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Sorry to say, but this site has been so depressing for a few days. I thought I'd ask an average, everyday question....to make us all feel a little more normal today.


I made Eggplant Lasagna, and my BIL and SIL are coming for dinner. They leave for Cali tomorrow to see their beautiful grand daughter.


Sorry, sometimes we just need some REGULAR conversation.......or at least THIS caregiver does.

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Send, how exciting to see the hawk family! I am a novice bird watcher. We see red tailed hawks too, but mainly lone hunters plucking rodents from our open fields. A sharp shinned hawk has discovered our bird feeders. Their nickname ‘bullet hawk’ is so appropriate!
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Golden,
This morning, facing delays in getting my coffee and waiting 2 hours for dH to wake up, I decided to prepare breakfast in a hurry from the home frozen meals in the freezer.

We had microwaved Green Chile Pork and Sweet potato mashed. Dh did not say a thing, I just handed him a plate and he ate it. No discussion, no waiting, breakfast was done by 9:30 a.m.

Coffee came later.

I liked the change, and I was hungry for anything hot.

Later, I sat outside for two hours (in the car) and watched an entire family of red-tailed hawks learning to fly, dive bomb, and hunt. Beautiful days, colder nights.
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Thinking that I could remember how to stuff the bell peppers turned out really good. There were onions, cilantro, parsely, yellow, red, and orange peppers, shredded italian squash, lots of hot seasoning and salsa, cheese.

However, I think that the recipe calls for uncooked hamburger, then baking it all together inside the pepper, like making a meatloaf.

Next, saving myself some trouble, stir frying it all together, peppers cut up in a casserole, add spanish rice.
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Psue - this would be a good one. Dundee cake is very raison-y. I had it in Scotland. https://www.daringgourmet.com/dundee-cake/

and this one for the cherry pound cake. It looked just like that.
https://www.atcoblueflamekitchen.com/en-ca/recipes-menus/recipes/old-fashioned-cherry-pound-cake.html

Mother actually used a Madeira cake recipe and added the cherries.

Re marzipan, I don't know that I had a recipe. Certainly I didn't use rose water. I think mother just showed me how to do it. I blanched and ground almonds, mixed them with egg white and powdered (icing)sugar and added almond extract. You got a feel for the right proportions. This recipe would be like it but of course we didn't have a food processor - it was all done by hand. https://skandibaking.com/marcipan-almond-confection/

Your glazed sherry cake sounds awesome - surrounded by glazed home grown plums!!!

I need to quit reminiscing and get back to sorting out my little freezer. It's home frozen meals till we use most of them up. I need to know what is hidden in there.
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Golden, you don’t need to worry about the dates sinking, there’s really no where for them to go - there is so little ‘cake’ in this cake it’s more like a ‘clump’ than a cake!

Looking up Dundee cake……..

Cherry pound cake sounds beautiful! I make a glazed sherry (not cherry) cake that I would surround with sherry glazed Italian plum halves from my tree. My tree now belongs to someone else (sniff, sniff)

My mom and I both love marzipan. Did your recipe have food grade rose water in it? I looked for it once to try making some for her it but gave up.
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Psue - That's right - enough fat from the eggs I guess. I knew I wasn't fully awake. I know fruit has to be tossed in "flour" so it doesn't sink. I'll remember no sugared dates and about not undercooking.

In the good old days, I used to make a dark fruit cake and a light one as was the custom then. And sometimes a Dundee cake.

It's OK to make up variations when cooking and not record them, but baking is touchier and it pays to write down variations that work.

Mother used to make a lovely cherry pound cake which was festive, but nice any time of year.

And I used to make marzipan (almonds blanched, and ground in a hand grinder - you couldn't buy blanched and ground in those days) then shaped into fruits, and whatever, and decorated. Lots of fun and very tasty.
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No butter in it Golden so you’re good there. I’m sure plain chopped dates would work if you toss them with a little extra of whatever flour you’re using to separate them a bit. The only big fail I had with this recipe was when I had to use sugared dates because I couldn’t find the oat floured ones. I think the sugar melted and threw everything else off. Undercooking isn’t good either.
I hate when I forget to write down recipe alterations!
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Thx Psue - . I'll also have to substitute for the butter and the oat floured dates -allergies. Plain chopped dates should do and some kind of fat. It looks easy and reaaally good!!! It will be my Christmas baking effort along with, possibly, some adjusted recipe short bread. I have made some very good ones but didn't write down what I used and how much except I know I used cornstarch. How great to have friends from 25 years back.
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Golden, recipe has been sent - I hope you like it! As long as you are not expecting traditional fruitcake (which I also love) I think you will.

Happy All Hallows Eve everyone! Dinner tonight?: leftovers from lunch with NC friends. Sooooo lovely to see dear friends - we have a 25 year history with them. I had to restrain myself from locking them in the basement to keep them from leaving!
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PM probably, Psue. Thank you. I look forward to trying it. Have fun this Halloween
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Ana, you should see my house! I am a Halloween freak! Couldn’t decorate the new (old) house last year because it was torn up but this year….everything came out of the boxes and got new batteries and votive candles. So much fun! I don’t do any slasher stuff, just spooky.

golden, what is the best way to share that recipe with you, PM?
In another life I would travel the world searching for the best French Dip sandwich!
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ana - have "ghastly" fun!!! Enjoy!!!

psue - I would love that fruit cake recipe. Sounds like something that could work. The flour substitutes are pretty good these days,

The curry spread sounds good - pecans are great.

Roast beef craving - probably just because it's awesome!!!

Have fun with your guests. Sounds like a lot of work.
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Oooh, Golden,
Fruitcake - I have a recipe for an ALMOST flourless ‘fruitcake’ that has no candied anything, just walnut halves, dried apricot halves, date bits (the kind dusted in oat flour) dried cranberries or cherries (optional, for their color and tartness), eggs, salt and brown sugar. It has only 1/4 c. flour per small loaf and although I haven’t tried it, I bet any flour could be substituted for wheat.

Curry - How about a garlicky, ground pecan, chickpea, red curry spread? It can be served cold with pita chips or vegetables or warmed on noodles or naan. It’s interesting and delicious but you have to chew gum after eating it!

Roast beef - I developed a deep craving for it while pregnant and it has persisted to this day. Lack or iron maybe??

For dinner tonight - anything that requires minimal clean up. Lots of guests coming and going tomorrow through the weekend and I’m going to be busy.
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I LOVE Hallowe’en! Our record number of kids is 7, from the farms across the road and behind us. Every few years we decorate inside and out, upstairs and down, then throw open the doors for a haunted house shindig. (spooky, not violent nor gross)

We volunteer with a giant dog rescue and currently have two sweeties on borrowed time. We aren’t comfortable entertaining indoors (what they do to our floors is very scary) until they’re gone. Plus one stresses in crowds. But I am already planning our next ghastly good time!
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psue - let me know how it goes. It was quite the experience. I'm motivated now to make a sticky dark dessert of some kind. I miss fruit cake. But not till I've taken off a few lbs as that will put it on.

bundle - a fave here too. Giving thanks daily helps the mood!

nacy - it's sad when a holiday becomes more of a chore than anything else. I remember those days. I've made some changes.

No Halloween here thankfully. I did it for years then the neighbourhood kids grew up and the numbers dwindled.

The other day I made the marrow curry and it was surprisingly good. R loves hot food. I added some chick peas (lentils would have been good too) to up the protein for a more complete meal. He had it with Naan bread and was impressed.

Last night we went to the dinner theatre for a Nashville show. The roast beef was the best I have had anywhere. Everything else was good too as usual and they even had a gluten and dairy free dessert! Nashville is not my most fave music but the show was good and the evening was a treat.

Tonight pan fried salmon and sauteed romaine lettuce. No sure what else.
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I like Thanksgiving too, but for now I still get together at moms, and most of my kids go.

I let hubby stay home, no reason for us both to suffer, I'm to busy cooking and cleaning up to see him, and he knows mom doesn't like him. Lol Actually my ex goes also, sence him and my brother friends , but my hubby and ex are pretty much friends.

Anyways, step son the lives upstairs goes to his family on his mom side, so on Saturday I usually cook are Thanksgiving, for the 3 of us.

It seems to be for me a day to get through, other than having my kids under one roof at the same time, I wouldnt go.

Usually I make lasagna for home the day before, for me in hubby, for Thanksgiving supper.
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peasuep, yes the traditional thanksgiving dinner. 🙂
what i love about thanksgiving is the "thanks". of course, we have all year to give thanks for various things, but i like that there's 1 day in the year dedicated to that.
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Bundle, I need to get though Halloween first, lol . The forecast looks great. I suspect it's going to be crazy in my town, and I really enjoy it.

On average, we get about 150 kids, after I heard the weather, I went and got more candy.
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cw - if you like gingerbread with lemon have you ever made Magenbrot? It doesn’t, traditionally, have ginger in it, but is a soft, sliced spice cookie with a thin lemon glaze. Easy to make and soooo delicious.

Golden - THANK YOU for that recipe link! I vow to try it this season and report back. Just the name Icky Sticky Toffee Pudding sounds like something I’ve been waiting my whole life for!
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BOJ - Do you do the traditional Thanksgiving at your house?

Back when we were dating DH hosted Thanksgiving family dinner and did an Asian inspired turkey stuffing. It wasn’t bad but he was blacklisted from hosting thereafter. (Maybe that was his plan all along!)
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Nacy - some kids are so sweet that way; sentimental. I miss so many Christmas things. Today I am missing our sparkly silver Christmas tree with the revolving color light projector thingy. I wouldn’t put one in my house (unless I could find a miniature - that would be fun!) but I miss it.

I love Shepherd’s pie. Haven’t made it in years. A girlfriend brought us one from Costco after one of DH’s heart incidents. It was really good but it took a week to get through it!
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thanksgiving is coming up!!
i loooove thanksgiving!!
🥰🥰🥰
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Golden, oh yeah, a Christmas family tradition in my family is those chocolate oranges, you smash and then it falls apart in cute little chocolate orange slices.

One year, I didn't get them for my kids, I just figured they were older now, well I didn't hear the end of it. 😂

Shepherds Pie. All made and in the fridge to put in the oven latter. I did cheat and used instant potatoes.

Oh and hahaha , the bunny cake, was supposed to say Bundt cake.
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nacy - churning butter lol. Chocolate and orange go so well together!
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Golden, during the pandemic, I was board, 😂 I made a chocolate bunny cake, with chocolate ganich, then candied oranges and put them on top. Oh.... It was so good.

Maybe will get another pandemic and I can do that again lol

My friend stopped in the other day, I was doing something, odd to her. She said next time she comes, I'll be churning butter. 😂
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Psue - I'm with you and your relatives - Love sticky dense gingerbread, christmas pudding, and fruit cake. The toffee pudding is rich and dark with a caramel sauce and smothered in whipped cream. Here's a link to the recipe from the Udny Arms where I had it in Scotland. There are various versions.
https://www.food.com/recipe/udny-arms-sticky-toffee-pudding-113993

I only had it the once but never forgot it, it was an experience!!!

cw - lemon sauce on gingerbread sounds lovely. We always had hard sauce on Christmas pudding which is so rich, then an aunt-in-law served her Christmas pudding with a lemon sauce and I was sold and used it from then on.

Latterly I made a steamed carrot pudding to serve at Christmas. It was lighter and still very tasty with all the spices,

R and I made a chocolate cake once and added a ground orange - peel and all - large extra amounts of spices and some cayenne. He likes to add cayenne to everything. It was awesome.

The orange idea came from a recipe I made as a teen of an orange and raisin cake where the orange was a ground up orange, peel and all. It was so moist and tasty.

psue - pie crusts. I used to make a good one but haven't made a pie in years with my gluten allergy. There's a Norwegian dessert with a short crust and almonds I may try with substitutes one day. Though she did make that dessert, Mother never made pies or bread so I had to learn on my own. Lots of fun!🥧
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I have fond memories of the hot water gingerbread with a lemon sauce we learned to make when I was in 4-H, but with so many other delicious things to make that one never gets put on the list any more.
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Golden, you’re making me drool. In my family the only ones who like the dark and spicy things are my mom, me, my DD and my GD, and we don’t just LIKE them, we ADORE them.
I think I’ve had a version of the Sticky Toffee Pudding and it was delicious but I would so love to try the real thing. Does it have nuts? Currants? I don’t believe the version I had was spicy, just gooey and dense. Mmmmmm.

My grandma’s pie fillings were her specialty, but her crusts were the butt of many a family joke.
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Ah, gingerbread. The best gingerbread I have ever eaten was made by a friend's grandmother when I was in Scotland - dark, moist, rich, sliced and served with unsalted butter. Sounds somewhat like your  Gramercy Park Gingerbread, psue, which I am sure is great!!!

Friend's mother made gingerbread too. They both were great cooks, but to me grandma's gingerbread was the best. Though I think I still have the recipe, I never tried it when I got back to Canada as the ingredients aren't quite the same here.

My English aunt made wonderful light sponge cakes and I brought the recipe back and tried it, but it didn't work. 😕 It was edible but nothing like her cakes.

Anyone had Icky Sticky Toffee Pudding - smothered in whipped cream and so warming on a cold Aberdeen evening. It's heart attack stuff, but oh, so good!!! Once in a lifetime is enough. 😋

nacy - I'm not a honey fan either. I actually don't like the taste and it's much too sweet.
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Nacy, nothing is better than honey on plain Greek yogurt.
Oooh, make baklava!
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