catsup's Profile

Our washing machine and dryer are in our kitchen; in fact the washing machine is right next to the fridge. It's actually not bad, but the real headache is the cabinetry above the appliances--shallow shelves and short heights, the shelves don't even fit detergent. Our plan is to take them out and put in functional shelving. Lots of great ideas here!

There are some good ideas here, thank you!

Of course, I asked the guest of honor what she preferred and was not able to eat. And frankly, she was non-committal...hence my query here! And, since the party was to be held mid-afternoon, it didn't make much sense to have a surplus of savory and a deficit of sweets for the majority of guests who like a bit of sweet later in the day.

I did end up making a cinnamon swirl cake with Splenda, which tasted fine but looked like it was baked in an Easy-Bake Oven--even with extra leavening. The mother-to-be was happy and enjoyed it!

My mom is a spendthrift, and as she's gotten older she's become extremely judgmental of what other people (including me and my siblings) buy and how others spend their money...So when she comes over I put away things she'll deem expensive or "hoity toity" (yes, she uses that phrase!), because I just don't need her silently putting price tags on the furniture, food and clothes that I worked hard for, saved for, and purchased consciously.

Just made it for dinner tonite, and it was delicious! I added a cubed sweet potato and served over brown rice.

though I have to respectfully disagree with the make-your-kids-eat-it-and-they'll-like-it commentary. My son is 5; at this age, I wouldn't expect him to have an open mind and experienced palate! I'd rather he simply eat ANY dinner than force him to eat what Mom and Dad are having. If I made my son eat braised spinach and chick peas he's surely be crying and throwing up at dinner, and who wants that?!?

How about not being a calm and gracious host? Sorry, but nothing ruins a good meal more than a histrionic cook/hostess who requires constant validation.

I've been to Thanksgiving (and Christmas, and Passover) dinners where the hostess/cook FREAKED OUT over a mild cooking disaster. Or took pains to remind everyone during the meal how long she toiled in the kitchen. Or pointed out things that no one would've noticed, like "The gravy could use more seasoning..."

Even now, when I'm cooking a big meal for guests, I make a conscious effort to make sure that everyone is relaxed and enjoying themselves. So when I get stressed in the kitchen I ask my husband to politely remove folks from the kitchen and play host so guests don't have to witness my freak-out.

And if something doesn't turn out right, well, c'est la vie!

Several of my neighbors are evangelical anti-junk food, anti-sugar, organic-or-nothing types, so it's highly unlikely I'd share homemade food with them--trust me, they'd probably throw it out!

However, I often bring surplus baked goods to work for my coworkers. It's not the quite the same thing, but I find sharing with colleagues much less awkward than with neighbors

I cook mostly vegetarian meals because it tends to be less expensive, and I don't care for handling meat. But there are several meat dishes made by my BF, family and restaurants that I really enjoy.

Does this make me a flexitarian or just cheap and lazy?

This doesn't make me a flexitarian. Just lazy.

Having the W/D in kitchen beats having to go down to our damp and nasty Freddy Krueger basement to do laundry!

I had toyed with the notion of installing one of those curved shower racks from the ceiling and hanging some drapery to obscure the appliances, but the washer and dryer really aren't that intrusive in our large kitchen.
Though I like the idea of stacking the washer and dryer...whenever ours crap out and we have to get new units, I'll definitely consider stacking units!

Bean burritos are a yummy breakfast. Not breakfast burritos, but straight up Taco Bell-style refried beans, cheese and hot sauce.

I second the strollers. My son is 3 1/2, he loves to go to the farmer's market with me. But he would FREAK OUT in an umbrella stroller, where all he could see was other people's feet and not me...plus it's tricky pushing a stroller in such a crowded place. So I hold him on my hip, and let him carry the lightweight goods.