Mandi's Profile

I second the suggestion made by @JackieInDallas. Pancakes are one of my favorite leftover ricotta treats. Another good one is a ricotta olive oil and lemon cake. Mmmm...

It's cool in its way but its not something I'd want to live with. For me, my house isn't a design concept. It's home. This doesn't say "home" to me.

After dinner desserts were usually just ice cream or a few Oreos and milk. But my mom made an awesome plain cookie that she called "More Cookies" and my dad made monkey bread that I still yearn for.

The most widely used items in my home bar include rum (spiced and white), vodka, brandy, triple sec, and lemon lime soda. With that, I can make a ton of things.

I'm the same as Chau. I make the meal plan for the week ahead of time and start everything before my BF gets home. I'm naturally slow in the kitchen but we also drag it out to have beers or wine and talk about our day. I'd say that a short weeknight dinner is about 30 minutes with him making the salad. A long one is an hour or more. But I get to work at home 2 days a week so I save long meals for those days and I prep everything during my lunch break so it's ready to go at dinner time.

Last summer I moved into a new rental that has a very generous pantry and loads of cabinet space. Yet somehow, I filled it up. Very, very quickly. :-) I'm now trying to teach myself that once I buy a new ingredient, that doesn't mean I always need to stock it. Easier said than done but I'm getting there.

My boyfriend and I moved in together 8 months ago and we're still figuring everything out. I'm a clean freak, he isn't. I admit, it can cause a lot of frustration. I wish he'd put his socks in the hamper and take his shoes off indoors but that just isn't going to happen. Period.

So instead I focus on the things he does that I truly appreciate. Putting a new belt on my car in the rain, making the salad so I'm free to work on the entree, picking up last minute grocery items without complaining, and rubbing my shoulders.

And as everyone else has said, make sure you get some alone time. I started a "supper club" with some friends. Each month we take turns hosting and there are no significant others or kids allowed. It's good to have a social engagement that is just mine.

Why not avoid the issue altogether and get a dutch oven with no coating? I know that folks say acidic foods cooked in cast iron can take on a metallic flavor but I've never experienced that. Pick up a $30 Lodge dutch oven, $2 worth of fat back, and season the heck out of it. It'll be a gem for the rest of your life.

I couldn't agree more.