rthibode's Profile

This is cute but totally impractical. The article starts off with "If you garden . . .". Well, if you garden, you'll need to line your entire house with these gadgets to deal with the fall bounty, as well as drop the temperature to match that of grandma's root cellar. It strikes me as being a lot more about displaying your yuppy/design credentials than about preserving food or saving electricity.

I love all these ideas, especially the covered rock. I'm too lazy to make cozies for mugs but I would certainly use one without any ick at all. I'm assuming the socks are washed before repurposing.

One little warning, don't give a dog sock toys unless you want him to think ALL of your socks are fair game.

Thanks Therese, I really wasn't sure if it was just aesthetic or something else. I hadn't considered the portability.

You lost me. Step 2 is to purchase a solar garden light that already works, just the way it is. What is the point of the glass jar, frosting, etc? Is it just supposed to look more attractive? I'm not being snarky, I just don't get it.

I thought Ecover was pronounced echo-vehr, kind of French, like "vert" as in green?

Never met a leafy green I didn't love, except Swiss chard. I'll still eat it for medicinal purposes if that's all there is, but it always tastes chalky and mildewy, even fresh from the garden. Gimme kale, mustard, collards any day.

Also: raw oysters, caviar, beer,meringue, icing (aka frosting), nanaimo bars, extra-dark chocolate, powdered soup mixes.

Tons of great advice here. What stands out is that no one seems to be going "on a diet." I used to have a weight problem and eating disorder. Gradually I started changing my habits and have maintained 120 lbs at 5'5" through my 30s and 40s.

- dessert is something really small (around 150 calories) except for a splurge once a week or less
- whole foods that I cook from scratch- get smaller plates and bowls
- half the plate is vegetables, 1/4 protein, 1/4 grain
- serve your portion then put away everything before you eat. Leftovers on the counter are too tempting.
- no liquid calories (including juice)
- I weigh myself often (almost daily) and take action if I gain a couple of pounds.
- if you must eat out, resist seeing it as an occasion to splurge. It is just a meal. Be reasonable.
- get lots of exercise. This is tough, but necessary.

Both! 90% of the time I like lots of wiggle room and see recipes as loose suggestions. I even like "recipes" with no amounts at all, just a list of ingredients and how to cook (saute onions, garlic, zucchini, add tomatoes & fresh herbs, toss with pasta).

But I also love cooks Illustrated for learning the why and how of accomplishing something specific in the kitchen.

I really like the taste of it but have only used it in Indian cooking. It is one of the spices in a spice blend called panchphoran (with cumin, black mustard, fennel, kalongi), which is wonderful in vegetable curries. There's an eggplant with panchphoran recipe in Madhur Jaffrey's Eastern Vegetarian Cooking that's to die for.

Years ago a friend warned me never to eat fresh water chestnuts, since I would then be incapable of eating the canned variety served in every Chinese restaurant in our city. I wonder if I should make an exception for the candied kind? They sure look intriguing.