I need some of that cooking & baking group love.

[Shakespeare]

I also need to stay away from some of the forums upstairs for awhile. I'm all for spirited debate on politics, but when we start fighting with each other over stupid crap (which shall remain non-specified so as to leave the flames upstairs), then I get kinda cranky.

x( x( x( x( x( x(

I suppose the fact that we all get on so well down here just further supports the idea that food = love. ;-)

Y'all rock. No matter how bad things get in the other forums, I know I can always come here for refuge.

I toast you all with my fresh-squeezed lemonade and salute you with today's lunch of insalate caprese.

[midnight armadillo]

1. When you eat insalate caprese the terrorists win. Why do you hate America?

Ooops, thought I was in GD for a second there ;) I love caprese salads. Now that the heirloom tomatoes are out I may pick up some Purple Cherokees this weekend for that very purpose.

In fact, tonight I am picking up some pancetta to try for the first time. Too much Molto Mario watching, I guess. I blame reading Bill Buford's book 'Heat', it's re-ignited my foodie nature.

[Shakespeare]

3. LOL!!! That's my favorite subject line of the day (at least).

ooooh, you're gonna love the pancetta!!

Heat's on my list to read, too. Useless trivia note: in the episode of No Reservations where Anthony Bourdain is in Jakarta, he's reading an advance/galley copy of Heat (I think he provided one of the "blurbs" for the book cover). I rewound the DVR about five times trying to see the title of the book (yes, I'm weird like that: "hey, what's he reading?!"), and finally got it.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. I'll give ya some love .... and a tip ......

Our Costco now carries fresh, imported, Buffala mozzarella.

I bought some to make pizzas this weekend.

I wonder if all Costcos now carry this?

GD/GDPol Bad ....... Cooking and Baking Good

[Shakespeare]

4. At a great Costco price, I presume?

That's good information to have. I just discovered Trader Joe's "perlini" fresh mozzarella, and love tossing it in with chopped tomatoes (and garlic and basil, etc. etc.). It's insalate caprese you can eat with a spoon!

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Yup ... a good Costco price.

I don't remember off hand what it was, but I know I've paid way more for the real thing in other stores. I'm glad Costco had it.

[TygrBright]

9. Dang.... I am SO jealous of you Costco folks...

...I can't imagine why they don't open a store in Santa Fe, it's in the Top 10 Most Politically Correct Shoppers AND in the Top 10 Foodie Paradises in the country.

whingingly,
Bright

[NMDemDist2]

10. drive down to ABQ. you'll only need to go once a month or so

with your beautiful house, I'm sure you have the storage for it

[TygrBright]

15. I'm thinking about it seriously...

...and, as I'm heading down to Bernalillo today I might check it out, if my meeting doesn't run on too late.

As for the house (thanks, we think it's gorgeous, too-- much too good for common slobs like us, but we ain't complaining!) the one thing it is a tad short on is storage space, since we actually use our 2-car garage for garaging two cars. There are smallish closets in the bedrooms, and small front-hall and linen closets, a poorly-designed pantry closet I'm going to tackle one of these days, and a smallish, very awkwardly-shaped under-stairs storage closet. I put up a lot of shelves in the utility room, but again, it's not really optimal. Having moved from a house with a big basement and two very generous storage attics, plus more-than-adequate closets in every bedroom, I'm trying to rely less on the buy-lots-and-cheap-and-store-it model.

But if Costco was local I'd happily stop in once a week to check out the cool food specials and see what good deals they had available on non-consumables like small appliances, etc. I just can't rationalize driving to ABQ once a week for that, in time or in gas.

dubiously,
Bright

[wryter2000]

19. Yummy

I'm going to Costco on Monday. I'll look for some of that. I've been eating pizza margherita with all my early girl tomatoes. Yum.

This year, I'm even trying freezing some tomato slices to try the pizza in the winter. It won't matter if the tomato is mushy. I hope to have a bit of summer in January.

[wildeyed]

5. Groups are great when the large forums get to be too much.

And for me, the large forums are almost always too much these days. Plus, in Groups you can kind of get to know other posters without posting 83 times a day since they are smaller and move more slowly.

[NMDemDist2]

6. C&B Love to you my dear Bard

you're always welcome in our little calm spot in the storms

:hug:

so I've got some HUGH!! chicken breast in the crockpot with carrots, red onion and celery

wonder what I should cook up to go with them.......

and I've got a kitten on my lap pawing my face and purring

life is pretty good

[mike_c]

11. cat pics in C&B....

Life doesn't get much better than that! :loveya:

[NMDemDist2]

14. LOL here's another one for ya then

[eleny]

21. Kitties always find the comfiest spot in the house!

[NMDemDist2]

22. the chair is cleared, now she sleeps on my lap LOL n/t

[Shakespeare]

12. ooohhhhh.....kitty love!!!

What a gorgeous boy he is! And you have a border collie too, don't you?

Will you adopt me? :P

[NMDemDist2]

13. although that is a jungle kitty pic, she's a girl named Squeak

and we have a Border collie, an aussie mix and a sheltie

almost too much for this little house. good thing we're moving the fence so they'llhave almost the whole acre as a yard

so the answer is no, can't adopt ya :(

[TygrBright]

16. Aussie mix, sheltie, AND border collie...?

WOW!! Those are three breeds that are smarter than many people I know. You guys must have a job and a half keeping them busy and out of mischief! Wonderful dogs, though.

The smartest dog I ever knew was an Aussie named Mick who learned to open the door for his owner when she kicked it gently three times. That way she could bring in an armload of groceries from the car without setting them down. Mick also had the endearing trick of hiding any paperback book left out in the living area (never the bedrooms, though... go figure) and would watch in apparent delight as muttering, cussing, owner and/or guests would turn over cushions, peer under sofas and chairs, etc., looking for the book they'd just been reading. He'd reward a successful "find" with tail-wagging and a roll-over for a tummy rub.

reminiscently,
Bright

[NMDemDist2]

17. it's not too bad, the aussie girl is old and was abused as a pup before

we rescued her from the pound. she is VERY smart but quite low key in personality

the border has a tennis ball fetish so as long as he gets some catch games in every day he's cool and the lil sheltie keeps busy herding the border collie LOL

she's no brain surgeon (unlike the other two) but she's figured out her 30 lbs can take down the 80+ pound border if she grabs his front leg just right. you hear us yelling "Sadie, NO LEG!" quite a lot around here. they're a good group and keep each other busy. now the kitten has become the border's "revenge"

she jumps out and scares the sheltie regularly. they'll end up best friends is my bet when the kitten matures a bit

:loveya:

[eleny]

8. Here's some lovin' coming your way!!!

[wryter2000]

18. I love C&B

After the 2004 election, I could barely stand to think about politics. Around that time, DU started up the forums, and I logged in here for some comfort. C&B really helped me through.

[NMDemDist2]

20. many of us feel the same way wryter

i was so depressed after the 04 election, I hid in here for months!

got my kitchen totally redone in the bargin LOL

[Shakespeare]

23. Y'all all (continue to) rock. That is all.

And I have GOT to learn when to stay the heck out of GD. :hide: