Ocher Velvet's Profile

I raised three children, and nothing a cat does in the kitchen comes CLOSE to the mess and havoc that human young create daily, all around the house. Nor do human children have an inborn compulsion to wash themselves several times a day, as do cats. Anyone who has ever cleaned up after kids should have acquired sufficient sangfroid to regard a kitten on a counter without hysteria.

Coconutandberries, "English muffins" is our name for crumpets on this side of the pond.

Clearly, none of you have cats. One of my cats is sitting on my lap right now, reading this post and laughing his ass off.

I recently made leek and potato soup with old leeks and old potatoes--really old. I cut away very little. The soup was DELICIOUS. Some butter, some cream, a few mushrooms, a little white wine... And here I would like to make a plug for my immersion blender. Lord, I love that little gadget.

In the past, in desperation, I have draped an electric blanket on the lowest setting over my bread pans -- works great. One doesn't always have time for a slow rise, so I'm in favor of guerrilla tactics when necessary.

<< It sounds almost like a you are trying to convince someone into a sexual position that they find uncomfortable. >>

paminparadise, out of 33 responders thus far, you are the only one to infer a sexual subtext from a discussion about scotch. Admittedly, drinking good spirits can be a sensual experience, but nothing in Ms. Mitchell's post suggests that "... ease you in" refers to anything other than acclimating the palate to good whiskey. What are YOU thinking?

Oy vey.

Or, a less weighty alternative would be to find wallpaper (or other craft paper) that looks like birch bark and wrap it around heavy-duty cardboard tubes, like the ones inside carpet rolls. Carpet stores give them away, and grouped together they would be sturdy enough to hold the weight of a glass top.

Well, shoot. This IS a cooking blog, is it not? Every day we read posts that cover the preparation and eating of meat. From animals. Humans are animals. Ergo, our flesh is meat, too. Just ask a tiger.

Although it may seem a bit outre in the U.S., many cultures advocate new mothers eating their own placentas, for a variety of reasons. Toughen up, people.

I just don't care for the taste of turkey, so I've switched to a HoneyBaked ham. I still do mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy, and of course, the green bean casserole and buttered rolls. As long as I serve these old standbys, my family doesn't complain about the main course change. I have to say, not having to deal with a turkey carcass and several days' worth of leftovers is fabulous!