Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Breads and making up dessert recipes on the fly. And preparing meals for large groups, such as church socials.

Colored cool whip makes a great finger paint kids can lick off their fingers.

Dorie Greenspan has a fantastic white chocolate raspberry brownie recipe. You can find it here

Money doesn't fix education programs, families do. Only Switzerland pays more per student than America, but their students rank 6th internationally and US students ranked 18th. Spending more money isn't the solution, spending the money more effectively is.

I was kind of thinking of serving the two layered in clear glasses, like a twist on the zebra cone

1) Soup - specifically, Arroz Caldo. I get requests even when it's 95 degrees w/ insane humidity outside.

2) Salsa, asian style (I add lime juice, fish sauce and the tiniest bit of sesame oil. Don't knock it till you try it!)

3) Shrimp Salad (I cook whole shrimp in a pot chockful of garlic, green onion, celery, bits of whatever vegies are sitting in my fridge, lots of black peppercorn, and salt. After peeling, I throw the shells/head back into the broth to reduce. The dressing is nothing more than a good mayo, lime juice, sambal olek, green onions, celery and a few tsps of that concentrated shrimp broth.)

4) Anchovy pasta. Recipe courtesy of the NYTimes. I guess I'm the only one in the family willing to suffer through the smell of anchovies sauteeing.

@bisbee......I'm right here! You want I should bring a box of jello? Where's the party?

Where is PerkyMac and her box of Jello??

I'm Rosezilla (named for my three year old daughter and the giant lizard thing that stomped Tokyo...it's what I call her when she's being...how you say...willful). My real handle is Mandy. I live in Santa Barbara County again after growing up here, but lived for 11 years in western Sonoma County...home of fabulous food and wines. It spoiled me rotten, to become an adult surrounded by all of that luscious produce and foodie opportunity. I managed a microbrewery's kitchen for 6 years, and have SERIOUS opinions about ales, should anyone care for them. Now I'm a home cook primarily, although I do a little catering here and there. My daughter's favorite foods are salmon and broccoli, so I feel as though I've triumphed a bit over the three-year-old beige-food diet. We do, however, eat at McDonald's every Friday after school...it's our little Happy Meal indulgence...and those tiny cheeseburgers are SOOO good. I live with and cook for my mother, as well. I am dating a high school band director, who has actually LOST weight being with me, as he's eating more asparagus and less fast food. I think that size 14 should be the new size 6. I am curvy, healthy, happy and active...and think that excellent foods should be part of everyone's diet. I am active in the "S'Cool Food" movement here, which tries to bring local and sustainable healthy food into school cafeterias. And I love, love, love this website.

Well, I found a great timer today at a hardware store. It's by West Bend and counts down in seconds, minutes, hours...has a stop watch, a strong magnetic backing, large digital display and a loud alarm.

Wish me luck with this one and thanks for all your great suggestions. I'll let you know how it works out.