music_collector

Thanks. I let the kids put frosting on their muffins. I let them decorate with other stuff too, like sprinkles.

Perhaps I'll check that out. I've never seen Gordon's show on tv.

I grew up baking with my mom and grandma. My kids want to help me bake things, which is as nice as it can be frustrating, but that's ok. In a grocery store, I refuse to buy the kids cookies, bear paws, and things like that. My reason is that I can make better stuff. I can't make an Oreo, but my nestle crunch cookies are a more than acceptable substitute.

Agreed, it is time for lunch.

ribbons

That is so sweet that you cook with the kids, MC - and yes, it can be frustrating at times, as I remember well! And you have kids x 3. So nice that you prepare homemade baked goods for them. I'm not very good at baking.

My daughter never liked to cook and still doesn't, lol! My son is the one who likes to cook and takes an interest in cheffy stuff. I remember days of making Sicilian panelle fritters (his favorite) with him and spreading the panelle mixture across about 20 small plates to cool, then frying them for panelle sandwiches with ricotta cheese on gumdrop rolls. What a mess!

If I could make career change now (which I can't), I'd want to be a chef.

Plankton

It's funny how I'd never think to put balsamic vinaigrette on a boiled egg, but throw that sucker in a salad and it's go time.

Also, again, you can always put more dressing on, but you can't take it out. A skill I should have mastered by now. Oy vey.

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ribbons

Just realized what CBH means. I'm a little slow sometimes.

In my meat-eating days, I corned my own beef and made New England boiled dinner, with cabbage, white potato and mashed turnips (in which I'd mix a small amount of mashed carrots to take the *edge* off the turnips a bit). Sort of a specialty of mine, and something I still miss eating to this day.

ribbons

Balsamics are the bomb. So many varieties, regional producers and grades - it's an art form, really. I like the thick stuff! Balsamic vinaigrette in salads is delicious, especially where boiled eggs are present lol.

music_collector

I'm pretty well stuck in my career as well, not that I'm complaining.

I have kids x2 (twins--all good). They want to know anything and everything I'm doing, all while putting their little fingers in places they don't belong. I caught one of them shoveling batter in her face before I moved it to muffin tins.

The stuff you make is way more elaborate than what I do here. I need to branch out and do more in the kitchen.

For now, I'm trying to get family recipes from my mother and my aunt. They're currently refusing to share, with the exception of one - pea soup. Mom finally gave me her recipe. It's not overly hard to make (I make mine in the slow cooker), but I'd like to get it as close to what I grew up with as possible.

music_collector

On a salad, either a balsamic or a sesame based dressing will do for me.

music_collector

While it's not something I'd do, it would definitely work. Pickled eggs are almost the same thing.

Plankton

I used to cook quite a bit with my daughter when she was a youngster but she's surpassed my knowledge after working in the food industry for a few years. She's mostly a baker, but she's a great cook in every facet. I recently mentioned "making that Emeril's Beef Stew we used to make" and even though she doesn't eat meat anymore she said she'd love to try it again.

Also, I gotta try corning my own sometime. I'm a CBH freak, but I can only eat it once in a while. Lots of salads in between.

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music_collector

The last place I had CBH was on a cruise ship. It was amazing. I have no idea why I never attempted to make that myself.