apk_101's Profile

Wow, great advice everyone, thank you. I'm pleased to say that I got nearly everything on my list and that was suggested here. Thanks too for the advice on buying pottery - I decided to pass on the chocolate olla and got some decorative pottery instead. Thanks again!

These recipes may or may not satisfy Ron Swanson, but they will definitely satisfy both my veg self and my meat-eating husband. Thanks!

I'm in Mexico right now (in D.F.) and I simply love it. My first trip here was to Oaxaca which I, like another commenter, can recommend for the food and much more. I hope to hear more about and see more pictures of your trip!

I'm totally in agreement with BUTTONS_WHIMS on storebought stuff. I have a potluck when the vibe is the-more-the-merrier and when I'm more concerned about including people than having the perfect meal. So storebought fits in just fine. And if anyone doesn't feel like eating a given storebought dish, they don't have to b/c there are always tons of options. If I'm serving a smaller number of people (say, less than 12--given the size of my house) and I really want the menu to be lovely and balanced then I fix it all myself and gratefully decline people's offers to bring something. ("You know, I think I've got the menu all figured out. Just bring yourself!")

I'd call myself organized but mellow. It is definitely worth the small amount of trouble to me to make sure that there is an appropriate range of types of food, but other than that, I love seeing what people come up with on their own.

We had an Easter potluck with my 2 brothers and 2 sisters and their spouses/roommates. My husband made roast lamb with gravy for the main dish, I made a coconut cake for dessert, and everyone else filled in with side dishes. We had a great variety - homemade bread and rolls, vegetable casserole, glazed carrots, fruit salad, and that infamous regional specialty...green Jello salad (we live in Utah). It was all delicious!

I think a plus of this type of entertaining is that everyone brings something that they like/can eat, so even the pickiest or most restricted eater is guaranteed to be able to eat something. As a vegetarian I love potlucks because there are so many side dishes w/o meat.

I second the recommendation for stock, but I would go ahead and make the stock and then freeze it. Maybe it's just me, but I haven't had good luck freezing celery...too high a water content maybe.

I second KATVETRANO on the interest in savory coconut oil recipes. One thing I will mention, though, is that roasted veggies (especially root veggies ESPECIALLY sweet potatoes) are really yummy when made with coconut oil. I also made the coconut rice from Faith's casseroles cookbook last night and it was delicious. Basically, if I'm remembering correctly, saute the rice in butter (or coconut oil), add some coconut milk, water, cinnamon, pepper, and unsweetened shredded coconut and bake. Really really good.

I have got to get an oven thermometer. I made two 9x13 breakfast strata for a crowd this weekend, and was feeling anxious that they be ready on time so I impetuously turned the oven up 50 degrees. Not only were they ready on time, but they were baked perfectly. I now think that maybe my oven is a bit off...

I tried the vegetable pot pie recipe a few days ago and it was great. I left out the Pernod and saffron (my only problem with Ina is how dang expensive her ingredients are...), and substituted fresh green beans for asparagus because I had them on hand. I also swapped Ina's pastry crust for the parsley drop biscuits from the lemony chicken pot pie in Faith's casseroles book because I didn't feel like rolling out pastry dough. I added some lemon zest to the biscuits since I didn't have any in the dish. It was a great combo!

Just tried these for a crowd that I was feeding over the weekend, and they were a HUGE hit. I am making them again tonight...especially considering that I only got one tiny little corner before they were devoured. :) Oh - I used three egg whites for the top as suggested by previous commenters, but I didn't adjust the sugar. It worked great. Only thing is to be sure and spray the parchment paper thoroughly. I must have left one corner unsprayed because the meringue peeled off with the paper in one spot. Oops.