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gretchenx5's Profile

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Location: the city of constant rain and coffee

About: long-time picky eater, long-time food lover :]

Favorite foods:

Last bite on earth:

The Ten Most Recent Posts By gretchenx5

From Talk

when a snack becomes a meal...

at what point does the switch occur from snack to meal?
does it depend on calories, types of food, physical size of the dish, way of eating...?

hmm... serious eaters? any ideas?
what qualifies as a snack? what's worthy of the "meal" title?

From Talk

thoughts on Hungry Girl?

what do you think of "Hungry Girl" -- the website, the new book, all the attention Lisa Lillen (author) and co. have gotten recently?

anybody a hungry girl fan? anybody a hungry girl despiser (if that's a word...)

thoughts?

From Talk

Bay scallops, anyone?

I have some delicious looking recently frozen little sea scallops (technically bay scallops, I suppose) that I would love to cook up tomorrow night... but I have never cooked with seafood except halibut, the occasional and very tasty prawn, and of course, salmon!
That's what you get for being born and raised in seattle, I suppose.

any tips? I'm looking for a pretty light recipe, something fairly simple and healthy to share with my family sometime this week. anyone have any ideas, or anywhere to look for some??

From Talk

Default Foods and Fall-Back Plans

when you're feeling completely worn out or incredibly uninspired, is there a certain meal or food you know you can always pull out and be happy with?

I have the ingredients and amounts of them for the perfect individual salmon salad (made incredibly easy by trader joe's salmon pattys) always at the back of my mind. comes in handy when I realllllly don't want to think about dinner (but of course I want it to taste good!)

From Talk

volume vs. density: Do you go for quantity or quality?

Would you rather eat and eat and eat until you're full on something that's good, but not extremely rich or delectable, or do you prefer one bite (or maybe a couple) of something extremely savory?

The Ten Most Recent Comments By gretchenx5

From Talk

Grocery stores -- the positive side

oh and @sadiepix - I always offer my two cents about interesting foods!! I love it when people ask me questions or don't mind answering mine - its always refreshing to know i'm not the only foodie weirdo in the vicinity!

From Talk

Grocery stores -- the positive side

I have been friends with the staff at my favorite grocery store since before I got my drivers license - and it's no small store, either.
I'm a regular for late-night run ins for vegetables (especially bulk mushrooms, because I'm an addict) and both the produce guys and the cashiers always smile at me and joke about my vegetabley ways.
They've employed some people I've known since elementary school, many of which I happen to not be too fond of... but hey, aside from those few, I absolutely love their staff.

my favorite (and very knowledgeable) produce stocker sees me coming and stops what he's doing to try and persuade me to buy a 5 pound case of mushrooms... because he knows every so often I'll give in. free fruit and vegetable samples are always, always offered to everybody- and always, always accepted!

From Talk

Just Heard from JEP

Just a few days ago I was browsing all the talk topics of the past couple weeks and I realized how much I missed reading the hilarious ones started by you, JEP!!
glad you're back!!

From Required Eating

Photo of the Day: Turtle Attacks Strawberry

ahhh that's adorable!!
I am absolutely making this my computer desktop's background... the people who share my computer will just have to learn to love it too.

:)

From Talk

Help with a diet

@blackolive -- as someone who has seen a nutritionist for health stuff for a couple of years, I can say that while I DO think it's cool to have my diet analyzed, I have to go into it completely modestly or else its super easy to get defensive!! I never quite want to write on my food log that I got up at 3 in the morning to have a big bowlful of chocolate and nuts washed down with hot cocoa!!

BUT, ssto1946, Madelyn's advice (above) sounds nurturing and healthful, and really all-encompassing. Best of luck overcoming this!

From Talk

Cookbook conundrum

the best cookbooks are ones that have recipes you can realllly see yourself cooking!

I have an unhealthy obsession with fun cookbooks :]
but although they're fun to look through, I can tell from a quick glance through the pages if its actually realistic that I'll make them.

the Moosewood cookbooks are some of my favorites, especially the "low-fat favorites." I like it because every recipe (and there are a LOT) is a smart and healthy idea, and also because they are easy to shop for and cook.

that's my two bits - have fun! cookbooks are so entertaining!

From Talk

Need Name for a Soup Company

@Bangie -- I was just thinking "spoons" when I read your "The Spoon"
something simple but fun sounding is easy to remember!
personally, I just like utensil names in general...

if you did decide to go with a play on "soup," how does "soupernatural" strike you?

hahaha this thread is fun to look through.

From Talk

Eating in Seattle, Vancouver, and in between

Just north of Seattle (and north Seattle itself) has some restaurants that are cheaper than in the heart of the city. They're more often family-owned and not as flashy, but the food is cozy and the people are fun.
If you feel like swinging up into shoreline: Spiro's pizza/pasta, Kam Rai (Thai, owned by a very sweet man who shares my same birthday!), Chef at Wok (North Seattle, realllly good Chinese), and there are others!
let me know if you're interested in a 15 minute drive up north for good food!

From Talk

Do you eat in bed?

oh I'm so with you and the comfort food in bed people!
I love frozen yogurt, chocolate, a juicy book, and a big mug of cocoa after a long day, after everything else in the house (including the kitchen and my family) are shut down for the night.
me time to the extreme.
:]

From Talk

Bay scallops, anyone?

thank you! I will keep the dastardly quick cooking time in mind (and hopefully, not experience the arm biting sensation)

Responses to Comments by gretchenx5

From Required Eating

Photo of the Day: Turtle Attacks Strawberry

Awwwwww... that is sooooooo cute!!!!!

From Required Eating

Photo of the Day: Turtle Attacks Strawberry

I LOVE! I think it's a tortoise, not a turtle, though.

From Talk

Grocery stores -- the positive side

One time I decided to go all out for our little shindig and have condiments for the drinks and whatnot; One of the special cocktails I wanted to prepare was a mojito with a stick of sugar cane as a stirrer. Here in NYC where does one get a sugar cane?... Whole Foods! The produce staff in whole foods were SO nice and helped me select a nice sugar cane stalk, and demonstrated how to pick, process it and even gave me some tips on how to store/use the sugar cane. Mojitos never tasted better!

From Talk

Grocery stores -- the positive side

I remember grocery shopping one very hot afternoon after a very long and tiring day at work, with my then 3-y/o son in the cart asking for everything we passed ("But Mommy I NEED it!"), and every checkout line backed up halfway into the aisles. After I finally made it through the checkout with my piled-high cart and whiny kid, the woman who had been in line behind me followed me to my car, helped me unload all my groceries while I bucked my son in his car seat, and took the empty cart back for me. It literally brings tears to my eyes thinking about it, and that was two years ago. That woman, whoever she is, will forever be stamped in my memory as an ANGEL and deserves a special place in heaven for her random act of kindness!!!

From Talk

Grocery stores -- the positive side

sadiepix, we are averse, not adverse :)

From Talk

Grocery stores -- the positive side

Holler of thanks to you tall folks! (@ride&cook)

I wish I could get into more foodie talk at the stores...I love picking people's brains over food!

My poor DH hates grocery shopping, and gets grumpy as heck, but for some reason feels like he has to be with me to do it (like I will think he is making me do "women's work" if he does not go...goober) so that dampens my fun.
I like to zoom around the store, I don't care if I have to go back and forth a few times for forgotten things, and I really like to just peruse each aisle and look at things!

I even like going to three or four stores in a day....it feels like a treat to me!
Some folks like to shop for clothes and shoes....I want produce and good cheese! :D

@cary--I know what you mean! I have been at the stores in my whites and those must just be a sign to ask questions! I had to keep explaining I was not a "regular chef" but a pastry one, though I was a foodie and would talk as long as they wanted.

For those of you not loving shopping, do any stores near you offer grocery delivery? I know that is becoming more widespread now, and might help those of you who are completely adverse to humanity.

From Talk

Grocery stores -- the positive side

I almost always enjoy going to the grocery store. For some reason, none of the things in the "negative" thread really bother me. I like to see my neighbors, and spend some time picking out the best produce. If the checkout line is long, I use the time to catch up on my thinking(!), or read trashy magazines. I like it when the cashier says thank you, have a nice day, and I tell them the same. I also love it when I only have one item and someone offers to let me go ahead of them in line.

So yeah, I'm a big grocery store dork.

From Talk

Grocery stores -- the positive side

Oh yeah, that reminds me of the time a cashier swiped her store card when we didn't have a card. I was visiting my parents in Hawaii and wandered in looking for some snacks. It saved me $5.

I'd offer to do that for people here and it's a win-win situation. They get cheaper food, I get $ discount for gasoline. $2 off per gallon used to mean almost free gas...

From Talk

Grocery stores -- the positive side

At big grocery stores with loyalty cards, I like to be able to offer to swipe my card for people who don't have one. Once I was behind a man who didn't speak much English and was only buying a gallon of milk but was counting it out down to the penny. The cashier tried to get him to ask me if he could borrow my card, but he didn't quite get the idea. It was so easy to save someone a dollar or two! It would have been nice to do more, but everything starts small.

From Talk

Just Heard from JEP

Welcome back JEP! You were truly missed!

Hillary
Chew on That