Jenochka's Profile

Alton Brown's recipe works every time for me. You can find it on the food network website. You have to use the right kind of bread, of course. You only dip the bread for about 30 seconds on each side and then let it sit for 1-2 minutes on a rack. Use about a tablespoon of butter (yumm) and after cooking for 4 minutes on each side, put it in a 375 degree oven for 5 minutes. I'll probably never try another French toast recipe, since this one is so good.

I tried this today...after a distracted morning at the stove where I burnt both bacon and potatoes. So I had two frying pans to clean. I only had apple cider vinegar and only a little of that so I used the boiling method on the worst pan. Using the advice from other comments, dumped the boiling mixture before adding the baking soda. The pan now looks cleaner on the inside than it does on the outside! I just used hot water and baking soda on the second pan and was also amazed by how easy it was to clean. I think baking soda is the key here. I'll be trying it on everything I have to clean from now on :) but I'll also be more careful when cooking breakfast haha

Trader Joe's sells pop-up sponges. I've used these for a long time. I don't remember how much they are but I'm sure they're much less than $12-15.

I lived in LA for 10 years & loved it. Especially the smell of jasmine in the air in the spring/summer, the sun, never having to wonder what there was to do if we wanted to do something, fun places to visit, the climate. Some things I don't like are the over abundance of billboards everywhere (which I didn't really notice until I was away for a while & came back to visit), the smog (I hated driving to work and actually seeing the brown layer in the air), and the emphasis on "things" - always having to have the latest & best.

I moved to Charlotte, NC last year and it took me a few months to acclimate. But, now I've found some things I love about this city too. I like how the neighborhoods are named - they have their own identity, their own community and even their own websites. I love how many trees there are here. This is a historic city - dating back to 1769 - with really interesting stories and history. I also like the really awesome thunderstorms we have in the summer. I don't like the crime rates & the bad drivers.

So will i ever be able to see a slideshow? I click, thinking, "Oh I hope it works this time" and it teases me by showing one picture or even just a flash & then nothing. Expectation & then frustration! :)

I need this rug for my bedroom - I almost bought one on overstock.com recently but it sold out before I had the chance and I was very disappointed. It would be wonderful to step out of bed onto this every morning!

okay, i figured out the spaghetti tree trick, but Jamie Oliver! I thought it was too good to be true...

Can you include a link to the bath mat (2nd row, first picture)? I didn't see one. Thanks!

I didn't think I would like it at all when I moved into my rental. But, it's grown on me. My only issue now is finding good art that fits with the wood.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60247597@N00/2201372025/in/photostream/

I'm so excited you're blogging coffee this week. It's one of my favorite things. I have the Cuisinart pictured above & I like it so far. I usually just make a cup for myself so I use the 1-4 cup feature & it makes a nice hot cup of coffee. And, when I make a full pot, it's really fast.