annstarrr's Profile

For all those without a slow cooker, or those who are worried about a crust forming with a slow cooker (and don't want to mess with a water bath): I tried dumping the oats into boiling water and letting it sit overnight. It worked just fine, although of course the oats were cold when I got up. I scooped them out and microwaved them with some brown sugar.

@BGIRL17: I think starving people came up with it, and realized it was nutritious and versitle. We're also the only species that farms other animals for food and utility.

This post reminds me of a class trip my North Carolina high school class took across the country. We wound up at a Cracker Barrel in Minnesota, and the waitress said they didn't have any sweet tea at the time, but were "getting the recipe" for it in a few weeks. Everyone at the table cracked up - you don't need a recipe for sweet tea, we thought! It's just sugar dissolved in the hot water and cooled down. Based on the comments to this post, yep, you do need a recipe.:)

Hmm. Apparently I'm an over-ingredienter! All this time and I never knew.

I tend to use 2-3 ripe avocados, a ripe tomato (preferably a ripe green one, seeds and juice and all), finely chopped onion, finely chopped garlic, a touch of serrano chilis, lime, cumin (essential), salt, a pinch of sugar, salt, and a spoonful of sour cream. It needs to marinate overnight to let the flavors blend.

@RiverJai That is an awesome recommendation! Terrible story, though: so glad you were able to fix it!

I'm surprised that no one has posted about peanut oil. It's the traditional deep-frying oil of choice, due to its high smoke point.

Slightly off-topic, but about wine: why isn't a wine bottle shaken before opening? It would aerate the wine tremendously, and most wines don't have a residue at the bottom. Someone once told me shaking would "bruise the wine," but then he admitted he just made that up.

It seems like a weird concept, but wouldn't it make the wine taste better?

I want to know what secret land these commenters are living in where all the cool micro-brews have twist-off caps? Because I want to move there.

Eh, I refuse to believe that sugar "in all its forms" is "toxic." Sounds like more extremist dieting to me. First it was no fat, then no carbs, and now no sugar. The human body needs some amount of carbs, fat, and sugar just to survive. Eat a mixed, natural diet, avoid processed foods, and don't overeat. Unless you're sick or have a disorder, I don't think it's more complicated than that.

I've been playing nature sounds on my ipod (usually ocean) while I sleep for years now. It conditioned me to get sleepy as soon as I hear the waves start. Not only does it block ambient noise, it's like an all-natural Ambien!