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Interesting struggle for control of some sort going on there...

What happens when you ask MIL what she would like for dessert?

I have kind of a similar situation with some relatives. After spending lots of time and effort on meal prep, I am now trying the what would you like strategy. Less stressful and mostly more successful so far, even if it means I am making or buying some things I normally wouldn't (one event involved take-out from Subway sandwiches...).

Like sobriquet, I have a stainless steel Cuisinart with attachments (this one is called the SmartStick). It was on my Christmas wish list. I read a lot of reviews before specifying this one. I was a bit concerned that it wouldn't be powerful enough, but this hasn't turned out to be the case at all (~4 months). This one was on sale for $32 (from $50, I think). Some reviewers were recommending Bamix models (start around $100, I think), but I decided to start with the Cuisinart and see if I needed or wanted a higher end model.

I mainly wanted it for pureeing roasted vegetables to turn them into soup. I disliked using and cleaning the blender for this purpose and realized I made soup less often because of it. Or at least, that was my excuse, :).

Since Christmas, I have been making different kinds of roasted veg soups at least once a week. It has just been great! Now even though it's clearly spring and warming up here, I am excited about new vegetables coming to the farmer's market and playing with turning grilled vegetables into soups.

The other frequent use I make of the IB is to puree canned whole tomatoes for various sauces. I used to do this in a mini food processor, but clean up is way faster with the IB.

I still use the blender for some things, as well as the food processor for others. But I find I am using those two appliances even less often with the addition of the IB to the kitchen.

PumpkinBear- I'd encourage you to walk through WF a time or two without planning to buy anything... just simply check it out.

It seems as though the main issue you mention is you get sick of eating the same chicken/pork/beef dishes week in and week out. That's a different issue and perhaps different thread(?) than how is WF. Sounds like you want to expand your list of "go to" dishes...?

I have a great market closer to me than WF. There are a few things that I plan to buy when I'm near the WF, and I love to wander and check things like wines and cheeses out. With wines there are sometimes some great values and/or interesting new things to try. With cheeses I look, but rarely find anything I can't find less expensive or closer to home. If WF was my closest market, I'd probably feel differently. As it is, I'm glad the chain exists, but I don't go far out of my way to go there.

I've been mulling over your comments about the flavors tasting okay separately but not together, and your not loving the flavor of the sausage.

In my research on paellas, one of the key points that stuck with me (if my sources were accurate), is that this dish was a peasant dish, originally done for lunch out in the fields or groves. Workers brought along the shallow lightweight pan, rice and spices, and then used whatever game or animals and vegetables were available that day. They gathered wood and/or vines from the field and built a fire to cook it, and used water not stock.

So the idea of the mixed seafood, sausage and other meats going into one paella pan at one time really wasn't the way it worked. I think many recipes out there just have too many flavors in them and don't come together well. It sounds like that may explain part of your reaction to your paella.

Using stock, like onion, is somewhat controversial. Some think that water only, not stock is what to use.

I'd suggest for your next try, if you find a sausage that you like, try sausage and chicken and chicken stock, and one or two green veg.

Or going the seafood direction- if frozen fish is what you have available, try mahi mahi or halibut, scallops and/or shrimp, and either a seafood stock, or a stock made from the shrimp shells.

I hope you update us as you experiment!

You inspired me last night to try something similar. I stuck a bit closer to traditional risotto method, as anastasia7173 and dee did.

I sauteed an onion in a mix of olive oil, garlic oil, and butter until very soft. Then added 1.5 c of orzo to toast - took 7 or 8 minutes. Meant to put in a 1/2 c of wine at this point but forgot. Then added 4 c hot chicken stock all at once (big difference from risotto), brought to a boil, then turned down to a simmer. After about 12-13 minutes, it was a great texture. I added one t of frozen basil at this point. While this was cooking, I had steamed some spinach and barely warmed some frozen peas, keeping them in separate containers.

I then made 3 small finished versions:
-one with parmesan and ground pepper only;
-one with some spinach, parmesan, pine nuts, ground pepper and a tiny amount of cayenne;
-one with spinach, peas, parmesan and ground pepper.

I did this partly to appeal to different tastes at the table, partly because I was curious. I was happy with all of them.

I could see some version of the dish going well with a roasted chicken, or poached or sauteed shrimp and asparagus (cooking for engineers had a recipe like this).

Thanks for the inspiration!

Jamie Oliver. What a cutie... I mean, his meals look delish! hee hee hee

So many fun choices! I'd love to have Paula Dean come. (She reminds me so much of the lady I grew up next to, whom I remember fondly.) Hey, Paula, bring the boys too! Of course, I'd also love to have Alton Brown or Rachael Ray. Oh, and Tyler Florence! (Could I make it a party with all of them? grin!)

Bobby Flay has my vote hands down! I love his personality and he is a great chef. I don't think anyone else could handle a dinner party as well.

I would hire Rachel Ray. garrettsambo@aol.com

Definitely Bobby Flay