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Oh I am SO making this for Bunco night next week!!!!

So sad. The best thing you will be able to do is to feed them -- "what's for dinner" should be the last thing on their minds.

Jambalaya or dirty rice was always our comfort food. Makes a nice change from mac & cheese. Go easy on the spices, heavy on the vegetables and meat.

A basic meatloaf, baked chicken, roast beef and pork are all great -- good for reheating or sandwiches, too.

Tuna salad, chicken salad and a couple loaves of bread are always helpful. Don't make sandwiches ahead of time and it will last longer.

Don't forget the drinks -- a cooler full of Cokes and bottled water (fridge will be full of food). Other helpful items include coffee & filters, styrofoam or paper cups, paper plates, etc. Tins of cookies and bundt cakes for guests go over well, too.

I love the pizza idea. We've also donated gift cards from some local restaurants for a change of pace. There will be days when they will just need to get out of the house.

Oh yummy -- all these recipes are making me really want one right now! And I'm in total agreement with the morning/afternoon-only people. I guess it's still afternoon!

I like V-8 or Clamato, but I add my own spice. Worcestershire, Tabasco, lime juice, celery salt, black pepper, no horseradish please. Usually go for a pepper vodka but can't wait to try the gin. Has anyone tried the Tabasco tequila for a Bloody Maria? It's not bad.

Garnishes -- absolutely! We call it "salad" instead. Pickled green beans, pickled okra (guess it's a Louisiana thing), green olives stuffed with ... well ... anything, and a celery stalk with a wide bottom to scoop out the olives. A rim of celery salt or a special Worcestershire/salt mixture adds a kick, too.

BTW, an oyster IN a Bloody Mary is divine! Shrimp, too. Yes, the glasses are enormous!

A few years ago, I cut up a hula hoop (to make it a smaller circle) and draped red velvet over it to make myself into a Bloody Mary. I used wrapping paper rollers and celery-green fabric remnants to make the celery stick that stuck up above my head. I dyed my hair green and painted sparkly green paint leaves all over one side of my face. It was so much fun and got rave reviews!

Invest in a Food Saver! The vacuum packer is well worth it in terms of not allowing freezer burn and losing all that hard work.

You can even use it for liquidy meals like sauces and soups. First, freeze the soup in a plastic wrap-lined loaf pan. Once it's frozen, pop it out of the loaf pan, then seal the "brick" with the vacuum packer. They stack nicely in the freezer this way, too.

Buy the bags in open rolls, and you can cut the bags to your specifically needed size. And no, I don't work for them. Just love using them!

Our school cafeteria -- the venerable ladies of our Louisiana country community made it the best place to eat imaginable -- served these made with peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and Corn Flakes. I grew up eating them and, yes, they rank among the ultimate comfort foods.

The chocolate topping is a new one on me -- one I can't wait to try! Think I'll go make a pan for my kids (wink, wink)...

Put a pan of apple cider vinegar under the ribs. The steam keeps them moist. I don't remember the scientific reason for the vinegar -- it breaks down "something" in the meat to make it tender -- help, someone?

You can also spritz them with apple cider vinegar if you are worried about them becoming dry. I personally wouldn't put them directly in the liquid. I'd be afraid I'd taste the liquid more than the rib meat. That's one of the reasons I won't use beer at all, because I hate the taste. I've had ribs cooked that way, and the beer flavor was overpowering.

The only reason we stand them on the side is so we can fit more on the grill! Don't know if there's a scientific reason for that, either.

Layer:

White chocolate pudding
Broken/crushed Oreos
Dark chocolate pudding
Broken/crushed Oreos
Cool Whip

Cheap and amazingly yummy!!

You know that nasty metallic smell of a cookie sheet that needs to be thrown away? That's what cilantro tastes like to me. Metallic. Gross. But I love all Mexican and most Thai food! Just have to get it without cilantro.

Beets. I know they're good for you, but I just can't stand them.

Sweet pickles. 'Nuff said.

Oh, and liver. As a new mom, I thought I should feed my toddler liver because it was so good for her. The doctor recommended it, right? She loved it, but I gagged every time I made it for her. Thank God she decided she didn't want to eat it any more when she turned five. I haven't been near it since.

Wow! That's some effort for what must be some amazing pizza!!

During crawfish season, we will have several boils. I can get crawfish here in Atlanta at a couple farmers markets, but they're never quite up to par (small sacks, lots of dead ones, prohibitively expensive). So several years ago, we found a "connection." He delivers seafood from my home state of Louisiana to restaurants in Atlanta, including lots of stops in between.

I call him on Monday and tell him how many sacks I want, how much andouille, and if I need some liquid & powdered crab boil, tasso, whatever else. He leaves Tuesday and heads east. When he hits the Alabama/Georgia border, usually around midnight, he calls me and I meet him in the Walmart parking lot near the interstate. We "do our deal" in the parking lot -- I write him a check & load up my cooler. He's on his way and I'm back home in bed by 2 or 3 a.m.

A day or two later, I'm feasting on mudbugs and planning the next boil!

Haven't seen any with the shell still on, but the fried peanuts I've tried are AMAZING!! Crispy, salty, just oily enough to make you feel like you've had a naughty treat...

This one is quite different and really, really good!

2 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese (softened)
1 reg. pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix.
2 dashes of Tabasco sauce
cracked black pepper

Mix all ingredients except black pepper in a food processor.
Turn mixture out onto waxed paper and mold it into a ball shape.
Roll in cracked black pepper.
Wrap cheese ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Serve with assorted crackers.

You absolutely MUST go to Pascal's Manale (ma-na-lee) for barbequed shrimp. Not shrimp on the barbie -- these huge shrimp (heads and shells still on) are broiled while drenched in a garlicky, lemony, savory butter that will make you weep with delight. You must wear a bib while eating them with your fingers.

Impress the waiters -- dip your french bread in the sauce. Trust me on this.

1838 Napolean Ave. Take a cab so you can have some cocktails & oysters for appetizers. Finish up with the best bread pudding in N.O.The restaurant was founded in 1913. It's amazing!