Easiest chocolate cookie in the world

'k..making this quick cause these cookies are quick..

1 Batty Crackpot Chocolate fudge cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
Powdered/confectionery sugar

Mix cake mix w/eggs and oil. Roll into balls, roll balls in powdered sugar.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Make light fork indents ala peanut butter cookies
Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes.
Bask in the light that will surround you when you serve these..act like it took all day. Do NOT share the recipe.
Wait....dammit. HAHAHAHAAA

Apple Cake aka twice on the hips, please

I have been busy lately. Busy embracing my inner slug to the point I may have squeezed it to death. Pfft. :p The new season of House started and I have a couple of other shows I think I like and AND there have been a ton of horror movies on...but I digress.........

This is not only pumpkin season, but apple season. I recently made a version of this cake..the version being Paula Deen's recipe. Sorry, Paula honey...I just like mine better. I got the original recipe from an old church cookbook years ago and it has always been a hit.

1 3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup oil
3 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanila
4-5 Granny Smith ( or comparable apple ) peeled and thinly sliced or chopped
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped


Place all ingredients, except apples and nuts, in a large mixing bowl. Mix with large spoon til well blended. Add apples and nuts, mix well. Pour into greased ( or use Pam ) 13x9 or bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or til tooth pick comes out clean.
This cake is even better the second day..so, make it a day early! :)

I use a maple glaze on this and sprinkle the top with nuts. But you can just dust the top with confectionery sugar if you are in a hurry.

Posessed with Pumpkins

I'm originally from Morton, Illinois, (I say)
where the Libby's Pumpkin Canning Plant is,
When a shipment would come in, we would go watch
the pumpkins go up the ramps, sort of like watching
the bears at the dump for people not in Wis.

This time of year, I'm consumed with pumpkinesque
fantasies, and of course, being lactose intolerant
doesn't help that I can't go to the ice cream shop
and glom onto some Pumpkin Ice Cream. So I do
what I can.

ALSO there was mincemeat in this recipe, which I
swiped from the Eagle Brand site. I Photoshopped
it out. Bad! Bad! I don't even know what mincemeat
is comprised of. I had some one time at JennyTurner's house,
my fickle best friend as a child, and it reminds
me of her and I don't wanna look at it. So your
pumpkin bread will come out with less speckles than
in the pic. (Judy was a far better friend) Thanks Judy!

Here's the Way to get My Kid to eat Squash!

Fritos Squash

NPR.org, October 17, 2007 · This is one of Kaleta Doolin's favorite recipes from the original Fritos brochure. (Her dad invented Fritos)

Ingredients

5 yellow summer squash

1/2 medium-size onion, chopped

4 oz. Fritos


White Sauce

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon white flour

Saute chopped onion in small amount of butter or margarine. Slice and steam squash in small amount of water and season to taste. Spread layer of squash and chopped onion in casserole and cover with a layer of equal mixture of breadcrumbs and crushed Fritos. Repeat this procedure, making four layers.

Make white sauce, using 1/2 cup milk, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1 tablespoon flour. Pour white sauce over the squash mixture and allow to penetrate. Cover top with layer of whole Fritos. Bake in a medium hot oven (375 degrees) for 20-30 minutes.

Serves six.

When the Frost is on the Punkin, I feel the need for Punkin Chunkin.

Look what I found on the Eagle Brand Site!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

The shop Ruby et Violette in Manhattan isn't there any more,
but this recipe comes via Shelterrific.com, many thanks..
and Debralee, I'm putting this here so that you don't have to
divulge your secret, but it you do ever want to spill the recipe
for those famous cookies, delete this and put yours in. ! ;-)


*Wendy Gaynor’s ‘Perfect’ Chocolate Chunk Cookies

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chunks (preferably imported).

1. Place the butter in a large bowl and cream at high speed until
fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 4
minutes, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, one
at a time, until completely mixed.

2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. Add to the
butter mixture at low speed until just combined and add vanilla
extract. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl down, until blended. Do
not overmix.

3. Add chocolate chunks and mix till thoroughly combined. Refrigerate
batter until cold, preferably overnight.

4. Preheat a conventional oven to 350 degrees or a convection oven to
300 degrees, and line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop
heaping spoonfuls of batter 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets
and bake, turning tray once, until golden brown around edges and soft
(but not bubbly), about 9 minutes in a convection oven or 12 in a
conventional one. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 36 to 72 cookies, depending on size.

*This recipe appeared in The New York Times on October 27, 2002.

Tastes Just Like Chicken!

And that would be because it is..muahhhhhhaaaaaa. Oh, sorry. lol
I just spent a little over a week with my daughter and family...alllll we did was eat and play. My kinda visit! :)
I found this very basic roasted chicken recipe; directions look long winded, but don't be a baby..TRY IT, you will love it. My daughter makes a similar dish often, but in my delirium, I forgot to beg for her recipe; so, for all I know, this could be the same as hers..yes, I am that good. *rolls eyes*

1- 4 lb. roasting chicken
11/4 tsp. salt, divided
3/4 tsp. pepper
4 oregano sprigs
1 lemon quartered
1 celery stalk, cut into 2 in. pieces
Cooking spray

2 TBS. butter, melted
2 lbs. medium yellow onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges ( about 1-inch wedges)
2 lbs. small red potatoes, cut like the onions
1/4 cup all purpose flour ( about an ounce, if you are that industrious)
1 (14 ounce) can fat-free chicken broth, divided


1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2) Remove and discard giblets and neck friom chicken..and trim off excess fat while you're at it.
Loosen the skin from the breasts and drumsticks by inserting fingers gently between skin and meat. combine 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp pepper..rub under loosened skin on breasts and legs. Place oregano sprigs, quartered lemon, and celery into body cavity of chicken. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Place chicken, breast side up, on the rack of a broiler sprayed with Non-stick cooking spray.

3) Combine1/2 tsp salt, remaining pepper, melted butter, onions, and potatoes in a large bowl..toss to coat well. Arrange onion mixture around chicken on rack. Place rack into pan; bake at 425 d. for 20 minutes Reduce temperature to 325 and bake an additional 1 hour and 10 minutes or until onions and potatoes are and tender and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees. ( NO one like chicke sushi!)

4) Cool easy clean up tip about to happen!
Place a zip top plastic bag into a 2 cup measuring cup..pour pan drippings into bag and let stand for 10 minutes ( fat will rise to the top) Seal bag. carefully snip off 1 corner of the bag and drain drippings into sauce pan, stopping before you reach the fat layer..:)

Combine remaining 1/4 tsp of salt, the flour, and 1/2 cup of chicken broth in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk; then add flour mixture and remaining broth to saucepan. Bring to a boil over med-high heat; reduce heat for 5 minutes or til gravy thickens stirring frequently.

Carve chicken, serve with the fixin's.
You will have a bone bare chicken in no time, trust me.

Alfajores

(alpha-whore-eez) sounds like top dog at the cat house, doesnt it.

I have no idea where I found this recipe, but I tried them
in California a couple of years ago, and loved em.

Oven 350

1 can sweetened condensed milk -- (14-ounce)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar -- plus more to
sprinkle on cookies
1/2 cup margarine or butter -- (1 stick) softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

To make dulce de leche filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shake can of condensed milk well; pour milk into large pie plate. Bake for 1 hour or until the milk is as caramelized as you prefer. Set aside to let cool.

To prepare cookies: In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and 1/4 cup sugar. Add margarine and shortening; blend with a fork. Add egg yolks, milk and lemon zest. Mix until well blended.

Divide dough into 4 portions. Put one portion between 2 sheets of waxed paper; roll it out until dough is 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick, depending on taste. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Cut dough with a 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter. Place each circle on lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining dough.

When the cookies have cooled, spread dulce de leche on one cookie and top it with another cookie, making a sandwich. Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar.

My Mom Called, All Excited.

Get yer bundt pan out! Spray it with Pam.

She took a package of Grands® refrigerator biscuits, opened it up, and took the rolls apart, cut each biscuit in half. She cubed up a package of cream cheese, and placed a cube of cream cheese on top of each biscuit half, and folded the dough up around it and sealed it. She then brushed each lump of filled balls with butter, then rolled it in sugar, and placed the balls seam up evenly around the bundt pan, and sprinkled any leftover sugar and butter on top, and baked it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

When it came out of the oven, she up-ended it onto a large plate, and served it with fresh sugared strawberries on top, and everybody went crazy.

She added that you could also make it with cinnamon sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon or afterwards drizzle powdered sugar mixed with a little milk on top.

OMG Click on this and Look What I Found!

These Chocolate Espresso Cookies look gooooood.

Look! I can stack a cake to the sky!

and it's not pricey! $12.99 US

Ohhhh Look!! Chocolate Chip Scones!

Cooking spray • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour • 1/2 cup sugar • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 3/4 cup butter or margarine • 4 eggs • 1/2 cup non-fat milk

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, chocolate chips, baking powder, and salt. With pastry blender, cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. In medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Add egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir only until dry ingredients cling together. On floured surface, with lightly floured hands, pat dough to 3/4-inch thickness. With 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough. Reuse scraps. Place scones on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Rasins look like bunny poop.....And they are in these Scones

'K, my daughter loves scones. And raisins. And Tea. Together. *sigh*
These are for Erica:)

Oh, they are also for all of you who have been biting your nails , pacing, and wondering aloud.."When will they get to the scones???" :p Your wait is over! I am posting 2..yes.. 2!! recipes for scones. Break out the butter and the jam, sistahs!
Let me say that it pains me to post this first one...I detest raisins and oatmeal; that said..here goes. I got this recipe from our newspaper; the heading is 'Desperation Meals'.

Oh and: Parchment paper is readily available and can even be found in the 12 x 16 measure perfect for the standard cookie sheet. I am telling you this because it is recommended for this recipe. Carry on!

Oatmeal-Raisin Spoon 'Scones'
about 22 minutes from start to finish

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup skim/whole milk or half and half
1 egg
2 cups biscuit mix ( like Jiffy or good old Bisquick)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the oats evenly over sheet; while oven is preheating, place the oats on the center rack and toast for 5 minutes or unitl lightly toasted and fragrant. Do not allow them to burn! Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine milk and egg, whisking well; set aside 3 TBS. of milk mixture. Add biscuit mix, sugar, toasted oats, and raisins to remaining milk mixture in the large bowl. Stir together until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Lightly flour parchment paper lined baking sheet and spoon the dough by 1/4 cupfuls onto the sheet. Gently brush the tops of scones with reserved milk/egg mixture..discard any remaining mix.

Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken and bacon rollups

You can make this as healthy as you like by simply substituting lite mayo, turkey bacon, and low fat large tortillas or flatbread. Having said that, I must be honest with you..when I make something the first time, I use full fat ingredients; so if you're like my friend Jill, and mess with the ingredients before trying the original recipe, then claim to hate it...don't come crying to me. :P However, you may feel free to add extras to your wraps without incurring my wrath. I SAY.

Oh, and this has a secret, time saving ingredient..


1/2 cup mayo
1 tsp. fresh chopped chives
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
4 lg. flour tortillas or flatbreads
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups ( about 2 medium) chopped tomato
4 slices good grade bacon, cooked crisp and drained
Secret timesaving ingredient alert!
~~~~~~2 cups shredded, boneless,skinless rotisserie chicken~~~~~~


Combine mayo, chives, and lemon juice in small bowl. Spread 2 tbs. of may mixture over each bread/tortilla. Top with 1/2 cup lettuce, 1/2 cup tomato, 1 slice bacon (crumbled), and 1/2 cup chicken. Rollem up!

The recipe warning is for every recipe I post..not just these..just so we understand each other...lol

So now we own one..just so you know...

My hsb. is an Informercial junkie. Every Sunday morning he has a death grip on the remote..relentlessly scanning the "paid programming" channels..aka Informercials. After a year of lusting over the FlavorWave Oven Deluxe AND the Bonus Gift, The LaPresse..he broke down and ordered . The oven is great..and the best part is: HE will use it and fix dinner. :) Haven't tried the LaPresse yet, but I will report on the results when we do.
Actual customer review. This is not a paid endorsement. HAHAHAHAHAHA

Ketchup to Me

I saw something on the tv today, it showed a (non-sponsored) taste test, and Hunts was #1 and Heinz #2. I saw it on tv, it must be true.

Ravioli Madness

I had company for a few days..the main part of our visits are based on or around food. My family is Italian, so I have never known any other way...and now, my girls are being initiated into the life. Carnivores on a grand scale, they are skinny little women who could clean a cow carcass quicker than piranah...you gotta love that. LOL To that end, dinner at home was going to be sort of international: Toasted ravioli, chicken fingers, Chicken Piccata,and Spanakopita ( spinach pie ). Dessert was a free for all and dangerous to by standers.

The ravioli is the only new thing we were trying to make at home. OMG, you have HAVE to do this. It would be perfect anytime; parties, dinner, just because.

Breadcrumbs ( plain or seasoned )
Fresh flatleaf parlsey
Fresh parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs, beaten
olive oil ( or veg )
Fresh Ravioli..your choice of fillings.
( try to find the large ravioli for your convenience)
Marinara, Alfredo, and meat sauce for dipping

Chop parsley; add parsley, and cheese to bread crumbs. Put on large flat plate or shallow bowl.
Egg wash raviloi, dip in seasoned bread crumbs. Make sure they are well covered.
Brown in oil in flat bottomed skillet til brown on both sides.

Serve with your choice of dipping sauce.

Stand back and prepare to be loved and adored. :)

What I grew up on...

Click the title of this post to go to this great site
for retro 50's prints.

Cabbage, it's What's for Dinner!

This is a OneDishDinner! I don't particularly care for cabbage. But this is different.
It serves a whole family.
You need:

1 package of Italian Sausage in the casings, whatever flavor you like
1 green cabbage cut up into wieldy chunx (the purple would make uglyyyyyyyyyyyyy)
2 c +/- chicken boullion (or water with boullion cubes, like I do.)
1 Green Pepper, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced into chunks
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, chunked
3 red potatoes in bite size chunks, optional
1 Can of Cream of (Mushroom, Chicken, or Mushroom and Chicken)

throw the cabbage, carrots, celery and optional potatoes in a big pot, add the chicken flavored boullion, along with the whole sausage, put the lid on and let it simmer til the cabbage wilts and the carrots are al dente.

Pull out the sausage and slice into silver dollars, set aside for a moment.

In a separate frying pan, put a little bit of oil or butter, the onion and green pepper, sautee til onion is transparent, and throw in the sausage rounds. fry a little more, then check your cabbage. Pour out some of the water if it looks like more than a cup or so left. It's partly a steam thing, so you don't want to cover the cabbage with water, just enough to dilute the cream of soup. Gently fold the soup into the cabbage, and add the sausage/onion/green pepper mixture, continuing to fold it in, as to not disintegrate your cabbage. Add salt and pepper to taste, and get out the big soup bowls!

First no eggs..now, NO FLOUR!

Proof once again that God still loves a poorly prepared cook ;)

I top this cake with Ganache to make it as decadent and sinful as I possibly can..cause that's just the way I roll. HAHAHA

I got the original recipe on line a few years ago, but this Ganache is from Alton Brown, Food Network.

Estimated Times:
Preparation - 20 min | Cooking - 40 min | Cooling Time - 4 hrs refrigerating | Yields - 12

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (12-oz. Pkg.) good quality semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 1/2 cup good quality baking cocoa
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 8 large eggs
• Powdered sugar
• Sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Grease bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment or wax paper. Grease paper.

PLACE morsels, butter, water and coffee granules in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Stir in cocoa and granulated sugar until smooth. Remove from heat.

BEAT eggs in large mixer bowl for 5 minutes or until the volume doubles. Fold 1/3 of beaten eggs into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining beaten eggs 1/3 at a time until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

BAKE for 35 to 37 minutes or until cake has risen (center will still move and appear underbaked) and edges start to get firm and shiny. Cool completely in pan on wire rack (center will sink slightly). Cover cake; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. (Cake can be prepared up to 4 days in advance.)

TO SERVE: About 30 minutes before serving, remove side of pan by first running knife around edge of cake. Invert cake on sheet of parchment paper, peel off parchment pan liner and turn the cake right-side up on serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve with dollop of sweetened whipped cream. ( This is the sissy way to top this cake..just so ya know )

Ganache

Courtesy of Alton Brown, Food Network

3 tablespoons corn syrup 6 ounces heavy cream 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract In a small saucepan combine the corn syrup and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.

Easiest Moistest Cake on the Planet

I was thinking, hell, those cupcakes down there are almost the same as my recipe, 'cept mine uses no eggs, and I tasted them the day after, and they weren't as moist as I had hoped. THIS recipe is something that stays moist day after day, I would leave it air overnight, as sometimes right off you can still taste a little vinegar, but omg is it good. EZ+++

Wacky Cake
Oven at 350
10 mins to make
35-40 mins to bake

In a large bowl:

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa (unsweetened)
2 t baking soda
1 t salt

Pour in:

2 cups water
2/3 cups salad oil
2 t vanilla
2 T vinegar

Mix well, pour in a 9 x 13 greased pan

I found that this gets puffy on top in my oven...
so I don't use it for round pans much, butit would
be a sturdy cake to carve up.

Prize Winning Cupcakes

From Taste of Home Magazine:

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: Special Mocha Cupcakes
PREP: 25 minutes
BAKE: 20 minutes + cooling

Topped with a fluffy frosting and chocolate sprinkles, these extra-rich, extra-delicious cupcakes smell wonderful while baking and taste even better!
— Mary Bilyeu, Ann Arbor, MI

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup cold brewed coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons cider vinegar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

MOCHA FROSTING:
3 tablespoons milk chocolate chips
3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients; mix well.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool.

For the frosting: In a small, microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt chips and stir until smooth. Add butter and beat until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and coffee. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Top with sprinkles; gently press down. Yield: 1 dozen.



I also saw something on that site that said if you want to pack a cupcake in somebody's lunch without making a mess, cut the top off and turn it upside down on itself before you put it in the baggie....not bad!

helpful $ stretching hint by accident

I remembered this hint this morining as I was attempting to frost some cupcakes with tub icing. (eg Pillsbury). Would have been nice had I recalled it 10 cupcakes earlier...
Put the entire tub of icing into a medium to large mixing bowl and mix on medium high speed til the volume has roughly doubled in size. Now you suddenly have enough icing :) Light, fluffy, and enough! YAY!
This not only saves $, but calories as well; the calorie thing is just a fluke, trust me.

The reason I ran short of icing to begin with:

I let the kids use tub icing and animal crackers for homemade "dunk-a-roos". It is less expensive and I can control the portion size per child. I serve them in individual applesauce containers I save and use for everything under the sun. I also use the empty icing tubs for a multitude of things. That's another story for another time..:)

Just don't decide you need the icing for something else before checking the amount in the tub. ( I am rolling my eyes , just incase you're wondering )

I am Whatshername

And I am everything Aud has said I am..and some that she was kind enough to leave out. She is sweet to me like that. :)

I am here to have fun..hope you are too!

I am going to give my newly purchased Kitchen Aid a work out this afternoon; if I like the results, you'll be the first to know. Wait..that's a lie. Audrey will be the first..but you'll always be the next to know, I promise.

SuperVanilla

Did you know you can supercharge your vanilla for cookies, cakes, whatever? It's great with anything that needs a boost, I do oatmeal cookies with it, it's easy. You need a sharp knife, exacto knife or a razor blade (ow.) You'll need a really nice vanilla bean or two, maybe the bourbon type. Rinse off the bean and pat dry. Slice the vanilla bean(s) all the way down the length of it, and scrape out the little black seeds. Put those little black seeds, and when you're finished, the husk into a store bought bottle of real vanilla. Shake like crazy. Reshake when you use it, and be careful not to pour out the husks. Too Chewy. As long as there's enough vanilla in the bottle, the alcohol seems to keep the beans pretty well for a long time. I'm not kidding, people will flip out over your baking, and they won't know how you did it.

Oven Crunchy Onion Rings

Not soggy frozen ones, from http://www.cookingforengineers.com
Man, this site is great, conversions, retentive attn to detail.
Lots of Pics, step by step. Click this title.

Get Yer Squid On!

I know you'd pick this one first out of the bin, wouldn't you. Get it at Flax! Click the title for the link.

Gimme Fun or Gimme a Restaurant.

Hi, I'm Audrey, and Whatsername is around here someplace, I started this blog without her permission, and just told her she was going to do it. Why the heck not, we spend stupid amounts of time looking up stuff here on the web, and we both love to cook, we have appreciative audiences, and whats a few more people.

We trade recipes back and forth, and some of those recipes are just plain fun, odd, or incredibly good. I didn't say easy, but its a plus. Things that make my 9 year old's eyes bug out is another plus. Hub doesnt have much of a sweet tooth, but I do. I always had the feeling about pastries in Europe, that if it was a dessert, and it didn't rot your teeth, what good was it.

She hates chili, oatmeal and other stuff I like, so we're a good mix. She's a hummus/grapeleaves type of woman, and i've yet to figure out how the heck she got so good at cookies, as she won't mail me any so I can't tell for sure, but I will take her family's word.

She's up North, I'm in Florida, and between us, we burn up more Yahoo Instant Messenger bandwidth than United airline FF miles. I think she just likes looking at my funny typos, really. Phone calls aren't carrier to carrier, so why take 5 mins to do a conversation on the phone, when we can have that same conversation on the IM and it takes an hour, but its free. Thats how it is.