peachy44's Profile

I think depending on where you live and your friends' work schedules, sometimes people don't have time to eat before an 8pm event or 8pm is their normal dinner time. I know this is often the case for my social circle. I do evenings like this for about 6 people at a time and generally prepare something like: a gourmet style pizza cut into appetizer size pieces (if I'm short on time I'll use store bought dough...shh, don't tell), a raw veggie platter with hummus, and a cheese plate with crackers. If I have time the day before I'll bake some cookies. People can nibble or get more of a substantial meal out of this and none of it really takes too long to prepare (and any leftovers keep). I've also had people offer to bring things and will sometimes take them up on it.

I think we've only ever celebrated Valentine's Day on the day the first year we were together, (also the only year we made it kind of a big deal). In all our subsequent years its usually a few days before/after and pretty low key...dinner out (usually nothing too fancy), maybe a movie, and usually a silly or some what practical gift (this year it was a french press for him and and a waffle iron for me...yay breakfast!). At first it was due to scheduling (night classes, being long distance for a time etc), but now we actually enjoy not having to put up with all the craziness since we'd rather treat it as a guaranteed date night in Feb, rather than a high pressure, crowd fighting type of day.

My mom is also a teacher. Let me preface by saying that teachers are always appreciative of gifts no matter what they are. No matter what it is they understand that its a way for a family to say thank you and they appreciate the thought. With that being said, I totally second the 'no mugs/bath products' and the iffy-ness of baked goods (hygiene issue) sentiments expressed previously. My mom always enjoyed the heartfelt notes or seeing something the child created, going through those gifts were always the best part for her. Gift cards were always welcome (bookstores, Target, restaurants all great places). If you want to get the teacher a Starbucks card, please, first try to find out if she even goes to Starbucks/drinks coffee. As shocking as it may sound, not everyone does. My mom would get a ton of those every year, but she doesn't drink coffee and rarely if ever went to Starbucks for their other drinks/products. She usually used hers to buy gifts for other people, or gave away the Starbucks cards she received.

Bulk is also a great option for temporary living situations and/or travel. After grad school I was living temporarily in a guest house while looking for a job. I only set up a very minimal, basic pantry because I didn't want to deal with it if I had to move suddenly to take a job offer. Whenever I wanted to cook/bake something special I would just visit the local grocery with a bulk bin to buy what I needed and no more. I've done this as well when traveling in places where I have access to a kitchen.

This was a regular quick meal for me in grad school! Even though it was so easy and quick, it felt gourmet some how. I got my inspiration from a Spanish tapa. I didn't even realize it was common to the British Isles, my SO's British family never mentioned it, they are much more for beans on toast. Learn something new everyday :)

I sit down on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning and look through my pantry, fridge and freezer, I try to come up with meals for the week using what ever is already in the kitchen and then create my grocery list to supplement. I plan all my meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, often using the same items for multiple meals if possible. My meal plan usually just lists, 'fruit' 'side of vegetables' for my meals, so produce is usually a pretty flexible item on my grocery list (unless I need something specific for a recipe) as I'll buy whatever looks good/is on sale/at the farmers market when I do my shopping on Sundays. I don't always stick to the meal plan day to day, but will move the meals around the week, based on how late I get home from work, whether my boyfriend decides to join me for dinner etc. A big time saver for me (since I live alone) is that I usually make more than one serving for dinner so I have leftovers for lunch the next day (or multiple days).

If you want to avoid any type of cleaning product (even Barkeeper's Friend), I second Operator, vinegar and baking soda work great. I've used this method in the past when the stains were just on the bottom of my pot: Pour white vinegar to completely cover the bottom of the pot and bring it to a simmer, remove from heat and add a handful of baking soda. Let the vinegar baking soda slush sit for 10 min and then scrub with a scouring pad. For your roasting pan/rack, I'm sure you could bring the vinegar to a simmer in your oven.

Hi All! Thanks for your recommendations! I really like the idea of a monkey plate. It will be easy to create it with the same ingredients I'll be using for the regular dinner (chicken and pasta based dish), I'll just be sure to set some aside for the monkey plate. My friend said its difficult to tell day to day what her daughter will and won't like, but I always have yogurt, crackers, cheese, and fruit in the house if she doesn't like any of the monkey plate I prepare! -Mary

I love this idea! Depending on your venue and/or the size of the wedding, a sundae bar could be fun, with your ice cream flavor and complimentary toppings. If its laid out well and perhaps has someone helping serve, it could be very classy. I think all those flavors together would be wonderful. A quick note on your custom flavor, if you're unsure of any of your guests' food allergies, it might be a good idea to provide an alternative to your custom flavor for people who may have chocolate or peanut allergies.

If you are buying your peaches from a store where they know their produce, or from a farmers market, ask if the peaches are 'freestone.' A freestone peach pit can easily be removed without taking a lot of the flesh with the pit. All you need to do is cut the peach in half and twist. As for peeling I just use a paring knife, if the peach is ripe the peel comes off fairly easily. My rule of thumb for a ripe peach is that is must smell like a peach and be soft but still firm. Good luck with your pie!