getcrafty :: popular topics :: food and wine :: stew

View entire thread: Food Drive Info

Posted by Miepshe11 on 2005-11-23 15:19:44      Post Subject: Food Drive Info



I just got back from helping out at my local food pantry and I have been educated. I wanted to share what I have learned with you and ask you to spread the word. I have made a list of things that no one seems to donate so you will know what the food pantries really need.
For starters, if no one donated corn or green beans for a year, most food pantries would still have plenty. I felt a little sheepish when I saw the huge stacks of extra corn and green beans, because I am guilty too!
But now I have seen the light and next time I will donate:

Canned:
potatoes
sliced pears
Mandarin oranges
pie fillings
chili
tuna
salmon
Vienna sausages
chicken
stew
tomato soup
cream of soup (no seafood)
vegetable soup
jams and jellies

other:
pancake syrup
muffin mix
pancake mix
macaroni and cheese
hamburger/chicken/tuna helper
boxed noodle mixes
rice mixes (Zatarain's was set aside for "Katrina People")
stuffing mix (for the holidays)
bottles/cans of grape/orange juice
applesauce
juice boxes
diapers- especially wipes!

I know that most food pantries will be thankful to have whatever they can get, so I'm hoping this will help fill the shelves that seem to empty the fastest.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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View entire thread: CROCK NOT COOKING

Posted by moon_lemming on 2004-12-22 13:53:36      Post Subject:

I haven't had a chance to give my crockpot a go except for pot roasts recently, but there are a bunch of (non-red-meat) recipes here: http://www.getcrafty.com/viewtopic.php?t=342

eta: now that I think about it I'm not sure if I mean pot roast or beef stew. heh. hunk of beef + potatoes + carrots + red wine, basically. whatever that is.

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View entire thread: BREAD!!

Posted by cherriesontop on 2004-09-12 12:17:11      Post Subject: BREAD!!

I have an amazing urge to cook. We've having stew (soup for me) and I wanna make some quick delicious vegetarian bread or biscuit! Post your recipes and FAST!

p.s sorry im having a hyper spaz:P

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View entire thread: freezer cooking

Posted by stprcsm on 2004-11-13 10:18:43      Post Subject:

I freeze almost all my soups. carrots, potatoes and the noodles sometimes get weird tasting. for my chicken noodle I will leave out the noodles when I freeze it then I boil up the noodles when Im ready to have the soup. ok, on to (one of ) my favorite soup recipes.

veg-beef-barley with mini meatballs
salt and pepper some stew meat cut into chunks, add thyme
brown stew meat untill meat is pretty crusty (well browned)
add some chopped onion and cook that a bit
add a can of tomatoes, your favorite soup veggies ( I use frozen corn, peas, green beans, limas, fresh cabbage, fresh carrots, celery leaves etc)
add a handful of barley
make a small batch of meatball (lean meat, s&p, oregano, basil, egg, breadcrumb)
bring the soup so a rather strong boil
roll the meatballs into the size of marbles and drop them raw into the soup.
simmer for at least 20 minutes or till the barley and meatballs are done.
add romano or parma cheese and enjoy.

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View entire thread: A Call for Holiday Recipes

Posted by craftfetish on 2006-10-24 09:36:32      Post Subject:

I've gotten really rave reviews for vegan pumpkin soup/stew, but I my recipe doesn't really stray far enough from what's on the internet to call it my own yet.

Serving the soup from the shell of the pumpkin does make for a fantastic holiday presentation though if anyone else has a recipe that they can really claim ownership of.

I may have some holiday dessert recipes that I can claim. I'll take a look through the file.

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View entire thread: Post Labor Recipes

Posted by soapandwater on 2004-07-28 18:04:05      Post Subject:

Don't forget about soups/stews, if you're into that. I personally love a good beef, potato, veggie stew.

Or chilli. You can have chilli prepared, and if you're like me, you eat it with rice, which we all know is fairly easy to make (unless it's brown rice, which, for some reason, I have not mastered, and that's ridiculous).

I like making vegetable sandwiches using mushrooms, cucumbers, baby spinach, and sometimes tomato on whatever wonderful bread I choose. If you did something like that (or with meat, of course), you could have some things presliced, if you knew you were going to eat them soon, and keep them in tupperware.

Lately, I've also been eating a lot of bean burritos. I'm not a refried bean fan, so I just heat up black beans and use cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream. It takes no time to prepare, and it's stuff you can use with sandwiches, etc., so it feels like multi-purpose shopping.

See, most everything I make for myself doesn't take long/isn't hard, or I probably wouldn't do it unless I was really bored.

Hope everything goes well!!!

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View entire thread: st patty's day treats

Posted by cackalackie on 2005-03-17 10:15:07      Post Subject:

As I just mentioned on the thread over in lifestyle, I have a corned beef brisket in my crock pot. I've never fixed it myself. I went online and tried to find the only crock pot recipe that didn't include the cabbage, etc, in the stew (as I prefer my cabbage steamed). All I did was put some orange juice frozen concentrate (thawed) on top of it, after it had been trimmed and soaked for 30 minutes. I'm not very au fait with the ol' crock pot anyway, so who knows how it will turn out.

To me, as long as you have a pint of Guinness, it doesn't matter what you eat.

I did find an interesting recipe for Green Guacamole (as in, greener that usual) that looked yummy. It contains goat cheese! Here it is:

Think Green Guacamole

• 4 ripe Hass Avocados, peeled, seeded, cut in chunks
• 1 cup finely crumbled, fresh, white goat cheese
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup chopped, toasted pistachio nuts
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped finely

Coarsely mash avocados. Fold in remaining ingredients. Serve with colorful chips or vegetables. Guacamole is best made as close to service as possible. Store in an airtight container with plastic wrap against the surface of the guacamole. Yields 10-12 servings.

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View entire thread: Kale recipes?

Posted by elizwong on 2005-09-07 12:17:56      Post Subject:

There's a great kale recipe in the Moosewood cookbook for an African Ground Nut Stew or something like that. Basically, it's like peanut sauce with kale in it. I have to admit I don't use the recipe anymore, but basically the steps are:

Saute a couple of cloves of garlic and 1/2 onion, chopped (or more if you like onion)
Add a can of crushed pineapple (the big cans, like the 12 oz).
Add 1/2 cup of peanut butter
salt and pepper
a couple of dashes of tabasco (I like it spicy so I add a bunch)
Simmer it a minute or two to get it to all blend together.
Add your washed and chopped kale (about 1 in strips) to the pot. This recipe will take one bunch of kale or more, since it cooks down a lot. The kale is enormous when you add it, so put the lid on and let it cook down for a minute or two, then stir it in.
Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
Serve with rice.

You can also add in other vegetables, or meat, or tofu if you like.
By the way, it looks really weird and gross but tastes yummy!

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View entire thread: What can you do with your belly fat?

Posted by freisss on 2006-05-12 21:16:29      Post Subject:

I could make a couple gallons of savory stock for a stew. ;)

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View entire thread: Crockpot Cookbook

Posted by MlleEmily on 2006-01-09 18:07:26      Post Subject:

I'm totally crock-potty!

I get my crockpot recipe books from thrifts- they're everywhere!

It;s quite funny some of the ingredients sometimes, like they're from the 70's when I guess some 'exatoc' ingredients weren't as readily available- like instead of actual ginger one recipe used that gummy ginger candy stuff! In a lam stew!

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View entire thread: Lentil Stew

Posted by Selah on 2005-05-22 14:53:05      Post Subject: Lentil Stew

I've made lentil stew a couple of times and it's nothing to brag about. I just sort of wing it, sticking to standard soup ingredients. It tastes just okay. Last night while eating it I dreamed of eating a burger and fries so I thought I should ask for help to make my soup more delicious.

Here's what I put in it:

chicken stock
1 can whole tomatoes all squished up (my favorite part)
brown lentils
onions
garlic
carrots
celery
potato
zuchinni
salt & pepper

I cut the veggies up really big so they stay intact and other than that I just let the bad boy cook.

Can you add mustard or cheese? Any ideas, advice?

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View entire thread: Camping crafts

Posted by amaryllis on 2006-05-30 09:03:19      Post Subject:

I don't know that it would be considered a craft but if you're in an area that grows wild blackberries you could pick those and stew them over the campfire and bring some angel food cake or pound cake to eat with.

But the *ultimate* campfire craft.....

Friendship bracelets! Talk about taking me back..

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View entire thread: To Eat or Not to Eat?

Posted by Selah on 2005-10-25 06:47:50      Post Subject: Beef Stew Take Two

yeahhhhhhh! I made beef stew using only edible products last night!!! It was delicious, I must say. Instead of the dumplings I served it with french bread toasted with extra sharp cheddar cheese. I thought I was kind of brave to 'get back on the horse again' so soon after wiping out. Hope some of you make this recipe,just remember not to cook the pads!!! YUMMMY.

Here's the recipe, I got it from about.com:

Beef Stew With Red Wine and Dumplings

From Diana Rattray,

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 pounds lean stew beef or top round steak, cut in 1-inch pieces
* 4 medium carrots, cut 1/4-inch slices, about 1 1/2 cups
* 2 medium celery ribs sliced, about 1 cup
* 2 medium onions, sliced
* 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices
* 8 sliced mushrooms
* 3/4 cup dry red wine or beef broth
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste if beef broth is used
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
* 1 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* .
* Herb Dumplings:
* 1 1/2 cups baking mix (Bisquick)
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
* 1/4 teaspoon dried sage leaves, crumbled
* 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
* 1/2 cup milk

PREPARATION:
In a 3 1/2 to 6 quart crockpot, combine stew beef, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, wine or beef broth, salt, thyme, mustard, and pepper.

Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours, (or HIGH 4 to 5 hours) or until vegetables and beef are tender.

Comin water and flour; gradually stir into beef mixture.

For herb dumplings, mix baking mix, thyme, sage, and rosemary.
Stir in milk just until moistened. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot beef stew mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH for 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean.
Serves 8.



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View entire thread: Christmas Eve Dinner

Posted by kohuether on 2005-12-19 18:04:52      Post Subject:

Pan fried flank steak (I'd say get two steaks for 12 people). Slice it up on the diagonal and serve on a big platter.

Serve with roasted vegetables (perhaps asparagus?), wild rice, salad, some kind of bread. If you season the steak in an Italian style, serve bruschetta or ciabatta or something like that... if it is a mexican style serve with corn bread, etc...

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

OR

Do an Italian style dinner... they serve lots and lots of seafood. You can do a variation on that theme and sterve a nice Italian style seafood stew or something like that...

Hipe this helps a little!

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View entire thread: Crafty Home Office Ideas

Posted by robotgirl on 2004-05-07 18:45:37      Post Subject:

Marty Stew had some great ideas a couple of issues ago:

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=channel184144&rsc=tc27&page=1&site=

I love the peg boards. There's also some good tips in the "Home Office 101" section. I don't really have an office to speak of, just an ugly old IKEA desk, so I'm not much help beyond that. All my financial documents live in a plastic tub in my closet, and they are a big disaster.

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View entire thread: favorite fall stews and soups

Posted by girlsavage on 2006-10-06 09:11:41      Post Subject: favorite fall stews and soups

It's that time of year when I could eat a different stew or soup everyday. I was wondering what some of your favorites are. I think I've posted mine before, Chickpea artichoke heart stew, but here it is again. It tastes and smells like a beautiful fall day to us!

*Chickpea and Artichoke Heart Stew*
4 Cups H20 or stock (chicken or Veggie is fine)
2 Med. onions(chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. sweet paprika
4 med. red potatoes 1/2" cubes
1 sprig rosemary (1 tsp.dried)
5 leaves sage ( 1 tsp.dried/ground)
1/2 cup pureed sweet potatoes ( i've used jar baby food...works great!)
3 cups drained chickpeas (2- 15 oz. cans)
1 1/2 cups drained quartered artichoke hearts (14 oz. can)
salt and ground pepper to taste

toppings:
lemon wedges
grated parmesean

Heat stock or water in a med. sauce pan to simmer. In a large soup pan sautee' onions and garlic in oil for about 8 min. Stir in tumeric, paprika and sautee' 1 more min. Add in potato, other herbs and heated stock- cook about 12 min. Stir in sweet potato, chick peas and artichoke hearts. Remove rosemary sprig, add salt and pepper to your liking and return to a simmer. I like to let it cook for a while after this, up to 2 hours. Serve with lemon wedges and top with parmesean cheese.

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View entire thread: neighbors

Posted by h_pets360 on 2006-09-09 02:27:14      Post Subject:

I think it's perfectly fine etiquette to knock on their door/call and ask 'em to turn down their tunes. It's a lot nicer to give them some warning rather than stew until you're fed up and call the cops for a noise violation. I've been on the asking end, the receiving end, and at a very late very loud party, a near ticket for a noise violation.

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View entire thread: favorite fall stews and soups

Posted by kitchensqueen on 2006-10-09 18:55:48      Post Subject:

My favorites are Leek & Potato (on my blog), 15 Bean Stew, Purple Chicken Noodle Soup (on my blog), and White Bean & Sausage Stew in Sugar Pumpkins. Yummy! I love fall, and I think it's mostly because of the soups!

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View entire thread: What the Hell do I Make for Dinner?

Posted by delqc on 2006-03-29 08:50:02      Post Subject:

What we do is a lot like what pudding does. My partner and I both have full-time jobs and are part-time students. Time is a very short commododity! We decided in the fall that for this semester we would have a selection of meals that could be prepared relatively quickly, and that we would grocery-shop for those meals once every two weeks. So, in the fall whenever we made something that fit the "quick and easy and tasty" bill, I wrote it out on an index card and put it in a recipe box. I also made a standard grocery list that includes all of the meals for our two-week rotation, so we don't ahve to write grocery lists. We just stick the copy of our list on the fridge of all the standard stuff, and add anything special or staples taht we are running short of as we go.

Makes grocery-shopping and planning so much easier. And, when we get home at 8:30 pm, we just look on the list to see what's for dinner. No need to figure anything out.

Meals on our rotation:

Falafel Pitas with hummus (falafel is made from a mix)
Sphagetti & meat sauce + salad
Fettuchini alfredo + vegetable
Gnocci gorgonzola + vegetable or salad
Spring rolls with peanut sauce
Sausages + potatoes + vegetable or salad
Veggie Lasagna
Mullitagawny soup (chicken), with basmati rice
Beef stew
Lamb stew
Grilled pork chops with rice and salad
Chicken in indian sauce (buy pre-made) + basmati rice + vegetable or salad
homemade macaroni and cheese
Fusilli with sun-dried tomateos and pesto (with or without chicken)
Beef or chicken fajhitas
blackbean chili
asian chicken and noodles (our version of pad thai)
Pita pizzas (the laziest of all meals)

etc etc etc....

When we make sphagetti sauce, soup, stew, chili, or lasagna we make extra and freeze a ton to use it for lunches, for nights when we are too tired to cook, weekends etc etc. I always have a few extra meals tucked away in the freezer. :)

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View entire thread: Beans recipes

Posted by delqc on 2005-09-27 15:38:37      Post Subject:

*Chickpea and Artichoke Heart Stew*

This sounds awesome - I have added artichoke hearts and sweet potatoes to my grocery list!

del

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View entire thread: Butternut Squash?

Posted by artgeek on 2005-11-26 19:52:26      Post Subject:

I made this stew with butternut squash in my crockpot recently and found it to be outstanding!

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View entire thread: Help with vegan.

Posted by creativecat on 2006-05-13 07:28:31      Post Subject:

I second the idea of pasta and veggies. You could even make a homemade sauce with tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs. I also like to add a splash of white wine. You could make a really good garlic bread with brushing the top of the slices of a good vegan Italian bread with olive oil, minced garlic and herbs.

I also make this African Ground Nut Stew that could easily be vegan without sacrificing taste. I make a similar recipe with chicken, but you could leave out the chicken and use vegetable stock. I serve it over couscous and also use plaintains.

I'm also surprised no one has suggested a hummus appetizer.

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View entire thread: cornbread

Posted by spiderlady on 2006-05-10 12:45:05      Post Subject:

I just use the recipe on the side of the cornmeal bag, which is pretty much the same as the one Sewlittletime posted. If there's a better meal than homemade beef stew and cornbread, I don't know what it is!

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View entire thread: cornbread

Posted by kitchensqueen on 2006-05-28 11:20:54      Post Subject:

My favorite is Amish Cornbread-- it's bakes up huge and has a slightly sweet flavor. It's excellent with buffalo stew!

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg or 1/4 cup egg replacer
1 c milk or soymilk
2 tablespoons butter or shortening

1. Grease a 9 inch round pan and preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Mix together dry ingredients.
3. Add the wet ingredients.
4. Pour into the pan and bake 20-30 minutes.

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View entire thread: Beans recipes

Posted by craftytricks on 2005-10-05 18:16:08      Post Subject:


*Chickpea and Artichoke Heart Stew*


I made this soup over the weekend and it was a big hit. I made one minor change due to a lack of the exact ingredients: instead of tumeric and sweet paprika I added a heaping teaspoon of cinnamon. It was great! The soup had a sweet and cinnamony flavor that really added to the broth. I'm sure the original ingredients are also just as good--next time I have them on hand I'll have to give the soup another go.

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View entire thread: Beans recipes

Posted by girlsavage on 2005-09-27 13:50:37      Post Subject:

Oh my gosh...we eat beans all the time!
Our favorite thing is black bean burritos. I do it just a bit different from cackalackie, but I'm gonna have to try that way. Sounds delish!
Here is my method:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/3 med. onion minced
1/4 med. red bell pepper diced
2 smashed and chopped cloves garlic
2 Tbs. ground cumin
1 Tbs. chili powder
dash of cinnamon, cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
1 can black beans
large flour tortillas

toppings include:
grated montery jack
avocado
sour cream
salsa
black olives

In a largge skillet heat oil and toss in onion and red pepper. Saute' for a few minutes, then throw in the can of black beans, garlic, cumin, Chili powder and other dry flavorings. Stir all together and allow to heat for a few minutes.
Heat tortillas one at a time as you need them by tossing them on a gas burner , keep them moving using tongs, heat both sides. Fill with bean mmixture and add any other toppings you desire, roll up and enjoy!

For a really quick dinner we do refried bean burrittos. Easy and so quick. Just throw a can of refried beans in a skillet and heat. Heat your tortilla and add in your beans and favorite toppings, roll up. Simple.

Ummm I also have a recipe for chickpea/ artichoke stew I'll have to find in my recipe box. Sooo tasty on a crisp fall day. I'll post it after I find it.:)

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View entire thread: Beans recipes

Posted by girlsavage on 2005-09-27 14:38:47      Post Subject:

Found It!!! This recipe is long and is best when allowed to cook for a few hours. So, sorry, but it tastes like fall and is one of my favorites. I like to make this for gatherings, it says it serves 4-6 people, but I have made it and served about 8 with it. Its also great to keep in the fridge as leftovers for later in the week if your only serving 2.

*Chickpea and Artichoke Heart Stew*
4 Cups H20 or stock (chicken or Veggie is fine)
2 Med. onions(chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. sweet paprika
4 med. red potatoes 1/2" cubes
1 sprig rosemary (1 tsp.dried)
5 leaves sage ( 1 tsp.dried/ground)
1/2 cup pureed sweet potatoes ( i've used jar baby food...works great!)
3 cups drained chickpeas (2- 15 oz. cans)
1 1/2 cups drained quartered artichoke hearts (14 oz. can)
salt and ground pepper to taste

toppings:
lemon wedges
grated parmesean

Heat stock or water in a med. sauce pan to simmer. In a large soup pan sautee' onions and garlic in oil for about 8 min. Stir in tumeric, paprika and sautee' 1 more min. Add in potato, other herbs and heated stock- cook about 12 min. Stir in sweet potato, chick peas and artichoke hearts. Remove rosemary sprig, add salt and pepper to your liking and return to a simmer. I like to let it cook for a while after this, up to 2 hours. Serve with lemon wedges and top with parmesean cheese.


Another one I remembered
* Blackbean & Corn Enchiladas*
1 (15 oz) can black beans drained
1 (11 oz.) can corn
2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup salsa
12-8 inch flour tortillas
1 (10oz.) can enchilada sauce

--heat oven to 400 degrees. In med. bowl combine beans, corn, salsa and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese.
--Spoon filling into the tortillas; roll up and place seam side down in a lightly greased 13x9x2" baking dish
--Pour enchilada sauceover top: sprinkle with the left over 1/2 cup cheese
--Bake for 15-20 min.

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View entire thread: Idiot-Proof Recipes?

Posted by craftytricks on 2005-02-22 09:29:14      Post Subject:

French toast is surprisingly hard! It took me a few tries to get it down and I still get nervous about making it correctly.

Why don't you try something like a crock pot stew where you throw everything in at once and let it do its thing. It takes no effort from you except to chop everything up. Same goes for something you'd wrap in foil and bake, like potatoes or vegetables. Or try something like pizza where you buy the ingredients ready-made, put them together, and stick them in the oven. Just avoid overdoing anything--the simpler the materials, the easier on your cooking skills. Good luck!

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View entire thread: Worst Meal You Ever Had

Posted by diane tarver on 2005-07-11 22:31:36      Post Subject:

Once at Taco Bell I got a quarter in my bean burrito. They gave me $20 worth of coupons for free food, but I was much too scared to use them! Also my mother in law made stew ( I don't eat at her house cause she sucks and licks food off the spoon she is cooking with) my poor hubby took some stew and found a band aid in it. She had cut her finger chopping carrots and didn't even realize she had lost the band aid. SICK!!!

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View entire thread: To Eat or Not to Eat?

Posted by Slinkster on 2005-10-21 09:53:06      Post Subject:

I get wigged out easily by food so I would say don't eat it.

I'm just so sorry that your beef stew got messed up!

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View entire thread: Cooking: Weird substitiute ingredients!

Posted by EvesApple on 2004-12-17 15:04:20      Post Subject:

Hm...I don't know if it's "weird" but since I don't care for preprocessed broth and the good, freshsish stuff isn't cheap, I use a lot of different things for cooking liquid and in soups. Usually for soups its some combo of beer, crushed tomato or tomato juice and soy sauce. I have been known to use the brine from olives and capers, thinned mustard and once put maple syrup in a veggie stew that was mainly acorn squash and sweet potatoes.

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View entire thread: favorite fall stews and soups

Posted by valeriaa on 2006-10-11 08:45:36      Post Subject:

A couple of weeks ago I made Indian Summer Turkey Chili from Rachael Ray's "30 Minute Get Real Meals"....it was awesome, delicious and incredibly easy!!

It's not exactly a soup or stew...but equally comforting :)

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View entire thread: favorite fall stews and soups

Posted by valeriaa on 2006-10-11 08:46:50      Post Subject:

A couple of weeks ago I made Indian Summer Turkey Chili from Rachael Ray's "30 Minute Get Real Meals"....it was awesome, delicious and incredibly easy!!

It's not exactly a soup or stew...but equally comforting :)

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View entire thread: What to do with leftover red wine???

Posted by delqc on 2004-12-21 09:00:33      Post Subject:

You can also use it to richen the broth in a great beef stew ... I have a great recipe but I don't have the recipe here with me. I will try to find it for you.

Hey - vinegar is made from wine - anyone know how to ferment wine into your own vinegar?

del

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View entire thread: Fry Daddy, Foreman Grill, & Crock pot.....

Posted by kohuether on 2005-02-09 13:08:59      Post Subject:

I love my crockpot! Slow cooked soups and stews are wonderful. If you decide to make a stew you need to brown the meat before you put it in the pot. Otherwise, follow your favorite recipe and set it on low and your food is ready in four-six hours. Slow cooking releases more flavor. Crockpot cooking is addicting! I had a George Foreman and didn't like it. I love the smoky taste of real barbeque so I actually put my grill up for sale on craigslist.

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View entire thread: TOFU

Posted by mindshare on 2004-09-02 10:46:34      Post Subject:

http://www.vegweb.com is a good vegan site...

I throw tofu into lots of things that I make. I usually cube it or cut it into strips, and then fry it a little bit first, then it goes into the curry/stew/whatever.

Another good thing is to slice it and fry it on both sides in a little oil, some soy sauce, and whatever spices you feel like using, until it's a little crispy, and then use it as a sandwich "meat".

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View entire thread: favorite fall stews and soups

Posted by janaka on 2006-10-10 16:21:50      Post Subject:

I am glad that somoene started this link - I just discovered that I love tomato basil soup! does anyone have a great recipe for this?

I think my favorite soup/stew for this time of year is lentil, and i also love cream of broccoli. i am very picky when it comes to soup, so if anyone can help out with the tomato basil soup, that would be great.

Thanks y'all!

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View entire thread: To Eat or Not to Eat?

Posted by Selah on 2005-10-21 18:35:33      Post Subject:

Thanks Jedi, it's nice to hear I'm not alone messing up in the kitchen!

And thanks Slinkster I didn't realize I needed to hear "sorry about your stew" until you wrote it. I was bummed but it's getting funnier with each passing day. I have the feeling 'meat maxi pad' is going to be like my get out of jail free card. If I don't feel like cooking I'll just retell the story and my dh will dive for the phone. Delivery anyone?

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View entire thread: What's cookin'?

Posted by twilight on 2004-04-18 17:26:16      Post Subject:

Pierogies? I love them! My SO grew up in Michigan and ate them growing up. I'm from Indiana and had never heard of them until he made them for me. Delicious.

Today it was just leftovers for me. I reheated some green chile stew my SO had made. With elk meat our neighbor had given us. Very good.

I've also been munching on brownies I made yesterday. I'm not a good cook so having brownies from a box turn out edible was very satisfying.

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View entire thread: To Eat or Not to Eat?

Posted by Selah on 2005-10-20 18:34:54      Post Subject: To Eat or Not to Eat?

So I screwed up dinner BIG TIME last night. It was debated whether or not we should eat it. I'll ask you what you would do!

I made beef stew in my crock pot. I was so pleased with myself. I was just about to add the dumplings so I gave it a good turn round with my spoon and I caught this plastic beef and wine soaked mess. I nearly puked. It was those things that catch the meat juice and blood at the bottom of packaged beef. Turns out I cooked this crap for 7 hours with not one meat mat inside but two! I somehow plunked them both in and didn't notice, I was trying hard not to get my hands all beefy. My DH said it should be fine and I said no way. He finally threw it out once I said that I cooked "meat maxi-pads".

So would you have eaten it or thrown it right out? Just curious because the debate went outside of our immediate family and involved a few other family member and maybe a friend or two.

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View entire thread: favorite fall stews and soups

Posted by Leonie on 2006-10-16 10:24:20      Post Subject: La Ribollita

Fall is definatly my favorite time of year. The way it smells outside and the colour of the trees, I love it! My favorite stew to eat (in every time of year, because i'm addicted to it) is called La Ribollita, it is an italian tuscan beansoup. I've put the recipe below.

Here is what you need:

La Ribollita

4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot
2 big garlic cloves, chopped
250 grams white Cabbage
1 Zucchini
400 grams white beans (14 ounce)
400 grams (one can) tomato in can. (14 ounce)
2 dl (one cup) red wine
1 liter (5 cups) veggie/chicken stock.

Of course you can ad meat to it. I love to make it with chorizo sausage (spanish sausage) in it. it gives a extra flavour to the stock.

Put olive oil in the pan. Add the chopped onion and garlic. (do not let it burn) now add the chopped carrot. leave together for 1-2 minutes.

Now add the chopped Zucchini. leave together for 5 minutes. Then add the cabagge. Give it a good stir, make sure all your vegables are getting glazed and soaked with the olive oil. Now add the beans and your can of peeled tomatoes (with moisture).

Now add the stock and the wine. (and the chopped chorizo) leave it for 40 minutes in a closed pan on a low fire.

After 40 minutes you give it a good stir again and leave it again for 30 minutes.

Serve the soup with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh bread.

(the next day it is even more tasty!)

You will love it!!!! Enjoy!

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View entire thread: favorite fall stews and soups

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-10-11 18:14:10      Post Subject:

I am glad that somoene started this link - I just discovered that I love tomato basil soup! does anyone have a great recipe for this?

I think my favorite soup/stew for this time of year is lentil, and i also love cream of broccoli. i am very picky when it comes to soup, so if anyone can help out with the tomato basil soup, that would be great.

Thanks y'all!

I'd be happy to.

Tomato Basil Soup

1 bunch of fresh basil
8 sauce tomatoes (they tend to be elongated and egg-shaped)
2 large cans of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes are the best for this)
4 sundried tomatoes (chop three; cut the last one into strips)
1 cup of red Italian wine
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup of chopped Italian parsley
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups water
Romano cheese
1 bay leaf
oregano, red pepper flakes and salt to taste

Core the raw tomatoes and skin them by dropping them in boiling water for three seconds each and then peeling them with your fingers. Chop the tomatoes and half of the basil and put aside. Take a large pot and saute the onions and garlic together for about 3-5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, the chopped raw and sundried tomatoes, water, and seasonings and cook on medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer; turn don to medium low and cook for a half hour. Stir every 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook for another half hour. Correct the seasoning. Remove the bay leaf and put the mixture into your blender, a cup at a time. Pour the mixture back into the pot and add a few leaves of chopped basil, and stir. Serve in bowls, with the cheese and tomato strips as garnish. You can also add a basil leaf or two to each bowl.

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View entire thread: Favorite Soup Recipes

Posted by Nancy Flynn on 2005-10-19 13:07:32      Post Subject:

These are links to some of my faves:

Simple Pumpkin on epicurious:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/105664

Tomato and Spinach:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/2705

Curried Lentil Stew:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/2705

The first two are super easy and involve mostly canned and frozen ingredients (you can substitute fresh if you want), but both turn out quite yummy. The pumpkin definitely needs a little extra garlic and 5-spice as noted in the "reviews" of that recipe.

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View entire thread: Family Meal Planning Ideas and Tips Please

Posted by Selah on 2005-10-19 14:45:15      Post Subject:

Thank you all so much for the wonderful ideas!!! It's so helpful to read how others handle this.

I just rediscovered my crockpot and that has been such a good thing. I just have to be organized to have everything I need beforehand.

Tonight I'm making beef stew with dumplings. I'll let you know how it turns out.

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View entire thread: What are you cooking?

Posted by sarabell on 2006-01-24 01:41:01      Post Subject:

though this is indeed a domestic topic, i'm moving this to consuming pleasures as it seems a more appropriate place....

and i made a big pot of beef stew earlier tonight. enough for a couple more bowls tomorrow night.

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View entire thread: 10 day mental challenge -- join here!

Posted by kissmyknitz on 2005-04-07 09:40:34      Post Subject: day one, and day one again....

I started yesterday, but blew it mid afternoon: I taught a girls' gym class and they submarined me. I was drained afterwards, and kept thinking about it for the rest of the day. WAAAAAY more than my 2 minutes...

So I'm going to start over again today. Will not dwell, will not dwell....

My strategy for replacing "bad" thoughts with good ones? Its dumb, but I'm going to sing happy songs to myself. If you're singing, you aren't thinking, so if I start dwelling on something for even 1 minute, I'll start singing.

What I've learned in one day:
Thoughts are like food: you have more in one day than you think you do, and if you aren't thinking about it, you'll find you have too much of the "non-nutritive" variety.
And, it's better to give in to the bad feeling completly, quickly, and then move on, than to stew on it and allow it to ruin your day. Someone buggin me? I'm gonna let them know, so I can wash them away!! Then I won't be laying in bed at the end of the day thinking "If only I'd...."

Good thoughts y'all!!!!

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View entire thread: what did you have for dinner?

Posted by Katrin on 2004-05-05 22:43:10      Post Subject:

"Italian stir fry" which I just invented tonight: Beef chunks (actually meant "for stew") stir-fried with red wine instead of soy sauce, herb seasoning, mushrooms and frozen Italian-blend veggies. Not bad and relatively quick.

My experimental dessert was kind of a disaster, though. I meant for it to be sliced bananas drizzled with caramelized sugar sauce—the sugar was supposed to turn out all lacy and crispy. But I made way too much of it and cooked it too long, so it turned out to be plates of solidified burnt sugar with slices of banana embedded in it. We picked them out and ate them anyway, of course.

Cooking at home two nights in a row—a triumph for me lately!

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View entire thread: Favorite Soup Recipes

Posted by girlsavage on 2005-10-18 09:44:27      Post Subject:

This is my very favorite soup! I posted it in the bean recipes,but since it could go under both.... Oh yeah and it really tastes like this time of year!Yummy..
*Chickpea and Artichoke Heart Stew*
4 Cups H20 or stock (chicken or Veggie is fine)
2 Med. onions(chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. sweet paprika
4 med. red potatoes 1/2" cubes
1 sprig rosemary (1 tsp.dried)
5 leaves sage ( 1 tsp.dried/ground)
1/2 cup pureed sweet potatoes ( i've used jar baby food...works great!)
3 cups drained chickpeas (2- 15 oz. cans)
1 1/2 cups drained quartered artichoke hearts (14 oz. can)
salt and ground pepper to taste

toppings:
lemon wedges
grated parmesean

Heat stock or water in a med. sauce pan to simmer. In a large soup pan sautee' onions and garlic in oil for about 8 min. Stir in tumeric, paprika and sautee' 1 more min. Add in potato, other herbs and heated stock- cook about 12 min. Stir in sweet potato, chick peas and artichoke hearts. Remove rosemary sprig, add salt and pepper to your liking and return to a simmer. I like to let it cook for a while after this, up to 2 hours. Serve with lemon wedges and top with parmesean cheese.

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View entire thread: What are you cooking?

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-01-23 21:50:23      Post Subject: What are you cooking?

I live right near a Greenmarket (which is what we call our farmer's markets here in NYC) and I did a lot of cooking this fall. I made preserves, pitted cherries for freezing, and put away crowder beans. I made tons of poultry stew and pasta sauce. Now I'm in the process of eating my way through it.

What are you cooking right now?

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View entire thread: School/Work bagged lunch?

Posted by shinystuff on 2004-11-09 16:55:04      Post Subject:

Curry:

Chop onions and garlic, sautee in a little olive oil. Then add chopped bell pepper, potatoes, carrots. Pour in canned coconut milk, enough to make it look like a stew, and a whole bunch of curry powder. Cook until potatoes are desired consistency. Towards the end, add canned pineapple chunks with the juice, peas, green beans, cooked frozen shrimp if you like those. Put it over rice!

You can sub any veggies you like, by the way. Sorry for the non-preciseness of the recipe--it's my mom's, and she never uses regular measurements. :-)

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View entire thread: Tea Recipes?

Posted by mrs_stroozi on 2005-12-01 13:13:23      Post Subject:

You know what.... that sounds really really good! I have a bunch of parsley in my fridge right now, and I think I'm gonna try that.

(I just made parsley biscuits the other night -- had chopped too much parsley for the stew, so threw it into the biscuit dough. My 8YO daughter, who views any food green with suspicion, loved them.)

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View entire thread: "get over him" music...suggestions?

Posted by faithiedarling on 2005-05-23 08:01:40      Post Subject:

if you want to just stew i would go right now to the store and buy Tori Amos' Boys for Pele, or Exile in Guyville by Liz Phair, those are both bleeding, but also some strenght

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View entire thread: Beer: Do you drink it?

Posted by kindarana on 2006-01-20 13:52:53      Post Subject:

teagrrl, I can't imagine how you could not come back from Belgium a beer freak - I was there for three days and learned how wonderful the stuff could be.

Oh, what I'd do for a beef stew served with the beer they used for the sauce. To die for. But pizza and beer comes a close second. My alcoholic parents stopped drinking but still have their fake beer with pizza :)

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View entire thread: favorite pumpkin recipes

Posted by CraftinFool on 2004-10-11 09:54:08      Post Subject:

http://www.homemadesimple.com/kitchen/great_pumpkin.shtml

I recently got a newsletter from homemadesimple which had a link to a bunch of nice pumpkin recipes - I listed the url above. The recipes included:

Baked Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Bread
Creamy Curry Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Chili
Slice and Bake Pumpkin
Autumn Stew

I'm especially interested in trying the curry pumpkin soup.

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View entire thread: Comfort Food Favorites

Posted by Miepshe11 on 2006-07-23 23:17:45      Post Subject:

Buttermilk biscuits and gravy
Vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate chips on top
Baked sweet potato with brown sugar and spices
Any pastry with almond paste inside
Black eyed peas and cornbread
My husband's french toast
Blueberries, especially North Carolina blueberries which are so hard to come by in Texas

When I'm sick- lentil stew or those Pacific somethingorother organic soups

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View entire thread: Comfort Food Favorites

Posted by applepieisyum on 2006-04-12 14:47:57      Post Subject:

my dads oyster stew... YUM. almost everytime i go to the house i make me make it for me.

coleslaw (the good southern kind, not the stuff you find up here in washington)

pie. i love me some pie. cherry, rhubarb, apple, ANYTHING.

chai tea with soy milk

waffles.... with strawberries on top. oh how i miss thee, waffle house....

plain white rice. i have a tendancy to binge on it... just plain... and i get a MAJOR tummy ache so i can't eat it very often

conveyer belt sushi. not the best tasting... but it comforts me so just to see it go around in circles on shiney neon plates. (that and the places usually have some yummy custard balls)

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View entire thread: Craft magazines: your favorites?

Posted by shawneemonkey on 2004-10-06 12:39:57      Post Subject:

i have subs to:
quilting arts
fiberarts
juxtapoz

i occasionally pick up:
raw vision
(marty stew's) kids and living
threads
whatever looks interesting at the moment

i recently got a budget decorating mag, but i forget what it was called. i think it was put out by BHG or good housekeeping. anyway, it had some great cheap-o crafty home dec ideas.

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View entire thread: Getting radically crafty

Posted by artgeek on 2006-10-28 07:34:43      Post Subject:

I haven't posted to this thread yet because I didn't feel I had anything original to contribute, just random cheerleading of everything that had been said. Now I've settled down at my computer with coffee and bread, deleted some spam from the forums, and was excited to share my thoughts...and anthrogirl has gone and read my mind.

I was looking through some old family/community cookbooks last night and thought how useful and fun it might be to have a craftista's version. Particularly the community cookbooks didn't just stop at stew and cake recipes, they also included basic info about cooking (eg, what temp is chicken done at), the community they were compiled in and household chores. I thought a craftista spin on all those things, plus info about simple crafts to enliven your home and yourself (as well as take some stress out of giftgiving) would be such a gift to a new homeowner (a target audience I think of a lot due to my experience with Habitat for Humanity) or just anyone trying to put they're life together or make do with very little.

They don't have to be big, glossy affairs either. While I <3 a beautiful craft book as much as the next lady, the cookbooks I'm referencing have a simple cardstock cover and either plastic or metal binding (though, personally, I kind of like the idea of a 3-ring binder where all the entries have holes in them, so people can choose to move the stuff most relevant to them toward the front). They're usually only printed in one or two colors, but if you look at the layout of getcrafty (which I always thought was pretty spiffy), you'll realize a lot of pretty can be managed with a limited palette.

Anyway, sorry to rehash your post, anthrogirl, but I thought I'd share how I came to the idea, too. :)

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View entire thread: Getting radically crafty

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-10-30 12:39:07      Post Subject:

I was looking through some old family/community cookbooks last night and thought how useful and fun it might be to have a craftista's version. Particularly the community cookbooks didn't just stop at stew and cake recipes, they also included basic info about cooking (eg, what temp is chicken done at), the community they were compiled in and household chores. I thought a craftista spin on all those things, plus info about simple crafts to enliven your home and yourself (as well as take some stress out of giftgiving) would be such a gift to a new homeowner (a target audience I think of a lot due to my experience with Habitat for Humanity) or just anyone trying to put they're life together or make do with very little.



We must be channelling each other! Even though I've never volunteered for Habitat for Humanity (you rock, by the way), I was thinking the same thing, because my students are college aged and many of them don't know how to cook or run a household.

It might be fun to pair a craft or two with recipes, info on how to shop for good cheap food, how to run a kitchen, how to do simple cleaning. Like a simple crochet project on how to make potholders with how to make a chicken with gravy, along with how to set the table for company (I've found a lot of people don't know how to do that anymore, since so many people eat fast food). And then maybe every person participating can mention where he or she lives, his or her favorite craft, favorite charity, and the best craft stores in his or her area.
How does that all sound? If we mention stores, it's more likely that those places will stock the book. And since I know a few of you have connections with book publishing, we may even be able to get distribution. But keeping the price down would be key, because it would be nice to have the kind of book that would be cheap enough for groups like Habitat to buy and give away with new homes or apartments. what do people think?

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View entire thread: Disposable culture

Posted by smudgy_cat on 2004-07-16 15:34:05      Post Subject:

When we had chickens, my mom would butcher them every 3 years or so. The first year they are young, so they don't lay much. It would be a waste to butcher them every year.

Depending on the size of your flock, you may have enough hens to keep you in eggs even as they age.

Also, if you butcher them when they are about 3ish, I probably wouldn't eat them. You could use them for making soup, but for any other chicken dishes they'd be too tough.

Random vet care: if they get streaky white poop that is really liquidy, catch the chicken and give it a teaspoon of brandy or vodka. The alcohol will kill the bacteria in the crop that is giving the chicken digestive issues. Depending on how soon you notice it, you may need to force feed the chicken food or water until it feels better.

Chickens can get lice, but the only time we had a problem with it was when a hen was already ill and was unable to do normal grooming. You also need to give your chickens calcium.

We used oyster shells, but I don't know if those are still popular. We fed ours a peleted mix and supplemented with corn scratch every so often. We also contacted grocery stores and picked up boxes of old produce items. If something is too hard for a chicken to eat, you can put it in a large pot with some water and cook it until it's soft enough for them. My mom would often add the random 'chicken bucket' cuttings to the stew and give it to the chickens after it was cool.

Because we cooked a lot of their scrap food, we didn't have too many problems with illness. Plus, the chickens loved it in winter.

In summer, we'd let them roam the yard eating bugs and random things. They make a mess on concrete, but it worked well for our situation.

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View entire thread: Disposable culture

Posted by smudgy_cat on 2004-07-26 12:44:11      Post Subject:

I know my previous post seems inhumane, but chicken are livestock animals that area primarily raised for food. I think even the special fancy show chickens in 4H get eaten or butchered at some point.

To raise chickens and not be prepared to euthanize them at some point is unrealistic. I think it is very irresponsible to just opt for letting the chicken wander at night, hoping that some wild animal will kill it. If you purchased the chick, raised it to adulthood, and used it's eggs in your meals, you owe it to the chicken to give it a respectful death.

A hatchet and a stump provides a cheap, quick, and relatively painfree death. It's also why the guillotine was a popular form of execution for humans for quite a few years. To contrast, a coyote or raccoon will likely rip apart the chicken and eat it while it is still alive and conscious of what is going on. Even though chickens are pretty stupid, I would never sentence an animal I was responsible for to that fate.

If you can't handle the butchering, at least consider taking the ckicken to a vet or humane society for euthanization. If you are accumulating a flock right now, you may also want to look at the local humane society for chickens.

I know it seems wasteful to butcher an old chicken and not eat it, but sometimes it has to be done. Because our chickens roamed an enclosed area between 1/4 to 1 acre at any moment, they weren't tender yummy chickens. Chickens are tender and juicy when they are butchered young and not allowed to move around freely. They also taste better when they are fed large quantities of corn and grain that cause them to gain weight and fat.

The older chickens are edible, but they will likely be tough. If you want to get around the toughness, you can marinate the meat in alcohol (wine, beer, etc) overnight. You can also use a commercial tenderizer, which will partially breakdown the meat. It's also helpful to debone the meat and use the metal mallets and pound the meat. Using all three methods together will likely give you really good results. If you want the roasted chicken, you'll have to really marinate it and be ready to accept a tough chicken for dinner.

However, I think it's easiest to just choose recipes that work with the chicken. You can boil or pressure cooker the chicken and then pull the meat from the bone and cook it into a pot pie, a casserole, or stew. You could also do enchiladas or stir frys, or anything else that works well with small pieces of meat.

If you do go for a larger flock, you might want to build it up gradually so that you are adding and subtracting a few chickens each year instead of decimating the entire flock every 3 years.

Also, keep in mind that raising chickens can get expensive in time and money. You have to shovel out the coop, buy straw for the nest boxes, buy insecticides and cleaners to spray in coop and nesting boxes, buy proper foods and supplements, as well as gather eggs and change food and water every morning. You have to be home early in the evening to lock up the coop, because otherwise animals might harm the flock at night. You also have to get up early to let them out because hens want.to.lay.that.egg.now. Leaving town will be a lot more difficult for you, because you'll have to find someone to tend your flock when you are gone. You may have willing volunteers now, but chicken care gets really old really fast.

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View entire thread: Super Organizers to the Rescue! PLEASE.

Posted by Danielle on 2006-04-09 12:14:33      Post Subject:

I received an e-mail from one of my sister's for a clean up Intervention for another sister for her b-day....I don't think this would go by easy for my sister..but then again if I were her, my house would be clean! Her house is in total PACK RAT infestation with junk! Another sister has offered to rent the dumpster and have some maids come over too! There are 6 sisters in all, not including the 15+ nieces to help! I personaly would be pissed at my sister who is pulling this together, what do you think of this?

Just an update...The cleaning intervention took place and I felt it was wrong to participate with it since it DID cause grief for my sister and her husband (Latin Pride) I did'nt go(let alone it is 3 1/2 hrs away for me) I don't know if the house is totally clean, but I'm sure a huge improvement! My Mom is pissed that I did'nt travel and leave my family for 3 days to help clean and support my sister..Quote" I'm dissappointed in you for not showing up!" I did talk to that sister and she did'nt have a problem with me not being there..if she did she did'nt say it to my face! I don't feel bad, but my mother's guilt has made me stew for the last 2 days! Ughhhhh! I have to see them in a few weeks for a Baby shower and I am pissed and know my sassy mouth might spew out what I feel!

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View entire thread: Not wanting children

Posted by anthrogirl on 2005-12-14 16:25:07      Post Subject: Childfree- sort of

I seem to be the oldest one here, so I'll weigh in.

I'm 43- I'll be 44 in less than a month. I've finally realized that soon I won't be able to have children without medical help. When I was younger I sort of wanted kids, mostly because I was told I should want them. I married a man two decades older than myself who would have made a wonderful father, but he didn't want children. In a way that's a good thing, because he left me a widow at the age of 36, after dying from a heart attack. Heart trouble runs in his family. I'm now a college professor- when I was still working on my master's, he told me that I would have plenty of students, in the guise of students.

In my family we have diabetes and mental illness. I suffer from depression. Every now and then when under severe stress I have suicidal thoughts. I also have asthma. This all would have been a horrible genetic stew to pass on to a child.

Was my husband right? I have had wonderful students ofver the past few years, and the same when I taught high school years ago. Because I'm rather poor now I don't have to watch my child suffer and struggle. I tutor children several times a week, and that helps take care of my desire to have a child for the most part. Add to all of this that I'm an out bisexual in a society that is homophobic and (and even gay society is very bi-phobic) and one can see why raising a child would have been difficult.

My current boyfriend is 45 and also doesn't want to have children. While I do feel a strong sense of longing for children right now (mostly because I'm conscious of the clock ticking), I know that in a few years when I have more money and we have lived together for a while, he and I can talk about adoption. He rather likes that idea. I am African-American and very aware of how many children of color don't have parents, particularly older ones, so I think that would be a good option. So would being a foster parent or acting as a Big Sister. Oddly, I've never pictured myself with a tiny baby- I like kids when they are a bit older. I'm a maternal person at times, but if there's such a thing as a mother instinct, I never got any of it. By not having had children I've had a chance to get an advanced degree, travel as a far as Tahiti and Paris, and (currently) keep a roof over my head in a decent neighborhood. I consume, but I consume a lot less than I would than if I had children, and I don't have to live ina large house in the suburbs in order to have enough room- there's just me, living in Manhattan, being able to come and go as I please and spend my time and money as I see fit.

One other thing- as a person with a Buddhist mentality, I believe that we should try to relieve the world of pain. Taking in a child who has been abandoned or mistreated is a way of healing the world. So is tutoring after school, helping harried parents with their children, or many other activities that have nothing to do with bringing another consumer into the world (Americans consume 90% of the world's resources while forming 10% of the population, so I'm not being mean or snarky about children here). Westerners have a special duty, I think, to cut down on the number of children we have, and to work on reallocating the world's resources so that they are shared in a more equitable fashion. I don't dislike people who have children, but I think doing so should be done as mindfully as everything else that really matters. I don't think as many parents are as mindful as they should be, and are often having children for the wrong reasons (I see the results in my classrooms on a daily basis).

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View entire thread: Little things to be happy about today

Posted by Muddymay on 2007-10-31 12:31:18      Post Subject:

1. I'm wearing black cat ears at work
2. It is sunny and mild and beautiful outside
3. I picked up two bottles of wine and a slew of assorted sushi for a Halloween feast!!
4. Its Halloween
5. I have 2 pumpkins left to carve!!
6. Made pumpkin stew (last night) with the 1st one I carved!
7. Am listening to Mew

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View entire thread: Little things to be happy about today

Posted by mawwerks on 2007-10-17 14:43:58      Post Subject:

I love this as I find happiness abounds in my life
1. I made beef stew with sweet potatos and turnips in place of potato's it rocked everyone loved it.
2. my pepper plants budded this morning which means a late fall extra crop!
3. Got a hug from my granddaughter
4. Got to hear about a friends new love! she so deserves it and I am so happy for her
5. had great progress report on my diet lost 3 1/2 more pounds in 14 days and I feel great!

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