GOBBLE - GOBBLE - GOBBLE -

I posted this thread two places - Thought
Gobble Gobble was more interesting. Mory

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by Mory
Now tell me how your doing yours

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I'd be afraid the paper bag would catch on fire. Well, if our oven worked that is. It's been broke about 3 years. No intention of getting it fixed either. That would just create more work and more mess.
If God wanted us to cook, why did he make restaurants. You guessed it, we go out. NO WORK, NO CLEANUP!
We just got back from eating out. I hade some butternut squash soup with my dinner, it was DELICIOUS.

I love butternut and haven't thought
of it as a soup base so will try it.
Was it spiced with a touch of Garlic?

By favorite squash is a Hubbard the big ugly scaley one...They were very scarce this year because of all the rain. Local farmers who had high land and raised
pumpkins this year made a fortune.

At the end of the season I usually can buy a bushel of small squash for $3 this year the squash was a dollar each.

Not much this year for my cellar. Apples are plentiful but fresh cider is up to $3
a gallon at the cider mill. and regular gas is down to $2.18

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by Mory
I love butternut and haven't thought
of it as a soup base so will try it.
Was it spiced with a touch of Garlic?

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I didn't taste any garlic but that's not to say there wasn't any in it though. It was very sweet and creamy and very flavorful.

You guys are making me mighty hungry!!

I think I might roast a duck.

Somebody is reading our posts - At the market yesterday A half of a butternut
cleaned - ready to bake was $2.35.. That's $5.00 for a little one lb squash.
Where is the money coming from? Not me.

I know, Mory. Prices have skyrocketed with transportation prices, I think.

I like to buy produce from farmers' markets or those roadside stands that the farmers set up because the produce is fresher and less expensive.

Mory,
You seem to know just about everything about cooking, maybe you can help us out with this one....my daughter made chocolate chip cookies a few weeks ago, and they didn't raise. All greasy and flat. Stuck to the pan.(She got so frustrated when she was trying to get them off the pan with the spatula, one flew across the room and splatted against the wall!! ...don't mess with a woman's chocolate fit!!! ) Same recipe she always used, and she said she was sure she put in all the ingredients. Why did they flop?? She uses generic baking soda-could that be it?

Another day recently I made some "monkey bread" and it didn't raise. That same day another woman told me her cakes didn't raise. Is it true the weather can affect them? We don't live in the same house so it's not that. Just curious. I like to cook, but don't like to take the time. But I can do it. I'm more of an outside person. And I'm already going nuts with the dark at 4:30 and the cold weather. yuck! Shirl....I'm coming over!! (hubby is still stuck on texas tho...)

Mg, just take him down to that bug ridden, windy place! He'll love NC!

Falcon Gal,YES!! Support your farmers markets!! At our farmers market we are required to set our prices for produce the same as the grocery store. Now, to me that seems wrong, we should be able to sell for what we feel we should get. The customer will decide what is a good price. And in our very small town with only one grocery store, the prices are never good. I'm not sure if anyone actually checks the prices tho. I sell Iris and perennials so nobody checks my prices.

Shirl, Ewwww, it's buggy there? I think maybe he just thinks about it because the company he works for needs a manager there. I'll tell him it's buggy. He won't like that. Windy we are used to, but don't like. The Carolina's just seem so much prettier to me. But I really would have to visit both places again. I was only in Dallas about 20 years ago for a meeting (big city + me = NO WAY!!) and in SC in Jan/Feb for my son's grad. from Basic Training.But I could still see it's potential to be really pretty in the summer.
LOL ....speaking of SC...he told me the people there are the worst drivers on earth!! Now, I'm not sure how he came to that decision because he wasn't allowed off base much at all. Maybe Army are the worst drivers on earth!!
I still think it's Iowa drivers!

MG Intern, I'm surprised to hear that you have to set your prices. The things that they sell at the farmers' markets around here are cheaper. Even if they were the same price I'd still get my produce from them because it's cheaper and not sprayed with all the junk they use before shipping. The citrus fruits are really good when they've had a chance to ripen on the tree instead of in a box.

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I like to buy produce from farmers' markets or those roadside stands that the farmers set up because the produce is fresher and less expensive

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Our local produce markets sell their stuff at the same prices as the Supermarkets and sadly enough, the fruit/vegies is nicer at the Supermarkets.

I guess it would be fresher at the Market, as I assume the harvest the day before, but sometimes it just looks like the stuff that the Supermarkets rejected.

Our Supermarkets even have a better selection than the Green Grocers - which is sad, I would much prefer to support the *little guy* than the big company.

Goodness, MG, I never heard of such a thing! How can they make you set the prices the same?? I buy a lot at farmer's markets or roadside Stand.I love the fresh produce and no preservatives either!

Mg, I thought you would like to see the English garden at the Tyron Palace here. Established in 1770!

Ohhhh pretty! I love the curves and colors.

I work to keep my flowers going til fall and they have kept this garden pristine since 1770!
BTW MG, I saw someone was selling their thinned out iriss on one of the selling sites I mentioned to you. I was kind of surprised. I am under the impression that this is not allowed, but maybe just on Ebay.

I'm not sure what you mean. What is not allowed?

Mg, can you sell plants on Ebay? IS it allowed?

MG: Sorry I missed your question -
The soda doesn't go flat - sounds like
an overmix problem. I always test bake
one cookie. If it's runny It gets
a little more flour or Oatmeal.
You will get a much better cookie if you refrigerate the dough. After cooling roll your dough into a long roll - if sticky
add flour. Cut it in half and keep deviding so you have 24 or 48. They
are then uniform. Remember never grease or oil a cookie sheet if they contain a large amount of shortening. (like choc chip)
But you will need it for Oatmeal.
If she likes to bake, get her a High Temp flexible cookie Pad for Christmas.
I have six - lay them on the cookie sheet and bake on them. Cookies pop off
easy. I put one under pies or anything
I bake and they catch all the spills -no
more cleaning bottom of oven or baking
sheet. A double insulated cookie sheet is good but adding the baking pad is
the cats meow. A great Christmas gift about
$24 each. Invented in the UK they are
cheaper there.

MG: If you made the Monkey Bread with
Biscuit Rolls you just needed to let them proof and raise a little longer b efore dipping and dropping in the Bundt
Pan. Same thing if your using a one lb sweet dough -for the Monkey. small batches
get chilled and die easily. If a dough gets chilled, just fold in another packet of dry east set in a warm bowl - preheat oven for 1 minute - Set the bowl in another bowl of Hot water to kick-start it. I always add a tsp of Karo Syrup to the brown suger - It keeps the Monkey
Stickey. I also add nuts and raisins in the Bundt Pan before the pastry balls - and a few in the middle.
If you use biscuit dough try making a cheese monkey with melted cheese or cheese
cubes - sprinkle Taco Sauce in the layers.
I save the Med Taco Packets from Taco Bell,
Three of them in a Cheese Monkey are great. You can also add Olives. mory

I know that was for MG, Mory, but if you don't mind, I think I'll print the last two posts and add them to my cookbook!

I too, try to support the local small shops rather than one of the chains, but it isn't always easy. One thing I've noticed though is that the quality of fresh vegies in Port, and South Melbourne Coles/Safeway, and the variety thereof, is a level above that in the same shops in Mitcham/Ringwood. The more effluent get the better quality.

What I find incredible about some comments on this subject is the notion of price control, or rather price fixing, in the Land of the Free.

In Aust. it is illegal to set prices (theoretically anyway - I've no doubt there is collusion between the bigger players in supermarkets and petrol).

This sounds anti-competitive to me.

GG

GG, exactly what I was saying to MG! It is illegal to price fix!!

GG, I have noticed the same thing in the supermarkets here, nicer areas , nice produce and meat! Hmmm

Thanks Mory! I think I will try the cheese Monkey, I've never heard of that. It sounds mmmmmm good. The recipe I used with the biscuits didn't say anything about letting it raise. Just cut, roll in cinnamon/sugar and plop in the pan. I threw that recipe out!

Mrs M, Yes you can sell plants on ebay. The iris are actually rhizomes,like roots or bulbs, but I have seen plants too. I think the problem is sending actual dirt with anything. I wash every bit of dirt off my rhizomes. Send them off in their naked little roots!!

I don't understand either how the grocery store can say they (at the farmers market) can't sell their pies and veggies cheaper if they want. I think it was more a case of the couple running the market not having much business sense. They have "passed the hat" to some others so maybe things will loosen up.

A month ago on the last day of our big outdoor market I went by a cardtable - a woman had 8 beautiful Apple Pies for sale
she had $6 on them, I said to her increase your price to $10 and you'll sell them quickly. She did and was so Happy she sold them all. She said now I have enough money to buy gas to get Home to Montreal. She had left her husband and had two small kids and was headed home. I told her If she had told her story she would have gotten
double that. I just couldn't imagine packing the car and kids and then baking 8 pies and going to a market at 6AM. It's always amazed me how mothers
can muster the energy when needed. Her pie
was wonderful.

I forgot MG: the professional baking
pads are called "Silpat" they are a high temp virgin silicone. I looked them up and they are down to $14 Half what I paid for mine. Put the pad on the cookie sheet and drop your pastry on the Silpat. Nothing sticks to them - just wipe off. Have fun...



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Those baking pads sound great.

I try to support the small sellers too, especially if they make or grow what they sell and take pride in their work.

As A general rule, in Naples where I lived and here in North Carolina, produce is much higher in the supermarkets than from the roadside venders and farmer's markets.

The baking pads are nice, Mory. Remember the days of ammonia and steel wool pads....and I do mean days! Yikes, what a nasty job that was!

To all the forum members that celebrate Thanksgiving, hope you have a very nice one Thursday! I am going to be spending a good deal of time today starting our meal. We're having several over to enjoy dinner with us.

Oh dear - can someone explain to a Limey what 'Hubbards' and 'Monkey Bread' are?

Two nations, etc..........
By way of recompense, try:

Mike's Quick Carrot Cake

Ingredients

Corn or other vegetable oil 6 fl oz
Brown sugar or alternative 3 oz
Eggs 2
Wholemeal flour 4 oz
Carrots, cleaned 8 oz
Sodium bicarbonate 1 heaped tsp
Optional
Lemon, orange or lime zest and juice 1 fruit
Dried fruit To taste
Nuts To taste
Allspice and/or nutmeg and/or cinnamon 1 tsp


Method
Put eggs (don’t bother to beat), oil and sugar into mixer or food processor, and whiz for a few seconds. Grate or shred carrots – you can also use a juicer if you add both the juice and pulp.
Add other ingredients except sod bicarb, fruit and nuts, and mix thoroughly.
Add bicarb and mix
Add fruit and nuts, and whiz for a second or so, Mixture should have the consistency of mayonnaise.
Put into loose-bottomed cake tin. Don’t bother greasing it – it does not make the slightest difference.
Bake for 1 hour at 200 degrees Celsius.
You can actually mix all this by hand, if you prepare the carrots earlier – we have cooked one on a camping trip, in a folding oven on a petrol stove, without any problem!

Translations if required

200 degrees Celsius= 400 degrees farenheit--Sodium bicarbonate = baking soda

Sound easy and good! thanks!!

so what's the recipe for french toast - I had it at school at it was delicious!

R2

Don't think you really need a recipe, R2! Just beat a couple eggs into enough milk to dip your bread in. Add butter or oil to a pan, enough so the bread doesn't stick. Turn stove burner on med heat. Add salt and pepper to taste to the egg mixture, dip bread in to coat both sides, fry til brown on both sides, spread with butter and syrup and add powder sugar sprinkles, if you like...eat....and, clean up your mess and turn off the stove!

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Add salt and pepper to taste to the egg mixture

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Some folks like to add a dash of ground cinnamon in addition to/instead of salt/pepper.

Tis true, Jabber!

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Originally posted by Mrs.M.:
200 degrees Celsius= 400 degrees farenheit--Sodium bicarbonate = baking soda

Sound easy and good! thanks!!

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Y'r welcome, Mrs M. Keeps well - still moist after a week