elfcook's Profile
When do you tip low (10% or less)
I generally tip high, only once do I recall purposely tipping very low. I was in college at a local restaurant/bar with my boyfriend. Waitress openly flirted with him & pointedly ignored me. She presented the check to him, only to be visibly dismayed when I took it & said dinner was on me.
Tuna noodle salad.
we call it macaroni salad, and it is a summer staple. Ours has elbow macaroni, canned tuna, hard boiled eggs, celery, red onion, cucumber, red pepper (my addition - my mother used to use radishes), and mayo (no Miracle Whip for us). I use a lot less mayo than she did, and season with salt & pepper. Not fancy, but easy to make & tasty, great to have in the fridge for a hot day when I don't want to cook.
POLL: Can you walk to an actual grocery store?
No. I could walk (15 min) to the gas station/mini mart/Dunkin Donuts (the only non-deli/restaurant establishment selling foods in my small town). To go to an actual grocery store, I have to leave town. The closest store is WalMart, which will do for pantry-type goods in a pinch. My grocery store is a Hannaford's one town over, which is about a 15 minute drive. I am in MA, in the woods.
Open House Desert for a crowd
Along with the cupcakes, I'd do a couple of batches of different bar cookies (depending on how many guests there are). Brownies, blondies, chocolate chip, lemon, snickerdoodle, etc. I almost always do bars instead of drop or roll-out cookies, mainly because I am impatient & would rather just throw one pan in the oven.
I don't like the fountains, but that is just me.
Sprinkling salt and pepper -- so basic, but...
well, to season cuts of meat like in your example, this is what I do: open the package (fork usually works well to pierce plastic & keep my hands clean) & grind pepper directly onto the meat. For salt, I pour a little coarse salt into my palm & sprinkle it on. Then, I use a utensil to put that side of the meat down in the pan & repeat seasoning on the meat. If breading, I most often just mix seasoning in with the breading, but you can use the fork or tongs to move meat through breading stations. I hate handling raw meats, so I always use some utensil. I also wash my hands a lot. DH could tell you, I am more than a little cross-contamination-crazy.
For whole birds, I do pour coarse salt into a small bowl & then grind the pepper into the same bowl. After rinsing & drying the bird, I then season. I rarely have left over S&P, mainly because I'll pour it all on & love the salty, crispy skin!
How to soften butter to room temp when your house is kept cool?
Sometimes I stick the butter on top of the stove while it preheats, occasionally (if I forget to take the butter out of the freezer) I put it, still wrapped, in the oven for a very short time during the preheating. Also, if you cut it into chunks, it will soften quicker.
Does anyone still eat rice cakes?
Yup. My family likes them. We get the smaller ones, chip-sized, which I think are much less styrafoamy than the larger, thicker ones that I remember my mother buying years ago (and sitting in the cabinet, uneaten). The cheddar cheese, chocolate, and salt & cracked pepper are favorites. It works as a snack for my kids, particularly one of whom has recently developed food allergies & is finding her snack choices dwindling. They also are great when I want a small handful of something salty. We don't look at them as health foods, just an alternative snack.
USA Allows Horses for Human Consumption
there are still kill buyers at auctions, as well as those who buy horses privately (like off craigslist). They then sell & ship to Mexico or Canada. Conditions are often deplorable. In-country slaughterhouses may mean more humane treatment. Doesn't mean I like it, but I can see the point of view.
As far at the pet/vaccine issue - horses sent to slaughter are horses who have been used for showing, racing, breeding, pleasure riding, and companionship. There are many medications, vaccines, and supplements given to these horses. Safe for human consumption? Who knows. I do know that the fly sprays, wormers, and supplements that my horse is exposed to have warnings against human consumption. Even the manure of horses treated with these things can be discouraged from use as compost for crops. While I have no desire to eat horse any more than dog or cat (MY OPINION ONLY), I certainly would want to know how the horse was raised & with what chemicals before it appeared on my plate.
Thoroughly burned onto stovetop
For the really stubborn stuff I have to resort to a razor blade, held almost parallel to the stovetop. With patience & scraping, I have removed some stuff that I swore would never come off.
Poll -- What foods/food items do you prefer commercially made?
jumping in to give another reason: I also buy jarred sauce for my family. I used to make my own & it was pretty good. I married a wonderful man who loves my cooking. However, he grew up with a particular jarred sauce. He liked mine, but likes the jar better because it is "how it is supposed to taste". I can't eat any red sauce any more, so I see no reason to put the time & effort in for our few pasta & red sauce meals when he prefers his jar. He & the kids like the jar and the effort is minimal, so I can put my time into making something else we all like and save the pasta/red sauce for quick meals on busy nights.
Does anyone actually put stuffing inside the turkey anymore?
My mother always stuffed the bird, and so have I. Tastes great, and no problems. However, for the last 2 years or so, whenever I stuff a turkey (multiple times a year), the stuffing in the bird does not cook well & is a soggy mess, so we end up just eating the stuffing that would not fit & got baked in a casserole dish. Not sure why, no recipe changes. Anyway, this year I am trying something different. I made the stuffing (onion, celery, sausage, bread) and put some aside. Then I added stock to the rest, and put that in a casserole. The set-aside stuffing went into the bird (neck & cavity). Hopefully since it is much drier, it will not become a mushy mess. And, if it does, we'll have plenty of baked stuffing that is still tasty.
Good to eat local and raw Honey for allergies
Some people swear by eating local, raw honey. But be careful, other people can have allergic reactions (sometimes severe) to the pollen in the honey.
mashed potatoes
I love my ricer for mashed potatoes. I don't think it takes a whole lot longer at all. As for cleaning, I usually toss it in to soak in the a pot while we eat & it is not a problem. I do use a masher when I do red-skinned potates because I like those skin-on and chunkier. The ricer is our go-to for smooth potatoes.
Cooking for the season's first snow day
I got a jump start last night & made chicken and dumplings. Hey, if it wants to act like winter, I'll eat like winter! Today I have a pan of snickerdoodle blondies baking now, and I will shortly be making meatballs to simmer all day in sauce.
Not looking forward to the 8+ inches forecast for our area (MA). The woodstove will be glowing, so at least we'll have heat if the power goes out.
Tips for dining out with babies and toddlers, please
I did a lot of those things when my 3 were young. We didn't carry a booster seat, never really needed it. I always had some sort of food in my bag - cheerios, crackers, goldfish, whatever - and sippy or lidded cups. I also had crayons and small quiet toys (matchbox cars, tiny animals, etc). The kids could snack & play while we waited for the food. I usually just fed them off my plate as finger foods, bits of whatever they might want. Ordering separate food for them was just wasted. Sometimes I would feed them ahead of time (especially as babies), depending on when we anticipated actually eating.
Two main points on eating out with babies & toddlers that I took seriously:
1) As soon as any child got fussy, one adult would immediately get up & take child out for a walk around. A change of scene can work wonders. If the child didn't calm down enough to return, we left.
2) I always cleaned the table & floor as much as possible. The servers got generous tips for basic service, since there was always a little extra running & cleaning necessary. Servers who were extra attentive got very generous tips.
Need buffet menu ideas for party!
the mac & cheese and ham sound good. Can I suggest you add a soup or 2 in your crockpots? Cool & rainy weather is great soup weather, and you can serve in bowls or mugs, no cutting required. I often make a pot of taco soup (beef, tomato, beans, seasonings) & put out various toppings for people to use as they like (shredded cheese, crisped tortilla strips, sour cream, etc). Chili, bean soup, or even just a basic vegetable soup would be great on a cool day, and they are all easy to throw together in a crockpot & simmer all day.
I've Rendered My Spouse Useless!
Oh yes! My husband taught me to cook when we were first together, since he had been living on his own for years. Nothing too fancy, but the basics. Fast forward to 17 years later & he can't find anything in the kitchen except the peanut butter & chocolate chips. The very few times he has attempted grilled cheese for the kids when I am out, he scorches the pan EVERY TIME.
He does, however, do grill duty most of the time. I give him the seasoned or marinated or prepared item & he watches it cook. Except chicken, because he leaves it pink & I put it back on after he takes it off. So I guess he cooks steaks.
I'll keep him anyway. I like to cook, and he likes what I cook.
Does anyone "snack" on croutons?
my kids consider croutons as a major component of the meal, like rice or noodles, and will eat them in huge quantities.
fire in the microwave!
not sure why your pepper flamed, but my darling daughter started a fire in our microwave - instant oatmeal (in a mico-safe bowl). She forgot to add any water or milk. I never knew oatmeal could burn like that. So much smoke & the smell lingered in the micro for a week.
(In My Best Jan Brady Whine) "Panko! Panko! Panko!"
I started using panko a couple years ago as well, but up until recently I also kept traditional breadcrumbs (unseasoned) in the pantry for some things. Now I use panko exclusively. I like the texture better, but also they are the only breadcrumbs I can find that do not contain sesame - and I have checked both seasoned & plain in various brands. My daughter has recently been diagnosed as having peanut, treenut, and sesame allergy, and I need something to use for breading & such. So, as far as I am concerned, it is a win/win situation for us.
Black Bean Soup Recipe?
Does he like tacos? My kids (& husband) love what we call Taco Soup. No idea where the recipe came from, but it is quick & easy. Full disclosure: it calls for pre-made seasoning packets, but you can certainly spice it to your tastes. What I use depends on the day.
brown 1 lb ground beef, adding onions if you like
in soup pot mix the ground beef/onion with 2 cans diced tomato, 2 cans black beans, 1 can pinto beans (if you like, or 3rd can black beans, or just skip this can), 1 can corn.
Here's where recipe calls for 1 pkg taco seasoning & 1 pkg ranch dressing mix (dry). Seriously, you can just add your own seasonings for tacos & you probably would never miss the ranch mix.
Simmer all, the longer the better.
I serve with shredded cheese & tortilla sticks (flour tortillas cut into strips, sprayed w/oil & salted, baked at 425 til crispy).
Not gourmet, but tasty & freezes well.
Super Market Suprises?
cake from the bakery at my local Hannaford's. I usually make my own, was caught up once & unable to bake. I was hoping it would be edible - and it was more than that. Not homemade, but pretty darn good for a supermarket cake & better than some bakeries. We've gotten them a few times, and the cake is always moist & the frosting is not sickly sweet. I still prefer to bake, but I have no problems picking one up if pressed for time.
Need help making homemade "nutritional" Jello
Have you tried using liquid thickening agents? It wouldn't be exactly jello, but you could mix the powder with water or juice & use a thickener to bring it to a gel-like consistency. Then the temperature wouldn't matter. Thick-It is the one that immediately comes to mind, but there are various brands, used for medical purposes. (Liquids are be categorized as thin, nectar, or pudding consistency. You could experiment with how much you needed to make your powder/water into a gel). A medical supply store, dietician, or doctor should be able to give you several choices & maybe some samples.
favorite pasta salads
My son's favorite is mayo-based: elbow noodles with chopped celery, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, hard-boiled eggs (I usually just use the whites), and a can or 2 of tuna (well-drained & shredded), all mixed with mayo. Makes a decent light summer meal, easy enough to toss together & keep on hand to feed the always-hungry boy.
Uses for a salad spinner other than the obvious
totally non-food use, but do you have kids? Makes great spin-art, and if you use food coloring instead of paint, you can wash & reuse for salad. (Hey, at the time I was desperate to entertain 3 small kids & couldn't leave the house!)
REFRIGERATORS
I am another fan of freezer on the bottom. Our freezer has a shelf that pulls out, as well as 2 baskets underneath that also pull out. I like having the fridge food at eye level, esp. the vegetable drawers. We have never had ice or water thru the door, and don't mind at all. It always seems like those break easily on my friends' appliances, anyway.
Store Brands
funny you say that about milk. When we moved back to the northeast after living in Kentucky for 6 yrs, I immediately noticed how much *better* the milk tasted (various brands). Maybe because it was what I was used to growing up, maybe because it was a better brand - whatever, I find the New England milk better.
Your advice for a vegan meal (and logistics)
can't help with the vegan items, but as far as transporting - can you get one of the insulated bags to put the casserole dish (or whatever the beans go in) in? I know my local store sells them pretty cheaply, they are for hot or cold items. Won't keep it super-hot, but might help keep it warm. The kielbasa or sausages in the beans might be an easier way to move the food & serve it in the hospital room,as well.
Whatever you do, bless you for your kindness to your friend & his/her family ! I am sure anything you bring will be greatly appreciated.
Store Brands
I prefer the taste of Cabot's butter to the store brand (meaning the particular brand my local store carries). So, yes, I will pay more for that. However, I buy many store brand items. Depends on the particular food.
Best canned baked beans?
I use the B & M bacon & onion with brown sugar, but the Bush's are good as well. (The B&M I use do have HFCS, not sure if other varieties do ). Either way I add a pound of cooked, crumbled bacon & some onions sauteed in the bacon fat, then cook on low for as long as I can, stirring often. They cook down to a delicious mass of bacon-y, onion-y goodness. The best part is they can be simmering while you get everything else ready & taste a lot more work-intensive than they are.
