not for that price; i don't have a problem with the height of the dining room; just the height of the bill!

reminds me of when one of my nephews first came home as a baby; somehow (maybe diaper rinsing?) two receptacles in the sink got "contaminated", one a colander and we were going to have spaghetti that night. When my mom dumped the spaghetti in the colander to drain; my sister was a little non-plussed but my mom said "it's only a little baby shit, don't worry about it!

I don't think i'd serve pb on crackers for company but i have made stuffed celery w/ pb (maybe dotted w/ raisins ) for pot luck suppers

I think that the st pat's dilemma falling in the season of Lent recently occurred (in the last several years, anyway, ) and i heard that the pope gave a special dispensation to eat meat just for that day!

thyme? pepper? hot sauce?

you don't need a bathroom; you need a therapist!

lately, it's been pretty simple: a whole wheat wrap fillef with scrambled eggs with plenty of hot sauce both on and to dip

Cobb salad

Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey

i once had a maple-flavored creme brulee in burlington, vt; although the execution was not entirely satisfying. for some reason the texture was not as silky smooth as i have been used to...

I say another yes to the strata idea...everyone loves them and they are super easy!

I have also done both pineapple chunks or water chestnuts wrapped in bacon secured with toothpick and baked in oven til bacon is crispy (maybe this is a classic recipe that i cannot remember the name of?

Isn't that a seasonal thing; I know that here on the Hudson River, there are shad festivals (including roe) only after May 1st

don't know how this fits in with "seasonal" but a nice cobb salad may bridge the gap... chicken, bacon, eggs but with avocado and other "springy" things too...

When i was a seminary student in columbia in the late 80's; we used to hit Lizard's Thicket at least once a week... good southern combos; first time i had fried chicken on a green salad. could get a main with sides for reasonable prices; many locations

when I was about 12 and my sister was about 22; i heard her ask our mom to write down what she served with what and my thought was "where's she been? did we grow up in the same household?(we did; she just wasn't paying attention!) i.e.: roast chicken with mashed potatoes and green peas; pot roast with roasted potatoes, onions and carrots (all in same pot); ham with sweet potatoes and green beans; pork with apple sauce and mashed potatoes which included black pepper (but no other time) and sauerkraut; liver with bacon and onions; fried tomatoes with bacon and some kind of cream gravy...

I had a recipe using only a small splash of balsamic vinegar for a tad of additional moisture and they came out beautifully!

I haven't been in several years because I've moved out of town, but I love the Armadillo right off the roundout if you like "nouveau Mexican"

apparently there is a dearth of vases out there; perhaps this would be an appropriate hostess gift for many :)

did it ever occur to you that the next person (perhaps the one who actually purchases the item) who opens that jar that you've already opened will now have a compromised seal and has no idea that you just opened it to look or smell?

also agree with silver palate... also the new basic cookbook, i think by those same authors? good list of how to stock a pantry, how to do basic sauces, etc.

sometimes i put them into my soup to warm them up...great complementary textures

i've served mocha flan after gumbo as a main, with great success

moussaka; gyros. spanakopita

so, they're also passive-aggressive within the family; that comment would do nothing but make granma wonder, hurt

I'm sorry but the point of Thanksgiving is to give God thanks for our blessings. This poor girl obviously has major limitations and does not seem capable to interact on a "normal" basis. Part of being a gracious hostess is a welcoming spirit, not expecting "payback" for your work. Pray for your bro and SIL and give thanks that you have been endowed with the talents and resources of happiness and contentment. God bless you all....

reminds me of cleaning out my mom's house; she had saved the "dinnerware" from the first plane ride she ever took: cup and saucer, dinner plate; and used in microwave,,,i guess living through the Depression makes one wary of throwing things out!

not that far from tomatoes with vinegar, oil, s&p and a little sugar; we used to eat this often in the summer; ingredients placed separately on the salad rather than mixed beforehand.

when i make my matzo soup my matzo balls get tough (sinkers) but i've had them where they are light as mousse at a diner they told me the secret was using seltzer water but i tried it and still came up with sinkers! can anyone show me the path?

i would think that veggie crudites and veggie soups or casseroles (even pastas) would be less expensive than cheeses and meats. i used to have a weight watchers recipe for veggie chili that used pureed eggplant (peeled) instead of meat to mimic the texture of ground beef chili powder and cumin (a tiny pinch of cinnamon and a spoonful or two of jarred dark mole helps develop the flavor profile. have fun w/ your party!