latenac's Profile

Well actually there is the need for veal if you eat any dairy products at all. In order to make milk the cows have the get pregnant and something must be done with those calves. If you purchase free range veal you help to create expand the market for it and help out dairy farmers and calves by giving them a much kinder life than they might have otherwise had since the PETA campaign against veal actually ended up making the lives of these calves much worse than they were. We try to purchase free range veal on a regular basis since me and my family consumes dairy products.

Not to mention that shelf on the stove for oils and spices. Way too hot for both of those. There are probably better things that could kept there or a better use of that space.

My daughter has never been terribly interested in the people dolls that came with her dollhouse they are like these

http://www.amazon.com/Plan-Modern-Doll-Family-7142/dp/B000FZNEJE

but has used her Calico Critters and the Plan Toys' pets set the most. Chances are whatever you get your daughters will probably find a more preferred toy to use so I wouldn't sweat trying to find the perfect family too much and let them have a say in maybe replacing the original family when they get older.

I love this sauce. And as much as I love pasta, I prefer this sauce with gnocchi. The butteriness of it goes great with them.

I have a squash reamer for koosa that my great great uncle made that my grandmother gave me when I finally had my own kitchen. Cooking can be such a family connecting thing to begin with and having kitchen implements that have been passed down make it even more so.

What a sweet story and what a great way to redirect a kid from focusing on not liking something to being willing to try a new food and like it.

Agree with operagirl. I think any urge I have to do a cleanse is really my body saying I've veered away from eating healthy food and I need to get back on track. Otherwise my body does a pretty good job of eliminating phantom toxins.

Rachiti - really honestly the purpose of the a shower is to give gifts. You are showering the mother to be or bride to be with gifts. According to all etiquette experts it's only party where you are required to give a gift if you attend. (no, you don't have to give a wedding gift or a birthday or any other gift for any other party you attend.) You don't have to attend and then you don't have to give a gift. But really the purpose of a shower is to help a bride to be or mother to be set up housekeeping or set up a nursery.

Hence why it's not proper to give a shower for a 2nd or 3rd child. Or even for a 2nd marriage. That doesn't mean one can't be given. And obviously this mother or the people giving the shower recognize this by asking for disposable diapers to help the mother to be out since it's not a big gift and a nursery doesn't have to be completely set up from scratch. But one doesn't have to bring that gift if one wishes to attend the shower.

However, really reading the OP's letter I think it would be best if she didn't attend since she seems so hung up on the parenting practices of the mother to be to be able to offer sincere congratulations.

It's one of those things I thought I didn't need or would only need on occasion but really it's become and invaluable tool in the kitchen. I prefer baking with it. I admit we also do things like weigh our mail and average it out for the week as well.

I used to do this but then either Alton Brown or Michael Ruhlman or Harold McGee said this was the wrong way to do it b/c it was important that the oil and kernels heated up together. I could have dreamt it. But I've been doing it all at once for some time now and don't have problems burning kernels. And I still had to shake the pan towards the end when I did it this way anyway.