wore bikinis to the beach just like everyone else. It's a part of me, and I forget that I even have it.
Your daughter will do great. It's wonderful that they can do the surgery at her young age. It gives her muscles plenty of time to strengthen in their new postion, and I'm betting by the time she is walking, you'll never know she had even gone through this. And at her age, as hard as it is to see her have to go through the surgeries, she is unlikely to remember any of it.
I wish your daughter much success and quick healing with her next surgery!!

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View entire thread: Ms Magazine's must-read list

Posted by moon_lemming on 2005-03-02 09:20:26      Post Subject:

Haven't read any of them, but I do remember seeing a review of Mistress of Modernism: The Life of Peggy Guggenheim which made me want to check it out. And Grassroots looks good. That's an interesting list; thanks for the link!

I had the exact same problem with Manifesta, pudding! I was all set to order it, read the review, and now I'll have to wait until I forget all the negative points that were made before I can bring myself to go through with it. Bah.

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View entire thread: albums that changed your life

Posted by DJules on 2006-07-02 11:31:37      Post Subject:

Oh pudding - we must be about the same age! :-D I thought of that one, too. I think every generation just has to have a boy band to squee over!
(And then later be embarassed by the fact that we liked them! :-))

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View entire thread: Valentine's gifts

Posted by govegan74 on 2005-01-24 11:19:52      Post Subject:

I am going to try to do some homemade gifts this year and also buy things that help inspire my hubby to be creative.
I am going to make a batch of vegan chocolates, a vegan pudding cake, a nice dinner, and some other goodies.

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View entire thread: starting major renovations this week ...

Posted by delqc on 2006-01-30 10:51:03      Post Subject:

Thanks guys for the support - it really is very stressful. We're borrowing money to pay for this as it is and we really don't want to make any dumb financial decisions (who does?!?!)

Special thanks to pudding - yes, those are all very positive things that I super appreciate. It certainly doesn't hurt to be reminded of them!

THe "united front" is helping A LOT. Last night as we were going to bed, exhausted from having packed up 2 bedrooms and a kitchen, the Boy was all snuggled it to me and said, "I'm SO glad we agree on everything about the house." Me too. I don't think I could handle conflict with him, too! Everything else you said was smack-on, too. Thanks. ::blush::.

In any case, we stayed there with friends over the weekend and took a lot of decisions. We have decided the "scope" of what we can afford now - no new kitchen or bathroom (makes me VERY sad) BUT replaced insulated and properly drywalled ceilings (wired as per the Final Plan), a new, safer staircase and completed master bedroom, removal of the old Franklin woodstove downstairs (super inefficient), removal of the old fireplace upstairs (ineffecient and drafty and VERY unattractive) and installment of a double-sided fireplace that will shared between the master bedroom and the living room. And, later in the summer after we have saved some more, some foundation work (excavation and installing better drainage around the house), replacement of our water pump, and some work on the septic system which we need more than new cabinets.

I'm glad we finally have a plan that we can afford. As to our designer, well, we've managed to explain to her why we were so frustrated. She's upset that we have essentially cut her out of the deal, and at one point in a weak moment accused me of having "control issues" (well of course I have control issues!!! It's MY house and MY money!!!) but has now come to see that we did not get what we expected from her services. We've managed to house it as a "miscommunication" - i.e. what we requested and espected was contextrualized by our own non-knowledge of "design norms," and what she did was what might have felt appropriate for a designer, but was not what we actually wanted and was not in line with our expectations. Labelling it as a "miss-communication" seems to have taken the edge off of it, and we haven't belaboured the point that part of the proicess of hiring an "expert" is that "expert" has to guide you about the process and ensure that mandates and expectations are clearly aligned - that would just be cruel.

In any case, the guys are at our place right now with sledge hammers and the like - which is terrifying!

Thanks for listening. It really DOES help. :)

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