[chocomouse]

Len, the raspberry wine is sweet, but not overly sweet. Excellent flavor. I just learned yesterday that when we are in Michigan for almost 2 weeks next summer, teaching and selling for my sister's handpainted yarn business, we'll have one whole day off with no classes or traveling - so we plan to visit some new to us wineries and revisit several that we have been to over the years. Of course, that is all dependent on Covid and events and businesses being open.

[chocomouse]

cwcdesign, here's hoping your next 6 weeks fly by!! You can read through your entire collection of recipes and make plans for what to make first when you're healed.

[chocomouse]

I made my husband a birthday cake today. I made a white two-layer cake, and spread home-made raspberry jam between the layers, then frosted it with chocolate ganache. It is delicious. No candles -- not allowed after age 75!

[chocomouse]

Tonight we had husband's birthday dinner: grilled strip steaks, green salad, rosti potatoes, and buttercup squash, and red raspberry wine from Leelanau winery in Michigan.

[chocomouse]

Mike, I never change the water in my Aerogarden - unless I'm starting over a whole new garden. I shut mine down at the end of the indoor/winter gardening season, around early-mid May, and clean it. I then start it up in the fall, usually Oct-Nov. Between the Aerogarden and the Gro-light system, I aim to have home-grown salad and fixings year round. I wish I had the 24 pod system, although with the gro-lights I really don't need it, but the Aerogarden grows faster and bigger produce.

[chocomouse]

Thanks, Navlys - that's encouraging information! Does it bake a decent pizza? I use a 14" cast iron pan for mine - and love the way it comes out - perfect. I know I can't use that pan in the Breville. Have you baked bread in the oven? I'd also like to use it for "steaming" fresh vegetables, instead of a pan of water on the stove. Does the air frying, without any oil, accomplish that? I also dislike heating up my big oven, as I do most days of the week. I think I've about made up my mind to buy one. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[chocomouse]

We are not allowed to mix households, here in Vermont, so it is just the two of us. I miss the kids and grandkids and the hilarious time we have opening gifts. It has rained and been in the 50s for the last 24 hours, so all of our 16 inches of snow has disappeared. I just put the ham in the oven, and with it we will have potato gratin and broccoli salad.

Wishing everyone a peaceful day and a happier New Year!

[chocomouse]

The last bag of Harvest Grains that I bought a few months ago is in the new clear plastic package. Several other flours/grains are also in the clear bags, so I presumed they are switching all products over. I guess I don't like change -- I prefer the look of the brown paper bags, even though they are lined with plastic. Somehow, this new clear plastic looks like a step backward in environmental consideration.

[chocomouse]

Today I made a pecan pie for Christmas dinner, and cornbread to go with our chili tonight.

[chocomouse]

Aaron! Yes!! And if you like your's spicy, you could grind up a little jalapeno and have a 3 bean salad.

[chocomouse]

Yup. And coffee is made from a bean, so it is a vegetable. Wine is made from grapes, so it is a fruit. Pour me a couple more glasses and I'll have met my recommended daily servings. Then I can cruise on over to the tin of Christmas cookies and start having fun. THanks for posting that interesting article, Aaron.

[chocomouse]

Anyone else receive an e-mail from KABC this morning, advertising last minute baking suggested purchases? The first featured item is Harvest Grains! I suspect it is still not in stock, and the advertisement was planned well in advance. I'm thinking about asking Santa to stop by there on his way to my house!

[chocomouse]

I made that Maple Apple upside down cake a couple months ago, and it was excellent. I don't remember what pan I used, I'm thinking maybe a tart pan, which would be 12" diameter. But, maybe it was a 9 or 10" cake pan. So Monday I bought more apples to make another one, except they didn't have any Granny Smith, so I bought Juci. I've never eaten those before, but I suspect they lack the tartness of a Granny, and won't be as good in a baked item. We'll see. Got to get rid of the Christmas cookies first!

[chocomouse]

Thanks Aaron. I've read other negative comments about the legibility of the display, on the countertop oven. I have a small oven in my range (it's a JennAir, with a grill and center vent to the outside, but it's 35 years old and not performing reliably any more. There are just two of us, and I use the oven mostly for baking (mostly breads). I'm also looking at buying a new microwave, mine is 35 years old also, and I'd like a smaller one, so both new appliances would fit better in the footprint of my kitchen. I love, love, love, my Sharp microwave! I use the Sensor Cook for fresh vegetables; it cooks them perfectly, "al dente". I finally found one microwave that has a sensor cook for fresh vegetables, a Farberware, which would not be my first choice of manufacturer. Of course, that's no guarantee that sensor cooking asparagus will give it the right "chew". "Sensor Cook" today seems to mean to heat up a prepared meal - and we don't eat that way. I'm in no rush to buy, so will continue to research.

[chocomouse]

That's funny, Mike! We harvested our first lettuces from our Aerogarden for dinner tonight also! I cut just the larger leaves, as I do the lettuce in my summer gardens, so it will continue to produce. The lettuce, spinach, and scallion seeds I planted under Gro-lights a few days after I started the Aerogarden plugs are growing much more slowly. I think maybe I should be fertilizing (diluted)them a lot more.

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