Try ground chicken patties instead. Tastier and more tender than ground turkey!

I use empty baked bean cans to steam the brown bread in. If you grease them well, you can turn the cans upside down and tap the bread out. I don't make it often enough to worry about the chemicals. There are chemical residues in everything, most are harmless if exposure is limited.

I'm very happy with the LG unit I purchased from my Sears Outlet store early in 2010. I came from a side-by-side so I appreciate the full width. Energy Star rating was important to me as well as the botttom freezer. I didn't purchase the water spigot but do have the icemaker in the freezer unit.

The price was reasonable and the unit runs more quietly than the old one, a pleasant surprise. The store didn't have what I needed in stock but the saleswoman helped me find what I was looking for and order it online. I went for two weeks without a working fridge but the wait was worth it.

The electric company also gave me a rebate for Energy Star purchase.

I don't think you can get a thick-cut bacon to crisp up. Try the thinner cuts. Look for lots of fat, which is the center-cut, as opposed to the leaner, tougher back-cut bacon. The flavor is in the fat. If it curls up and gives you problems when you fry it, go to a kitchen store and invest in a cast-iron grill press, or just weight the ends down with a heavy spatula.

Fry it on medium-high until the fat part of the first side browns nicely, repeat on the second side (flip once). Drain on paper towels and wait a minute or two. If it still isn't crisp enough, nuke it on the paper towel for 30 seconds. You will succeed, it just takes practice!

Sorry this is too late to help you out, but if you drive this way again, stop for great burgers and onion rings at Jerzee's in Spooner, at the hockey arena. It's about 2 blocks west on the main street. For a Friday night fish fry, try the Prime Bar on Hwy 53 in Trego. Definitely stop for cheese or ice cream at the Burnett Dairy in Alpha, a few minutes east of Grantsburg.

By the way, where did you end up eating last weekend, and how was it?

Please help a newbie get up to speed here. What is COTM? How do you "participate" in Louisiana Kitchen?

Candy! Use mw to melt a brick of white almond bark, pour it over crushed peppermints (like candy canes) spread on a cookie sheet. When it's cool, break it into smaller pieces and store it in a covered container. Or mix fruity cereal and mini marhsmallows into the melted bark and drop like cookies on sheet to cool. Or pour melted chocolate bark over peanuts etc. etc. Or find a mw recipe and make peanut brittle, or fudge. (There are tons of used microwave cookbooks around.) Hint: Stir bark every minute or two because it doesn't appear to break down as it melts.

Portabellas. Remove the stem, scrape out the gills with a spoon, and wipe off with dry paper towel. Spread butter over top and bottom. Nuke 1-2 minutes per side (until juices run - fresher ports take longer) then season with salt and pepper. Add your choice of toppings.

Scrambled eggs. Stir 1-2 eggs with a spoonful of water or milk and put in a small pyrex dish. Nuke 1-2 minutes until "fluffy." Comes out like a souffle.

Nachos. Arrange tortilla chips in a single layer on a plate, top with salsa and shredded cheddar. Nuke 45-60 seconds, or until cheese melts.

Have fun!

New here, sorry for the late post. This is the way I was raised, and trained in my first job as a SO cook at a 12-seat lunch counter.

My mother (a former nursing student) taught me to rinse the clean dishes with boiling water, something I never do any more when washing dishes by hand. I don't take the garbage out and sweep the floor every night, either. I've gotten a little lax over the years.

On the other hand, my mother-in-law was a fabulous cook, but I had to teach her how to clean her wooden cutting board. I'm still meticulous about clean hands and surfaces and habitually wash everything down before starting a meal. Some habits are hard to overcome.

“Health nuts are going to feel stupid some day, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.” – Redd Foxx

“I prefer my oysters fried; that way I know my oysters died.” – Roy G. Blount, Jr.

“Fish, to taste right, must swim three times – in water, in butter, and in wine.” – Polish proverb

“Eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” – Mark Twain

As to the server, I'd like to point out that in some establishments the server pays the bartender for the drinks up front and keeps what s/he collects at the table, including tips. (My daughter works in a place like this and apparently it's not uncommon.) If this were the case, the comp would come out of the server's pocket. The server might be making a few dollars an hour and pooling tips with the hostess, busser, disher, etc. An inexperienced server might not consider the comp vs. the tips and potential loss of business.

Hi, New here. Saveur and Eating Well are the first ones that came to my mind. I like Cooks Illustrated from the newstand once in awhile but will not subscribe again either to the magazine or internet site. Let's just say their marketing efforts are very persistent.

I discovered Saveur magazine this year and am giving gift subscriptions to the foodies on my list.

We like Jack Link's which we get locally:
http://www.jacklinks.com/home/buynow....

This is a great thread and you've all given me some helpful ideas for this year's gift list. Here are some of my faves:

For really great cheese try something from the Burnett Dairy, one of Wisconsin's best:
http://burnettdairy.com/

Maple syrup is great for tucking into a breakfast-themed gift basket. I like Anderson's pretty well:
http://www.andersonsmaplesyrup.com/home.html

I've bought fresh pecans from Rosalie's online and roasted them myself then packaged them for gifts. Cajun-spiced pecans are easy to make and are good hostess gifts. They make great pralines and pecan sauce, too, for a home-made touch.
http://shop.rosaliepecans.com/

And I've never gone wrong with Penzey's spices. My daughter loves the salt and pepper mills she received for a wedding gift. I've given gift certificates from them to people far away and they've been much appreciated.
http://www.penseys.com

Bartenders who comp drinks for friends and "good" customers create a significant loss in profits. This bartender made a business decision and if I were you I wouldn't take it personally. Like the server, he was only doing his job.