Okay, I was just responding to the talk topic of Alton, and it got me thinking: to all of us foodies, are there expectations from your family and friends? Do they expect you to cook preservative free, vegan, fat free, all natural???? What do your family and friends want, and, how do you fail them???? How do you please them?
I have a type 1 diabetic daughter, and a type 2 diabetic husband. What's going on out there???? Meals in here are always challanging.

Okay, so i posted my "replica" of this go to green box. If you mssed the thread, I boiled sweet potatoes, then added various amounts of brown sugar, white sugar, maple syrup, salt and pepper, and LOTS of butter. While I can't give yo exact amounts as I did it more by the color than the tast( I don't care for these and I think I was killing the bottle of wine I used for another sauce).
Dad was VERY PLEASED!!!! Said they didn't have "that certain taste" (you know, the cardboard box taste), however, actually called them delicious!

THANKS TO ALL WHO INSPIRED ME!!!!!

Okay, here's my predicament. My dad will ONLY eat Mrs. Pauls
sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving. I've made him this version from scratch in the past, and it didn't "taste the same". Sorry it didn't have that "came out of a box, then a microwave" taste. So I need some ideas where this innocently simply sweet potato, brown sugar and butter combination can be "compromised", yet ,made from scratch. Can't believe I'm asking for help to make something taste not so homemade!! UGH!

Didi's bday is today,celebration was last night. Baking bag(gift bag cause it's just easy, wrapped everything tho!) contained:
A silicone cupcake flower arrangement mold.(Looks like a flat floral arrangement when finished)
A cupcake icing gun with assorted tips( really cool!)
Multi-colored spatulas
cookie cutters
a baking cookbook
lots and lots of multi-colored sprinkles(gourmet of course!)
a revolving cupcake tree(this is awesomely cool).
Additional baking gifts are coming from relatives on Sunday, will keep you all posted.
Thanks for all your ideas: you guys are the best!

Hubby and I grow cherry tomatoes, medium sized tomatoes(my personal fav) and beef steak tomatoes

Just made my last caprese of the season.

So sad! Will anyone else miss the end of the summer in this way?
Remember, I'm from Philly, so the best tomatoes in the world are over the bridge in NJ!

My daughter has become quite the lil baker. As I'm posting she's making pecan-lace cookies that she had seen on Everyday Food.

For Easter, intead of placing candy in her basket we gave her a tiffany blue hand mixer with bread (what do you call them) attachments? Mom, obviously,is not a baker.

Her B'Day is approaching and I want to make her a "baking basket".To date we have purchased pastry bags, tips, silicone spatulas, a silcone cupcake sheet, and now,I'm stumped.

All you amazing bakers out there. Help me, please!

What's going on here? Do y'all not want to post more than 5-10 characters? Or, have our eaters become lazy? This is just BORING! This site is full of foodies with priceless information just needing to be shared.Sorry, you can't do that with a one word answer.
Any thoughts?

Okay, it's me again asking for help with cakes. Understand, I love,love to cook. Pulling out my la crueset and calling some friends impromptu, to me, this is a great time! Truth be told, I do not like to bake. My daughter, didi, a fellow poster when she has time, loves to bake, so, I'm trying to encourage her. Father's day is approaching and my dad's fav cake is a 7-up cake which
didi wants to present to him as his gift. Can all you great people out there help me?

Okay, I just finshed
watching Paula Dean and her tribute to her grandmother. Have to say, was very moved. However, I'm curious as to how many of you have had recipes handed down?
Or, were your mom and gmom in my mom's camp of "I'm taking it with me ", hence, my posting for the banana cake 6-7 mos ago.

I posted 'but 5 months ago. I was looking to duplicate the banana cake that my mom made. As she took her recipe to the grave(as she swore she always would) I wanted to make it for my family as a surprise, and the family here at SE really stepped up to the plate. My daughter and I spent the better part of the winter baking banana based recipes. We found one that is almost exactly my mom's, the color of the batter is just off. I would love to tell y'all
who this recipe belongs to, but, I'd rather save face and thank all who posted.You are the best!

Was picking dd up from Karate tonite and there's a Dunkin Donuts in the strip mall her school is in. The poster advertising their new sandwich revealed an egg, bacon, and cheese
between two waffles. What do you think? Appetizing or repulsive? Kind of reminded me of the post "Is Paula Dean Trying To Kill Us" with her over the top eggwich.

Okay, as per posting today my daughter is over the top wanting to cook. As I tucked her in I made a deal: keep up everything else you are responsible for(she tests for her 1st level black belt in 3 mos, older bro is a 2nd level, older sis is going for 2nd level)
and YOU can run the kitchen 1 day per week(with my oversight of course) But, this means she gets full reign. Picks the meal,
chooses the produce in the supermarket, and executes with her own results. I can drive her, I can influence, however, the ultimate meal is on her. Anyone have some kid friendly recipes before she watches Jacques Pepin and tries to re-create that days episode? Or, sees Martha and gets upset if she fails?
HELP!

I live in the suburbs of Philly and I just received word that our favorite Italian restaurant has closed. This place has been in the valley for, from what I've been told, some 50 years. Theirs was authentic upscale Italian without having to go into South Philly.
If anyone here lives in or around Philly and its suburbs (Jenkintown, Willow Grove) and you know of what I speak, please let me know what happened. Did they move? Did the next generation sell? Oh, the name would help: Stefanos. Ugh, it hurts to say without making a reservation.

Okay bakers out there, I need your help.My mother passed away three years ago and took with her our family's 2 favorite recipes(which she always said she would).

One is for a 7-up cake which was so light and airy it literally fell apart when accompanied with coffee or tea.

The 2nd is for a banana bundt cake which was so heavy and rich
it could put you to sleep merely by inhaling it.

Okay bakers,can you help?

It's that time of year and we're starting our Christmas baking. For the life of me I cannot find my snickerdoodle recipe. It was special because there is NO shortening, and not an over abundance of flour.

Can someone save our cookies?

Headed to NYC tomorrow. We're looking for destinations for lunch as well
as dinner. Spending the afternoon in midtown and need a destination around the cathedral for dinner. Any suggestions?

Our family is headed to Manhattan for a wedding the end of June. We're planning on seeing a show and heading somewhere for dinner with the kids.Hubby and I are looking for a friendly place with some good
beers on tap and, of course, some good eats!Kids are easy, will eat sushi
to smores. Any ideas???