Which do you think is easier?

My Family Living teacher said it was hard to make a really good salad for
one. And by really good I mean assorted greens with all sorts of toppings,
like you might be able to make on a salad bar. And in those days (late
1970's) I think that was true. Because to get all those things you wanted,
you'd have tons of leftovers you would have to either deal with or throw
away.

But these days? You can get bagged salads. You can get more kinds of
tomatoes than just one big beefsteak or a whole container of cherry. Many
stores (at least here) will sell you one rib of celery, three baby carrots,
two crowns of broccoli, etc. That makes it a lot easier.

When I was single I was usually perfectly happy to eat the same thing all
week. I could make a big pot of soup or chili and eat that all week. Sure
I did eat out sometimes. So it wasn't the same thing all seven days. But
if I had to come up with a brand new meal each night just for one, I think
it could be a problem. I know I could do it. It would just take careful
buying and planning. I also did not eat meat or fish (not usually anyway)
in those days. I do know some people who as single people would just stop
at Pike Place Market on their way home from work and buy a piece of meat or
fish, some produce and maybe something prepared. And these days (at least
here), most of the grocery stores now have a butcher counter where you can
buy smaller amounts of seafood or meat. But back when I was single (at
least where I lived) this was not an option. So if I did buy meat, I had to
come up with a plan for it and it often meant making more than I needed and
either inviting friends over, freezing leftovers or coming up with other
ideas for the rest of the week.

Now I usually either cook for 2 or 3. The thing that is gone is being able
to cook just to please myself. What I like to eat is not necessarily what
they like to eat. So I have to come up with things that we either all like
or at least do not dislike. And it can sometimes be tricky to scale a
recipe for 2 or 3 because of the way things are packaged. Which is why I
don't necessarily follow the recipe to the tee. My finished dish might have
a little more sauce (like tonight), a little more meat, a few more veggies.
No big deal. But I always wonder about those families of 5 (and I do know
some) who make Hamburger Helper. That serves 4. What do they do? Give
each person a little less and round out the meal with other things? Make
two packages and hope someone eats the leftovers?

But I think the easiest of all was the times I used to cook for my husband's
extended family. I might be cooking for 12 or 20 people. I could take
advantage of bulk packs of things I wouldn't normally buy. And I really did
think I was saving money per person. Plus it wasn't *that* much more prep
time and work overall. Granted it would depend on what I was fixing. I
never did try to do a turkey dinner with lots of sides. When cooking for
that many I usually did one dish things. Like lasagna, ravioli, roast beef
with potatoes and carrots. And maybe a big tossed salad (FIL had an
excellent garden) and a few other sides, mainly to use up some things my MIL
had that were getting a bit old and needed to be used up.

Also I never had to worry about leftovers when I cooked for that many
people. I just always assumed there would be some. And it was not a
problem because with that many people stopping by, somebody was sure to eat
it.

So what amount of people do you think it is easier to cook for?

On 1/24/2012 8:46 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
> Which do you think is easier?
>
> My Family Living teacher said it was hard to make a really good salad for
> one. And by really good I mean assorted greens with all sorts of toppings,
> like you might be able to make on a salad bar. And in those days (late
> 1970's) I think that was true. Because to get all those things you wanted,
> you'd have tons of leftovers you would have to either deal with or throw
> away.
>
> But these days? You can get bagged salads. You can get more kinds of
> tomatoes than just one big beefsteak or a whole container of cherry. Many
> stores (at least here) will sell you one rib of celery, three baby carrots,
> two crowns of broccoli, etc. That makes it a lot easier.
>
> When I was single I was usually perfectly happy to eat the same thing all
> week. I could make a big pot of soup or chili and eat that all week. Sure
> I did eat out sometimes. So it wasn't the same thing all seven days. But
> if I had to come up with a brand new meal each night just for one, I think
> it could be a problem. I know I could do it. It would just take careful
> buying and planning. I also did not eat meat or fish (not usually anyway)
> in those days. I do know some people who as single people would just stop
> at Pike Place Market on their way home from work and buy a piece of meat or
> fish, some produce and maybe something prepared. And these days (at least
> here), most of the grocery stores now have a butcher counter where you can
> buy smaller amounts of seafood or meat. But back when I was single (at
> least where I lived) this was not an option. So if I did buy meat, I had to
> come up with a plan for it and it often meant making more than I needed and
> either inviting friends over, freezing leftovers or coming up with other
> ideas for the rest of the week.
>
> Now I usually either cook for 2 or 3. The thing that is gone is being able
> to cook just to please myself. What I like to eat is not necessarily what
> they like to eat. So I have to come up with things that we either all like
> or at least do not dislike. And it can sometimes be tricky to scale a
> recipe for 2 or 3 because of the way things are packaged. Which is why I
> don't necessarily follow the recipe to the tee. My finished dish might have
> a little more sauce (like tonight), a little more meat, a few more veggies.
> No big deal. But I always wonder about those families of 5 (and I do know
> some) who make Hamburger Helper. That serves 4. What do they do? Give
> each person a little less and round out the meal with other things? Make
> two packages and hope someone eats the leftovers?
>
> But I think the easiest of all was the times I used to cook for my husband's
> extended family. I might be cooking for 12 or 20 people. I could take
> advantage of bulk packs of things I wouldn't normally buy. And I really did
> think I was saving money per person. Plus it wasn't *that* much more prep
> time and work overall. Granted it would depend on what I was fixing. I
> never did try to do a turkey dinner with lots of sides. When cooking for
> that many I usually did one dish things. Like lasagna, ravioli, roast beef
> with potatoes and carrots. And maybe a big tossed salad (FIL had an
> excellent garden) and a few other sides, mainly to use up some things my MIL
> had that were getting a bit old and needed to be used up.
>
> Also I never had to worry about leftovers when I cooked for that many
> people. I just always assumed there would be some. And it was not a
> problem because with that many people stopping by, somebody was sure to eat
> it.
>
> So what amount of people do you think it is easier to cook for?
>
>
I used to use HH but doctored it, always. Add pasta, modify and add to
the packaged sauce. But I haven't used HH in a long time.

I cook for one, and I have no problems with leftovers. In fact, I plan
for leftovers to use for easy dinners later, or sometimes lunch to take
to work and nuke to heat. I especially like leftover salad that has the
dressing already added because it wilts some parts of the veggies and
permeates into the rest.

I cook for company often and have no problem converting a meal I make
for one plus leftovers to use for many.

I'm not really sure what you're asking.

"Julie Bove" <> Which do you think is easier?
>
> My Family Living teacher said it was hard to make a really good salad for
> one. And by really good I mean assorted greens with all sorts of
> toppings, like you might be able to make on a salad bar. And in those
> days (late 1970's) I think that was true. Because to get all those things
> you wanted, you'd have tons of leftovers you would have to either deal
> with or throw away.
>
> But these days? You can get bagged salads. You can get more kinds of
> tomatoes than just one big beefsteak or a whole container of cherry. Many
> stores (at least here) will sell you one rib of celery, three baby
> carrots, two crowns of broccoli, etc. That makes it a lot easier.
>
> When I was single I was usually perfectly happy to eat the same thing all
> week. I could make a big pot of soup or chili and eat that all week.
> Sure I did eat out sometimes. So it wasn't the same thing all seven days.
> But if I had to come up with a brand new meal each night just for one, I
> think it could be a problem. I know I could do it. It would just take
> careful buying and planning. I also did not eat meat or fish (not usually
> anyway) in those days. I do know some people who as single people would
> just stop at Pike Place Market on their way home from work and buy a piece
> of meat or fish, some produce and maybe something prepared. And these
> days (at least here), most of the grocery stores now have a butcher
> counter where you can buy smaller amounts of seafood or meat. But back
> when I was single (at least where I lived) this was not an option. So if
> I did buy meat, I had to come up with a plan for it and it often meant
> making more than I needed and either inviting friends over, freezing
> leftovers or coming up with other ideas for the rest of the week.
>
> Now I usually either cook for 2 or 3. The thing that is gone is being
> able to cook just to please myself. What I like to eat is not necessarily
> what they like to eat. So I have to come up with things that we either
> all like or at least do not dislike. And it can sometimes be tricky to
> scale a recipe for 2 or 3 because of the way things are packaged. Which
> is why I don't necessarily follow the recipe to the tee. My finished dish
> might have a little more sauce (like tonight), a little more meat, a few
> more veggies. No big deal. But I always wonder about those families of 5
> (and I do know some) who make Hamburger Helper. That serves 4. What do
> they do? Give each person a little less and round out the meal with other
> things? Make two packages and hope someone eats the leftovers?
>
> But I think the easiest of all was the times I used to cook for my
> husband's extended family. I might be cooking for 12 or 20 people. I
> could take advantage of bulk packs of things I wouldn't normally buy. And
> I really did think I was saving money per person. Plus it wasn't *that*
> much more prep time and work overall. Granted it would depend on what I
> was fixing. I never did try to do a turkey dinner with lots of sides.
> When cooking for that many I usually did one dish things. Like lasagna,
> ravioli, roast beef with potatoes and carrots. And maybe a big tossed
> salad (FIL had an excellent garden) and a few other sides, mainly to use
> up some things my MIL had that were getting a bit old and needed to be
> used up.
>
> Also I never had to worry about leftovers when I cooked for that many
> people. I just always assumed there would be some. And it was not a
> problem because with that many people stopping by, somebody was sure to
> eat it.
>
> So what amount of people do you think it is easier to cook for?
I enjoyed your post, Julie. See lots of things to think about. Sure,
cooking for a dozen or twenty is really not much more effort than for two -
and you get to enjoy their company and pleasure in the meal. On the other
hand, leftovers is a good thing. I either quickly chill and refrigerate or
freeze ours. Wonderful to have something that just needs a side and good
bread.
I see something you said that I can give you hope about. You wrote:
" What I like to eat is not necessarily what they like to eat. So I
have to come up with things that we either all like or at least do not
dislike. "
You can change that a little and it may take some time. My sweetheart
'thinks' he hates chicken. He doesn't really. He just hates the way his
moma cooked it. He 'thinks' he hates cheeses that stink but loves my quite
mad pizza creations. Loves!
On the other hand, I hate liver. Ain't gonna eat it if you have a gun
pointed at my head. No way to enhance or persuade me
You just pick your battles. Polly

On Jan 24, 7:57*pm, "Polly Esther" > wrote:
> "Julie Bove" <> Which do you think is easier?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > My Family Living teacher said it was hard to make a really good salad for
> > one. *And by really good I mean assorted greens with all sorts of
> > toppings, like you might be able to make on a salad bar. *And in those
> > days (late 1970's) I think that was true. *Because to get all those things
> > you wanted, you'd have tons of leftovers you would have to either deal
> > with or throw away.
>
> > But these days? *You can get bagged salads. *You can get more kinds of
> > tomatoes than just one big beefsteak or a whole container of cherry. *Many
> > stores (at least here) will sell you one rib of celery, three baby
> > carrots, two crowns of broccoli, etc. *That makes it a lot easier.
>
> > When I was single I was usually perfectly happy to eat the same thing all
> > week. *I could make a big pot of soup or chili and eat that all week.
> > Sure I did eat out sometimes. *So it wasn't the same thing all seven days.
> > But if I had to come up with a brand new meal each night just for one, I
> > think it could be a problem. *I know I could do it. *It would just take
> > careful buying and planning. *I also did not eat meat or fish (not usually
> > anyway) in those days. *I do know some people who as single people would
> > just stop at Pike Place Market on their way home from work and buy a piece
> > of meat or fish, some produce and maybe something prepared. *And these
> > days (at least here), most of the grocery stores now have a butcher
> > counter where you can buy smaller amounts of seafood or meat. *But back
> > when I was single (at least where I lived) this was not an option. *So if
> > I did buy meat, I had to come up with a plan for it and it often meant
> > making more than I needed and either inviting friends over, freezing
> > leftovers or coming up with other ideas for the rest of the week.
>
> > Now I usually either cook for 2 or 3. *The thing that is gone is being
> > able to cook just to please myself. *What I like to eat is not necessarily
> > what they like to eat. *So I have to come up with things that we either
> > all like or at least do not dislike. *And it can sometimes be tricky to
> > scale a recipe for 2 or 3 because of the way things are packaged. *Which
> > is why I don't necessarily follow the recipe to the tee. *My finished dish
> > might have a little more sauce (like tonight), a little more meat, a few
> > more veggies. No big deal. *But I always wonder about those families of 5
> > (and I do know some) who make Hamburger Helper. *That serves 4. *What do
> > they do? *Give each person a little less and round out the meal with other
> > things? *Make two packages and hope someone eats the leftovers?
>
> > But I think the easiest of all was the times I used to cook for my
> > husband's extended family. *I might be cooking for 12 or 20 people. *I
> > could take advantage of bulk packs of things I wouldn't normally buy. *And
> > I really did think I was saving money per person. *Plus it wasn't *that*
> > much more prep time and work overall. *Granted it would depend on what I
> > was fixing. *I never did try to do a turkey dinner with lots of sides..
> > When cooking for that many I usually did one dish things. *Like lasagna,
> > ravioli, roast beef with potatoes and carrots. *And maybe a big tossed
> > salad (FIL had an excellent garden) and a few other sides, mainly to use
> > up some things my MIL had that were getting a bit old and needed to be
> > used up.
>
> > Also I never had to worry about leftovers when I cooked for that many
> > people. *I just always assumed there would be some. *And it was not a
> > problem because with that many people stopping by, somebody was sure to
> > eat it.
>
> > So what amount of people do you think it is easier to cook for?
>
> I enjoyed your post, Julie. *See lots of things to think about. *Sure,
> cooking for a dozen or twenty is really not much more effort than for two -
> and you get to enjoy their company and pleasure in the meal. *On the other
> hand, leftovers is a good thing. *I either quickly chill and refrigerate or
> freeze ours. *Wonderful to have something that just needs a side and good
> bread.
> * * I see something you said that I can give you hope about. *You wrote:
> * * * *" What I like to eat is not necessarily what *they like to eat. *So I
> have to come up with things that we either all like *or at least do not
> dislike. *"
> * * You can change that a little and it may take some time. *My sweetheart
> 'thinks' he hates chicken. *He doesn't really. *He just hates the way his
> moma cooked it. *He 'thinks' he hates cheeses that stink but loves my quite
> mad pizza creations. *Loves!
> * * On the other hand, I hate liver. *Ain't gonna eat it if you have a gun
> pointed at my head. *No way to enhance or persuade me
> * * You just pick your battles. Polly

Polly, you should be a diplomat Does Mr. Ester like liver? If so,
do you cook it for him, or is that one of the things he orders when
you go out? I'm curious as I don't cook things I don't like- tuna
casserole comes to mind first- ICK!!!
Picking your battles is what Jules needs to do!

On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:43:53 -0800 (PST), merryb >
wrote:

> Does Mr. Ester like liver? If so,
> do you cook it for him, or is that one of the things he orders when
> you go out?

I would think so. Now that hubby has gout and won't take the magic
pill for it. He controls his gout by eliminating what triggers it
from his diet; so I order shellfish for me when we eat out.

--

Tell congress not to censor the web. Add your voice here.
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

"Cheryl" > wrote in message
...
> On 1/24/2012 8:46 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
>> Which do you think is easier?
>>
>> My Family Living teacher said it was hard to make a really good salad for
>> one. And by really good I mean assorted greens with all sorts of
>> toppings,
>> like you might be able to make on a salad bar. And in those days (late
>> 1970's) I think that was true. Because to get all those things you
>> wanted,
>> you'd have tons of leftovers you would have to either deal with or throw
>> away.
>>
>> But these days? You can get bagged salads. You can get more kinds of
>> tomatoes than just one big beefsteak or a whole container of cherry.
>> Many
>> stores (at least here) will sell you one rib of celery, three baby
>> carrots,
>> two crowns of broccoli, etc. That makes it a lot easier.
>>
>> When I was single I was usually perfectly happy to eat the same thing all
>> week. I could make a big pot of soup or chili and eat that all week.
>> Sure
>> I did eat out sometimes. So it wasn't the same thing all seven days.
>> But
>> if I had to come up with a brand new meal each night just for one, I
>> think
>> it could be a problem. I know I could do it. It would just take careful
>> buying and planning. I also did not eat meat or fish (not usually
>> anyway)
>> in those days. I do know some people who as single people would just
>> stop
>> at Pike Place Market on their way home from work and buy a piece of meat
>> or
>> fish, some produce and maybe something prepared. And these days (at
>> least
>> here), most of the grocery stores now have a butcher counter where you
>> can
>> buy smaller amounts of seafood or meat. But back when I was single (at
>> least where I lived) this was not an option. So if I did buy meat, I had
>> to
>> come up with a plan for it and it often meant making more than I needed
>> and
>> either inviting friends over, freezing leftovers or coming up with other
>> ideas for the rest of the week.
>>
>> Now I usually either cook for 2 or 3. The thing that is gone is being
>> able
>> to cook just to please myself. What I like to eat is not necessarily
>> what
>> they like to eat. So I have to come up with things that we either all
>> like
>> or at least do not dislike. And it can sometimes be tricky to scale a
>> recipe for 2 or 3 because of the way things are packaged. Which is why I
>> don't necessarily follow the recipe to the tee. My finished dish might
>> have
>> a little more sauce (like tonight), a little more meat, a few more
>> veggies.
>> No big deal. But I always wonder about those families of 5 (and I do
>> know
>> some) who make Hamburger Helper. That serves 4. What do they do? Give
>> each person a little less and round out the meal with other things? Make
>> two packages and hope someone eats the leftovers?
>>
>> But I think the easiest of all was the times I used to cook for my
>> husband's
>> extended family. I might be cooking for 12 or 20 people. I could take
>> advantage of bulk packs of things I wouldn't normally buy. And I really
>> did
>> think I was saving money per person. Plus it wasn't *that* much more
>> prep
>> time and work overall. Granted it would depend on what I was fixing. I
>> never did try to do a turkey dinner with lots of sides. When cooking for
>> that many I usually did one dish things. Like lasagna, ravioli, roast
>> beef
>> with potatoes and carrots. And maybe a big tossed salad (FIL had an
>> excellent garden) and a few other sides, mainly to use up some things my
>> MIL
>> had that were getting a bit old and needed to be used up.
>>
>> Also I never had to worry about leftovers when I cooked for that many
>> people. I just always assumed there would be some. And it was not a
>> problem because with that many people stopping by, somebody was sure to
>> eat
>> it.
>>
>> So what amount of people do you think it is easier to cook for?
>>
>>
> I used to use HH but doctored it, always. Add pasta, modify and add to the
> packaged sauce. But I haven't used HH in a long time.
>
> I cook for one, and I have no problems with leftovers. In fact, I plan
> for leftovers to use for easy dinners later, or sometimes lunch to take to
> work and nuke to heat. I especially like leftover salad that has the
> dressing already added because it wilts some parts of the veggies and
> permeates into the rest.
>
> I cook for company often and have no problem converting a meal I make for
> one plus leftovers to use for many.
>
> I'm not really sure what you're asking.

Just asking for opinions. I didn't feel it was hard to cook for just me
because I like to eat the same thing day after day. If I had to come up
with a new meal each day just for me and have to go through all the work of
chopping, slicing, washing, whatever just for a meal for one, I wouldn't
like it. I also wouldn't bother trying to make leftovers into something
just for me. Like cooking a large piece of meat and then using the rest of
it to make soup or chili. But I know people do this.

It just seems when I cook for say 12-20 it is a lot easier than cooking for
just 2 or 3. Because it isn't that much more work and I am feeding far more
people.

"Polly Esther" > wrote in message
...
> "Julie Bove" <> Which do you think is easier?
>>
>> My Family Living teacher said it was hard to make a really good salad for
>> one. And by really good I mean assorted greens with all sorts of
>> toppings, like you might be able to make on a salad bar. And in those
>> days (late 1970's) I think that was true. Because to get all those
>> things you wanted, you'd have tons of leftovers you would have to either
>> deal with or throw away.
>>
>> But these days? You can get bagged salads. You can get more kinds of
>> tomatoes than just one big beefsteak or a whole container of cherry.
>> Many stores (at least here) will sell you one rib of celery, three baby
>> carrots, two crowns of broccoli, etc. That makes it a lot easier.
>>
>> When I was single I was usually perfectly happy to eat the same thing all
>> week. I could make a big pot of soup or chili and eat that all week.
>> Sure I did eat out sometimes. So it wasn't the same thing all seven
>> days. But if I had to come up with a brand new meal each night just for
>> one, I think it could be a problem. I know I could do it. It would just
>> take careful buying and planning. I also did not eat meat or fish (not
>> usually anyway) in those days. I do know some people who as single
>> people would just stop at Pike Place Market on their way home from work
>> and buy a piece of meat or fish, some produce and maybe something
>> prepared. And these days (at least here), most of the grocery stores now
>> have a butcher counter where you can buy smaller amounts of seafood or
>> meat. But back when I was single (at least where I lived) this was not
>> an option. So if I did buy meat, I had to come up with a plan for it and
>> it often meant making more than I needed and either inviting friends
>> over, freezing leftovers or coming up with other ideas for the rest of
>> the week.
>>
>> Now I usually either cook for 2 or 3. The thing that is gone is being
>> able to cook just to please myself. What I like to eat is not
>> necessarily what they like to eat. So I have to come up with things that
>> we either all like or at least do not dislike. And it can sometimes be
>> tricky to scale a recipe for 2 or 3 because of the way things are
>> packaged. Which is why I don't necessarily follow the recipe to the tee.
>> My finished dish might have a little more sauce (like tonight), a little
>> more meat, a few more veggies. No big deal. But I always wonder about
>> those families of 5 (and I do know some) who make Hamburger Helper. That
>> serves 4. What do they do? Give each person a little less and round out
>> the meal with other things? Make two packages and hope someone eats the
>> leftovers?
>>
>> But I think the easiest of all was the times I used to cook for my
>> husband's extended family. I might be cooking for 12 or 20 people. I
>> could take advantage of bulk packs of things I wouldn't normally buy.
>> And I really did think I was saving money per person. Plus it wasn't
>> *that* much more prep time and work overall. Granted it would depend on
>> what I was fixing. I never did try to do a turkey dinner with lots of
>> sides. When cooking for that many I usually did one dish things. Like
>> lasagna, ravioli, roast beef with potatoes and carrots. And maybe a big
>> tossed salad (FIL had an excellent garden) and a few other sides, mainly
>> to use up some things my MIL had that were getting a bit old and needed
>> to be used up.
>>
>> Also I never had to worry about leftovers when I cooked for that many
>> people. I just always assumed there would be some. And it was not a
>> problem because with that many people stopping by, somebody was sure to
>> eat it.
>>
>> So what amount of people do you think it is easier to cook for?
> I enjoyed your post, Julie. See lots of things to think about. Sure,
> cooking for a dozen or twenty is really not much more effort than for
> two - and you get to enjoy their company and pleasure in the meal. On the
> other hand, leftovers is a good thing. I either quickly chill and
> refrigerate or freeze ours. Wonderful to have something that just needs a
> side and good bread.
> I see something you said that I can give you hope about. You wrote:
> " What I like to eat is not necessarily what they like to eat. So
> I have to come up with things that we either all like or at least do not
> dislike. "
> You can change that a little and it may take some time. My sweetheart
> 'thinks' he hates chicken. He doesn't really. He just hates the way his
> moma cooked it. He 'thinks' he hates cheeses that stink but loves my
> quite mad pizza creations. Loves!
> On the other hand, I hate liver. Ain't gonna eat it if you have a gun
> pointed at my head. No way to enhance or persuade me
> You just pick your battles. Polly

Well I know I dislike chicken. I don't really like meat in general. But
chicken is one of my least favorites and it is my daughter's very favorite!
I don't really mind it so much if it is chopped up very well and mixed into
something like a soup or stew or some kind of casserole. Or even into a
gravy over pasta or mashed potatoes. But I dislike having to eat a big
piece of chicken. I just don't want to eat it.

My daughter dislikes beef. Which is my husband's favorite and if I have to
eat meat, my favorite. I would be a vegetarian except that I keep getting
anemia when I don't eat meat. I see the specialist at the end of the week
and I may be able to shed more light on that. Or maybe not. Anyway... The
way I treat chicken to be able to get myself to eat it does not work for her
with beef. She will eat all around the beef and only eat the pasta or the
vegetables or whatever. She just does not like it.

I was a vegetarian when she was little so I didn't feed her a lot of meat.
I don't know if that has anything to do with it or not. My mom said I ate a
lot of meat as a young child. Less and less of it as I grew older because I
realized that my stomach didn't feel well when I ate it. But we also had
vegetarian meals at least once a week, sometimes much more frequently
because when times were lean, meat was the first thing we gave up.

My mom didn't use many seasonings when she cooked. I grew up mostly eating
plain foods with no sauces. My parents are both picky eaters. But my mom
also didn't like to cook so when we could afford it, we ate out a lot. Not
fast food so much. Sit down places. I learned to cook at an early age and
by age 12 was making most of the family meals. But even then we did eat out
a lot.

merryb wrote:
> On Jan 24, 7:57 pm, "Polly Esther" > wrote:
>> "Julie Bove" <> Which do you think is easier?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> My Family Living teacher said it was hard to make a really good
>>> salad for one. And by really good I mean assorted greens with all
>>> sorts of toppings, like you might be able to make on a salad bar.
>>> And in those days (late 1970's) I think that was true. Because to
>>> get all those things you wanted, you'd have tons of leftovers you
>>> would have to either deal with or throw away.
>>
>>> But these days? You can get bagged salads. You can get more kinds of
>>> tomatoes than just one big beefsteak or a whole container of
>>> cherry. Many stores (at least here) will sell you one rib of
>>> celery, three baby carrots, two crowns of broccoli, etc. That makes
>>> it a lot easier.
>>
>>> When I was single I was usually perfectly happy to eat the same
>>> thing all week. I could make a big pot of soup or chili and eat
>>> that all week.
>>> Sure I did eat out sometimes. So it wasn't the same thing all seven
>>> days. But if I had to come up with a brand new meal each night just
>>> for one, I think it could be a problem. I know I could do it. It
>>> would just take careful buying and planning. I also did not eat
>>> meat or fish (not usually anyway) in those days. I do know some
>>> people who as single people would just stop at Pike Place Market on
>>> their way home from work and buy a piece of meat or fish, some
>>> produce and maybe something prepared. And these days (at least
>>> here), most of the grocery stores now have a butcher counter where
>>> you can buy smaller amounts of seafood or meat. But back when I was
>>> single (at least where I lived) this was not an option. So if I did
>>> buy meat, I had to come up with a plan for it and it often meant
>>> making more than I needed and either inviting friends over,
>>> freezing leftovers or coming up with other ideas for the rest of
>>> the week.
>>
>>> Now I usually either cook for 2 or 3. The thing that is gone is
>>> being able to cook just to please myself. What I like to eat is not
>>> necessarily what they like to eat. So I have to come up with things
>>> that we either all like or at least do not dislike. And it can
>>> sometimes be tricky to scale a recipe for 2 or 3 because of the way
>>> things are packaged. Which is why I don't necessarily follow the
>>> recipe to the tee. My finished dish might have a little more sauce
>>> (like tonight), a little more meat, a few more veggies. No big
>>> deal. But I always wonder about those families of 5 (and I do know
>>> some) who make Hamburger Helper. That serves 4. What do they do?
>>> Give each person a little less and round out the meal with other
>>> things? Make two packages and hope someone eats the leftovers?
>>
>>> But I think the easiest of all was the times I used to cook for my
>>> husband's extended family. I might be cooking for 12 or 20 people. I
>>> could take advantage of bulk packs of things I wouldn't normally
>>> buy. And I really did think I was saving money per person. Plus it
>>> wasn't *that* much more prep time and work overall. Granted it
>>> would depend on what I was fixing. I never did try to do a turkey
>>> dinner with lots of sides. When cooking for that many I usually did
>>> one dish things. Like lasagna, ravioli, roast beef with potatoes
>>> and carrots. And maybe a big tossed salad (FIL had an excellent
>>> garden) and a few other sides, mainly to use up some things my MIL
>>> had that were getting a bit old and needed to be used up.
>>
>>> Also I never had to worry about leftovers when I cooked for that
>>> many people. I just always assumed there would be some. And it was
>>> not a problem because with that many people stopping by, somebody
>>> was sure to eat it.
>>
>>> So what amount of people do you think it is easier to cook for?
>>
>> I enjoyed your post, Julie. See lots of things to think about. Sure,
>> cooking for a dozen or twenty is really not much more effort than
>> for two - and you get to enjoy their company and pleasure in the
>> meal. On the other hand, leftovers is a good thing. I either quickly
>> chill and refrigerate or freeze ours. Wonderful to have something
>> that just needs a side and good bread.
>> I see something you said that I can give you hope about. You wrote:
>> " What I like to eat is not necessarily what they like to eat. So I
>> have to come up with things that we either all like or at least do
>> not dislike. "
>> You can change that a little and it may take some time. My sweetheart
>> 'thinks' he hates chicken. He doesn't really. He just hates the way
>> his moma cooked it. He 'thinks' he hates cheeses that stink but
>> loves my quite mad pizza creations. Loves!
>> On the other hand, I hate liver. Ain't gonna eat it if you have a gun
>> pointed at my head. No way to enhance or persuade me
>> You just pick your battles. Polly
>
> Polly, you should be a diplomat Does Mr. Ester like liver? If so,
> do you cook it for him, or is that one of the things he orders when
> you go out? I'm curious as I don't cook things I don't like- tuna
> casserole comes to mind first- ICK!!!
> Picking your battles is what Jules needs to do!

Your standard tuna casserole is one thing we all like. Tuna, noodles, peas,
cream of mushroom soup. But due to our food allergies, we can't have that.
I have tried a variety of ways to amend it but it just doesn't taste very
good to me. My daughter likes any of the ways I have made it but my husband
does not. I just got some gluten free cream of mushroom soup so I will see
how that works.

sf wrote:
> On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:43:53 -0800 (PST), merryb >
> wrote:
>
>> Does Mr. Ester like liver? If so,
>> do you cook it for him, or is that one of the things he orders when
>> you go out?
>
> I would think so. Now that hubby has gout and won't take the magic
> pill for it. He controls his gout by eliminating what triggers it
> from his diet; so I order shellfish for me when we eat out.

My husband has gout too. I know what sort of diet he should follow. His
dad had it and I used to cook for him. Alas my husband's favorite foods are
the worst ones for it and he is the opposite of yours. Prefers to eat what
he wants and take the pill. Which doesn't seem to work at all.

On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:16:06 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

> Alas my husband's favorite foods are
> the worst ones for it and he is the opposite of yours.

Isn't that the way it is with food allergies? You crave what you
can't have.

> Prefers to eat what
> he wants and take the pill. Which doesn't seem to work at all.

One of these days he'll get tired of the pain.

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On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:14:39 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

> Your standard tuna casserole is one thing we all like. Tuna, noodles, peas,
> cream of mushroom soup. But due to our food allergies, we can't have that.
> I have tried a variety of ways to amend it but it just doesn't taste very
> good to me. My daughter likes any of the ways I have made it but my husband
> does not. I just got some gluten free cream of mushroom soup so I will see
> how that works.

Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch using
a gluten free flour or heavy cream?

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"sf" > wrote in message
news
> On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:16:06 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> > wrote:
>
>> Alas my husband's favorite foods are
>> the worst ones for it and he is the opposite of yours.
>
> Isn't that the way it is with food allergies? You crave what you
> can't have.
>
>> Prefers to eat what
>> he wants and take the pill. Which doesn't seem to work at all.
>
> One of these days he'll get tired of the pain.

I doubt that.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:14:39 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> > wrote:
>
>> Your standard tuna casserole is one thing we all like. Tuna, noodles,
>> peas,
>> cream of mushroom soup. But due to our food allergies, we can't have
>> that.
>> I have tried a variety of ways to amend it but it just doesn't taste very
>> good to me. My daughter likes any of the ways I have made it but my
>> husband
>> does not. I just got some gluten free cream of mushroom soup so I will
>> see
>> how that works.
>
> Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch using
> a gluten free flour or heavy cream?

Yeah. No flavor. It really needs the mushrooms I think.

When I made as a kid I could use either the cream of mushroom soup or a
white sauce. Either one tasted fine. But I was using wheat flour and wheat
based egg pasta both of which have flavor. Now I use sweet rice flour which
thickens but really doesn't add any taste. And I use rice and quinoa pasta
because it seems to hold up best for reheating but doesn't have much flavor
either. I do add much more tuna than I used to partly for flavor and partly
because we need to eat less carbs.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:39:38 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:14:39 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> > > wrote:
> >
> >> Your standard tuna casserole is one thing we all like. Tuna, noodles,
> >> peas,
> >> cream of mushroom soup. But due to our food allergies, we can't have
> >> that.
> >> I have tried a variety of ways to amend it but it just doesn't taste very
> >> good to me. My daughter likes any of the ways I have made it but my
> >> husband
> >> does not. I just got some gluten free cream of mushroom soup so I will
> >> see
> >> how that works.
> >
> > Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch using
> > a gluten free flour or heavy cream?
>
> Yeah. No flavor. It really needs the mushrooms I think.

What's stopping you from adding fresh mushrooms?
>
> When I made as a kid I could use either the cream of mushroom soup or a
> white sauce. Either one tasted fine. But I was using wheat flour and wheat
> based egg pasta both of which have flavor. Now I use sweet rice flour which
> thickens but really doesn't add any taste. And I use rice and quinoa pasta
> because it seems to hold up best for reheating but doesn't have much flavor
> either. I do add much more tuna than I used to partly for flavor and partly
> because we need to eat less carbs.
>

I'd use a combination of broth and milk or cream if I thought I needed
more flavor.

My son brought over what I think was a tuna noodle casserole. I don't
make that stuff so I didn't recognize if it was tuna or something
else. My DIL uses gluten free pasta but there was too little sauce
and it was dry, so I made more sauce today and added some cheese to
it. I made a regular milk based white sauce, sautéed up mushrooms &
onions separately and added them to the white sauce with some shredded
4 cheese mix and an unknown type of semi hard cheese that is lurking
in the vegetable bin. Now the "whatever it is" tastes a lot better.

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On 1/25/2012 5:10 AM, sf wrote:
> > wrote:
>> > wrote in message
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Your standard tuna casserole is one thing we all like. Tuna, noodles,
>>>> peas,
>>>> cream of mushroom soup. But due to our food allergies, we can't have
>>>> that.
>>>> I have tried a variety of ways to amend it but it just doesn't taste very
>>>> good to me. My daughter likes any of the ways I have made it but my
>>>> husband
>>>> does not. I just got some gluten free cream of mushroom soup so I will
>>>> see
>>>> how that works.
>>>
>>> Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch using
>>> a gluten free flour or heavy cream?
>>
>> Yeah. No flavor. It really needs the mushrooms I think.
>
> What's stopping you from adding fresh mushrooms?
>
Or rehydrating dried ones. I always keep a supply of dried ones in the
pantry.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:39:38 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>> "sf" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:14:39 -0800, "Julie Bove"
>> > > wrote:
>> >
>> >> Your standard tuna casserole is one thing we all like. Tuna, noodles,
>> >> peas,
>> >> cream of mushroom soup. But due to our food allergies, we can't have
>> >> that.
>> >> I have tried a variety of ways to amend it but it just doesn't taste
>> >> very
>> >> good to me. My daughter likes any of the ways I have made it but my
>> >> husband
>> >> does not. I just got some gluten free cream of mushroom soup so I
>> >> will
>> >> see
>> >> how that works.
>> >
>> > Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch using
>> > a gluten free flour or heavy cream?
>>
>> Yeah. No flavor. It really needs the mushrooms I think.
>
> What's stopping you from adding fresh mushrooms?

I did. But something just didn't taste right.
>>
>> When I made as a kid I could use either the cream of mushroom soup or a
>> white sauce. Either one tasted fine. But I was using wheat flour and
>> wheat
>> based egg pasta both of which have flavor. Now I use sweet rice flour
>> which
>> thickens but really doesn't add any taste. And I use rice and quinoa
>> pasta
>> because it seems to hold up best for reheating but doesn't have much
>> flavor
>> either. I do add much more tuna than I used to partly for flavor and
>> partly
>> because we need to eat less carbs.
>>
>
> I'd use a combination of broth and milk or cream if I thought I needed
> more flavor.

What kind of broth?
>
> My son brought over what I think was a tuna noodle casserole. I don't
> make that stuff so I didn't recognize if it was tuna or something
> else. My DIL uses gluten free pasta but there was too little sauce
> and it was dry, so I made more sauce today and added some cheese to
> it. I made a regular milk based white sauce, sautéed up mushrooms &
> onions separately and added them to the white sauce with some shredded
> 4 cheese mix and an unknown type of semi hard cheese that is lurking
> in the vegetable bin. Now the "whatever it is" tastes a lot better.

I added cheese to mine the last time but it seemed to just suck it all up
and you couldn't tell it was in there. Originally I did try to make mine
dairy free but that just flopped for me. Daughter was fine with it.

"S Viemeister" > wrote in message
...
> On 1/25/2012 5:10 AM, sf wrote:
>> > wrote:
>>> > wrote in message
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Your standard tuna casserole is one thing we all like. Tuna, noodles,
>>>>> peas,
>>>>> cream of mushroom soup. But due to our food allergies, we can't have
>>>>> that.
>>>>> I have tried a variety of ways to amend it but it just doesn't taste
>>>>> very
>>>>> good to me. My daughter likes any of the ways I have made it but my
>>>>> husband
>>>>> does not. I just got some gluten free cream of mushroom soup so I
>>>>> will
>>>>> see
>>>>> how that works.
>>>>
>>>> Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch using
>>>> a gluten free flour or heavy cream?
>>>
>>> Yeah. No flavor. It really needs the mushrooms I think.
>>
>> What's stopping you from adding fresh mushrooms?
>>
> Or rehydrating dried ones. I always keep a supply of dried ones in the
> pantry.

I did that too. I made a white sauce, thickened it with dried mushrooms
that had been powdered in my magic bullet and added fresh chopped. The
taste just wasn't the same as the condensed cream soup. It was just very
bland. I added onions and celery too.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:59:09 -0500, S Viemeister
> wrote:

> On 1/25/2012 5:10 AM, sf wrote:
> > > wrote:
> >> > wrote in message
> >>>
> >>> Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch using
> >>> a gluten free flour or heavy cream?
> >>
> >> Yeah. No flavor. It really needs the mushrooms I think.
> >
> > What's stopping you from adding fresh mushrooms?
> >
> Or rehydrating dried ones. I always keep a supply of dried ones in the
> pantry.

You wouldn't believe how many dried I have in the cupboards, but fresh
is so readily available - we can use fresh button or crimini any time
we want at $2 a pound.

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On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:35:01 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

>
> "S Viemeister" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On 1/25/2012 5:10 AM, sf wrote:
> >> > wrote:
> >>> > wrote in message
> >>>> > wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> Your standard tuna casserole is one thing we all like. Tuna, noodles,
> >>>>> peas,
> >>>>> cream of mushroom soup. But due to our food allergies, we can't have
> >>>>> that.
> >>>>> I have tried a variety of ways to amend it but it just doesn't taste
> >>>>> very
> >>>>> good to me. My daughter likes any of the ways I have made it but my
> >>>>> husband
> >>>>> does not. I just got some gluten free cream of mushroom soup so I
> >>>>> will
> >>>>> see
> >>>>> how that works.
> >>>>
> >>>> Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch using
> >>>> a gluten free flour or heavy cream?
> >>>
> >>> Yeah. No flavor. It really needs the mushrooms I think.
> >>
> >> What's stopping you from adding fresh mushrooms?
> >>
> > Or rehydrating dried ones. I always keep a supply of dried ones in the
> > pantry.
>
> I did that too. I made a white sauce, thickened it with dried mushrooms
> that had been powdered in my magic bullet and added fresh chopped. The
> taste just wasn't the same as the condensed cream soup. It was just very
> bland. I added onions and celery too.
>
I doubt anything will taste the same, but it might taste better.
Don't you use any seasonings? Salt, pepper, garlic (in everything but
dessert for me), Worcestershire, and of course dry sherry... sometimes
even thyme. My white sauce for creamed chicken last night had a
mixture of sage and thyme plus everything else.

--

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On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:33:50 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:39:38 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> "sf" > wrote in message
> >> ...

> >> > Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch using
> >> > a gluten free flour or heavy cream?
> >>
> >> Yeah. No flavor. It really needs the mushrooms I think.
> >
> > What's stopping you from adding fresh mushrooms?
>
> I did. But something just didn't taste right.

Saute them first in butter or a mixture of oil and butter and salt is
a must. You probably needed a pinch more if you used some.
> >>
> >>
> >
> > I'd use a combination of broth and milk or cream if I thought I needed
> > more flavor.
>
> What kind of broth?

Vegetable or chicken... I read labels and buy the one with the lowest
sodium content.
> >
> > I made more sauce today and added some cheese to
> > it. I made a regular milk based white sauce, sautéed up mushrooms &
> > onions separately and added them to the white sauce with some shredded
> > 4 cheese mix and an unknown type of semi hard cheese that is lurking
> > in the vegetable bin. Now the "whatever it is" tastes a lot better.
>
> I added cheese to mine the last time but it seemed to just suck it all up
> and you couldn't tell it was in there. Originally I did try to make mine
> dairy free but that just flopped for me. Daughter was fine with it.
>
I have no idea what cheese you used, but that was most likely the
problem. Use one that has some flavor. I didn't measure, but it was
1/4-1/3 cup to 1-2 cups of sauce. I kept adding it until I tasted
cheese, but not overwhelming... I don't use cheese in the mass
quantities that they show on a Denny's menu.

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On 1/25/2012 12:44 PM, sf wrote:
> > wrote:
>> On 1/25/2012 5:10 AM, sf wrote:
>>> > wrote:
>>>> > wrote in message
>>>>> Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch using
>>>>> a gluten free flour or heavy cream?
>>>>
>>>> Yeah. No flavor. It really needs the mushrooms I think.
>>>
>>> What's stopping you from adding fresh mushrooms?
>>>
>> Or rehydrating dried ones. I always keep a supply of dried ones in the
>> pantry.
>
> You wouldn't believe how many dried I have in the cupboards, but fresh
> is so readily available - we can use fresh button or crimini any time
> we want at $2 a pound.
>
I generally prefer fresh stuff, but find it useful to have dehydrated -
it takes up very little space, and requires neither freezing nor
refrigeration. Mushrooms, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, parsley;
tinned/canned basics; rice and dried pasta/noodles - all very handy if
we're snowed in or can't go shopping for any reason.

On Jan 25, 9:47*am, sf > wrote:
> On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:35:01 -0800, "Julie Bove"
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > wrote:
>
> > "S Viemeister" > wrote in message
> ...
> > > On 1/25/2012 5:10 AM, sf wrote:
> > >> > *wrote:
> > >>> > *wrote in message
> > >>>> > *wrote:
>
> > >>>>> Your standard tuna casserole is one thing we all like. *Tuna, noodles,
> > >>>>> peas,
> > >>>>> cream of mushroom soup. *But due to our food allergies, we can't have
> > >>>>> that.
> > >>>>> I have tried a variety of ways to amend it but it just doesn't taste
> > >>>>> very
> > >>>>> good to me. *My daughter likes any of the ways I have made it but my
> > >>>>> husband
> > >>>>> does not. *I just got some gluten free cream of mushroom soup so I
> > >>>>> will
> > >>>>> see
> > >>>>> how that works.
>
> > >>>> Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch using
> > >>>> a gluten free flour or heavy cream?
>
> > >>> Yeah. *No flavor. *It really needs the mushrooms I think.
>
> > >> What's stopping you from adding fresh mushrooms?
>
> > > Or rehydrating dried ones. I always keep a supply of dried ones in the
> > > pantry.
>
> > I did that too. *I made a white sauce, thickened it with dried mushrooms
> > that had been powdered in my magic bullet and added fresh chopped. *The
> > taste just wasn't the same as the condensed cream soup. *It was just very
> > bland. *I added onions and celery too.
>
> I doubt anything will taste the same, but it might taste better.
> Don't you use any seasonings? *Salt, pepper, garlic (in everything but
> dessert for me), Worcestershire, and of course dry sherry... sometimes
> even thyme. *My white sauce for creamed chicken last night had a
> mixture of sage and thyme plus everything else.
>
> --
>
> Tell congress not to censor the web. *Add your voice here.https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

A bit of lemon juice would help brighten it up also...

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:35:01 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>> "S Viemeister" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > On 1/25/2012 5:10 AM, sf wrote:
>> >> > wrote:
>> >>> > wrote in message
>> >>>> > wrote:
>> >>>>
>> >>>>> Your standard tuna casserole is one thing we all like. Tuna,
>> >>>>> noodles,
>> >>>>> peas,
>> >>>>> cream of mushroom soup. But due to our food allergies, we can't
>> >>>>> have
>> >>>>> that.
>> >>>>> I have tried a variety of ways to amend it but it just doesn't
>> >>>>> taste
>> >>>>> very
>> >>>>> good to me. My daughter likes any of the ways I have made it but
>> >>>>> my
>> >>>>> husband
>> >>>>> does not. I just got some gluten free cream of mushroom soup so I
>> >>>>> will
>> >>>>> see
>> >>>>> how that works.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from scratch
>> >>>> using
>> >>>> a gluten free flour or heavy cream?
>> >>>
>> >>> Yeah. No flavor. It really needs the mushrooms I think.
>> >>
>> >> What's stopping you from adding fresh mushrooms?
>> >>
>> > Or rehydrating dried ones. I always keep a supply of dried ones in the
>> > pantry.
>>
>> I did that too. I made a white sauce, thickened it with dried mushrooms
>> that had been powdered in my magic bullet and added fresh chopped. The
>> taste just wasn't the same as the condensed cream soup. It was just very
>> bland. I added onions and celery too.
>>
> I doubt anything will taste the same, but it might taste better.
> Don't you use any seasonings? Salt, pepper, garlic (in everything but
> dessert for me), Worcestershire, and of course dry sherry... sometimes
> even thyme. My white sauce for creamed chicken last night had a
> mixture of sage and thyme plus everything else.

I did use salt and pepper. I don't like garlic or Worcestershire.
Daughter won't use any form of alcohol, but I will try the thyme.

merryb wrote:
> On Jan 25, 9:47 am, sf > wrote:
>> On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:35:01 -0800, "Julie Bove"
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> "S Viemeister" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> On 1/25/2012 5:10 AM, sf wrote:
>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>> > wrote in message
>>>>>>> > wrote:
>>
>>>>>>>> Your standard tuna casserole is one thing we all like. Tuna,
>>>>>>>> noodles, peas,
>>>>>>>> cream of mushroom soup. But due to our food allergies, we
>>>>>>>> can't have that.
>>>>>>>> I have tried a variety of ways to amend it but it just doesn't
>>>>>>>> taste very
>>>>>>>> good to me. My daughter likes any of the ways I have made it
>>>>>>>> but my husband
>>>>>>>> does not. I just got some gluten free cream of mushroom soup
>>>>>>>> so I will
>>>>>>>> see
>>>>>>>> how that works.
>>
>>>>>>> Have you tried skipping the soup part and making it from
>>>>>>> scratch using a gluten free flour or heavy cream?
>>
>>>>>> Yeah. No flavor. It really needs the mushrooms I think.
>>
>>>>> What's stopping you from adding fresh mushrooms?
>>
>>>> Or rehydrating dried ones. I always keep a supply of dried ones in
>>>> the pantry.
>>
>>> I did that too. I made a white sauce, thickened it with dried
>>> mushrooms that had been powdered in my magic bullet and added fresh
>>> chopped. The taste just wasn't the same as the condensed cream
>>> soup. It was just very bland. I added onions and celery too.
>>
>> I doubt anything will taste the same, but it might taste better.
>> Don't you use any seasonings? Salt, pepper, garlic (in everything but
>> dessert for me), Worcestershire, and of course dry sherry...
>> sometimes
>> even thyme. My white sauce for creamed chicken last night had a
>> mixture of sage and thyme plus everything else.
>>
>> --
>>
>> Tell congress not to censor the web. Add your voice
>> here.https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/
>
> A bit of lemon juice would help brighten it up also...

Thanks.

On 1/25/2012 1:00 PM, S Viemeister wrote:
>>
> I generally prefer fresh stuff, but find it useful to have dehydrated -
> it takes up very little space, and requires neither freezing nor
> refrigeration. Mushrooms, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, parsley;
> tinned/canned basics; rice and dried pasta/noodles - all very handy if
> we're snowed in or can't go shopping for any reason.

I've never seen dehy celery or some of the others you mentioned. Does
it reconstitute similar to fresh or is it powdered?

On 1/25/2012 7:16 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> On 1/25/2012 1:00 PM, S Viemeister wrote:
>>>
>> I generally prefer fresh stuff, but find it useful to have dehydrated -
>> it takes up very little space, and requires neither freezing nor
>> refrigeration. Mushrooms, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, parsley;
>> tinned/canned basics; rice and dried pasta/noodles - all very handy if
>> we're snowed in or can't go shopping for any reason.
>
> I've never seen dehy celery or some of the others you mentioned. Does it
> reconstitute similar to fresh or is it powdered?
>
It's chopped, rather than powdered. It's fine in soups, stews, and
stuffings, but I've never tried it in something like tuna or egg salad.
Once reconstituted, it's rather limp, compared to the fresh stuff.

Cheryl wrote:
>S Viemeister wrote:
>>>
>> I generally prefer fresh stuff, but find it useful to have dehydrated -
>> it takes up very little space, and requires neither freezing nor
>> refrigeration. Mushrooms, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, parsley;
>> tinned/canned basics; rice and dried pasta/noodles - all very handy if
>> we're snowed in or can't go shopping for any reason.
>
>I've never seen dehy celery or some of the others you mentioned. Does
>it reconstitute similar to fresh or is it powdered?

Penzeys sells dehy celery, good to have on hand for those times you
don't have fresh or what you have has turned to mush... works fine
cooked in soups/stews, not good for fresh or stir fried.

"Cheryl" > wrote in message
...
> On 1/25/2012 1:00 PM, S Viemeister wrote:
>>>
>> I generally prefer fresh stuff, but find it useful to have dehydrated -
>> it takes up very little space, and requires neither freezing nor
>> refrigeration. Mushrooms, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, parsley;
>> tinned/canned basics; rice and dried pasta/noodles - all very handy if
>> we're snowed in or can't go shopping for any reason.
>
> I've never seen dehy celery or some of the others you mentioned. Does it
> reconstitute similar to fresh or is it powdered?

I buy dehydrated celery for the winter if I need some and can't get out.
You can get the leaves or you can get the leaves and celery. I prefer the
latter but will take the former if I can't get that. Great for adding to
soups.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:48:12 -0500, S Viemeister
> wrote:

> On 1/25/2012 7:16 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> > On 1/25/2012 1:00 PM, S Viemeister wrote:
> >>>
> >
> > I've never seen dehy celery or some of the others you mentioned. Does it
> > reconstitute similar to fresh or is it powdered?
> >
> It's chopped, rather than powdered. It's fine in soups, stews, and
> stuffings, but I've never tried it in something like tuna or egg salad.
> Once reconstituted, it's rather limp, compared to the fresh stuff.

I've seen a mixture of various dried vegetables but I don't recall
seeing individual types of dried vegetables sold separately at the
grocery store with the exception of dried onion.

--

Tell congress not to censor the web. Add your voice here.
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:48:12 -0500, S Viemeister
> > wrote:
>
>> On 1/25/2012 7:16 PM, Cheryl wrote:
>> > On 1/25/2012 1:00 PM, S Viemeister wrote:
>> >>>
>> >
>> > I've never seen dehy celery or some of the others you mentioned. Does
>> > it
>> > reconstitute similar to fresh or is it powdered?
>> >
>> It's chopped, rather than powdered. It's fine in soups, stews, and
>> stuffings, but I've never tried it in something like tuna or egg salad.
>> Once reconstituted, it's rather limp, compared to the fresh stuff.
>
> I've seen a mixture of various dried vegetables but I don't recall
> seeing individual types of dried vegetables sold separately at the
> grocery store with the exception of dried onion.

I mail order mine but there are some stores that sell the Just Tomatoes
brand of freeze dried foods. I don't think they do celery but I could be
wrong.

"Cheryl" > ha scritto nel messaggio
Viemeister wrote:
>>>
>> I generally prefer fresh stuff, but find it useful to have dehydrated -
>> it takes up very little space, and requires neither freezing nor
>> refrigeration. Mushrooms, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, parsley;
>> tinned/canned basics; rice and dried pasta/noodles - all very handy if
>> we're snowed in or can't go shopping for any reason.
>
> I've never seen dehy celery or some of the others you mentioned. Does it
> reconstitute similar to fresh or is it powdered?
>

It's usually like crumbled leaves. You can easily dry some yourself. When
you are trimming celery, cur away some of the tops where the stems are quite
small. Tear it into small pieces with your hands then spread it out and dry
it as you would another herb, however you prefer. When dry put it in clean
jars with screw tops. Toss it in to flavor things. It's not like celery
choipped or sticks, it is celery flavor for broths, soups, beans and stews.
Costs $0 if you usually throw those out.

"S Viemeister" > wrote in message
...
> On 1/25/2012 7:16 PM, Cheryl wrote:
>> On 1/25/2012 1:00 PM, S Viemeister wrote:
>>>>
>>> I generally prefer fresh stuff, but find it useful to have dehydrated -
>>> it takes up very little space, and requires neither freezing nor
>>> refrigeration. Mushrooms, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, parsley;
>>> tinned/canned basics; rice and dried pasta/noodles - all very handy if
>>> we're snowed in or can't go shopping for any reason.
>>
>> I've never seen dehy celery or some of the others you mentioned. Does it
>> reconstitute similar to fresh or is it powdered?
>>
> It's chopped, rather than powdered. It's fine in soups, stews, and
> stuffings, but I've never tried it in something like tuna or egg salad.
> Once reconstituted, it's rather limp, compared to the fresh stuff.

I dehydrate left over mushrooms but then I turn them into powder and use
them as flavouring in soups etc
I know you can rehydrate whole ones, but I have never had success doing
that. They become slimey.

--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
...
> Cheryl wrote:
>>S Viemeister wrote:
>>>>
>>> I generally prefer fresh stuff, but find it useful to have dehydrated -
>>> it takes up very little space, and requires neither freezing nor
>>> refrigeration. Mushrooms, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, parsley;
>>> tinned/canned basics; rice and dried pasta/noodles - all very handy if
>>> we're snowed in or can't go shopping for any reason.
>>
>>I've never seen dehy celery or some of the others you mentioned. Does
>>it reconstitute similar to fresh or is it powdered?
>
> Penzeys sells dehy celery, good to have on hand for those times you
> don't have fresh or what you have has turned to mush... works fine
> cooked in soups/stews, not good for fresh or stir fried.


I've got some of Penzey's dehydrated diced bell pepper. I'm usually a spur
of the moment cook. I don't know days in advance what I'm going to feel
like eating. It's not practical for me to keep fresh bell peppers on hand
on the off chance I might need some. (Same thing with celery.) I didn't
know about Penzey's dehydrated celery, I'll have to check that out. The
dehydrated bell pepper reconstitutes beautifully in liquid. Obviously
intended for soups/stews, although I've reconstituted it in plain water then
drained it in a small sieve. I used it with minced onion and herbs in a
buttered breadcrumb topping for baked fish. It worked out really nicely.

Jill

"Giusi" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Cheryl" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> Viemeister wrote:
>>>>
>>> I generally prefer fresh stuff, but find it useful to have dehydrated -
>>> it takes up very little space, and requires neither freezing nor
>>> refrigeration. Mushrooms, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, parsley;
>>> tinned/canned basics; rice and dried pasta/noodles - all very handy if
>>> we're snowed in or can't go shopping for any reason.
>>
>> I've never seen dehy celery or some of the others you mentioned. Does it
>> reconstitute similar to fresh or is it powdered?
>>
>
> It's usually like crumbled leaves. You can easily dry some yourself.
> When you are trimming celery, cur away some of the tops where the stems
> are quite small. Tear it into small pieces with your hands then spread it
> out and dry it as you would another herb, however you prefer. When dry
> put it in clean jars with screw tops. Toss it in to flavor things. It's
> not like celery choipped or sticks, it is celery flavor for broths, soups,
> beans and stews. Costs $0 if you usually throw those out.
>
So true! I rarely buy fresh celery but when I do I want the stalks with the
full tops with leaves. All too often grocery stores I've been to trim
celery "for you", whether you want it that way or not. And they jack the
price up a little, as if they were doing you a favour. Hey! I want the
tops and the leaves! They charge more for less. Hmmmmm. This is why I
need to try to dehydrate celery. I already do so with fresh parsley.
Thanks!

Jill

On 1/26/2012 1:42 AM, Giusi wrote:

> It's usually like crumbled leaves. You can easily dry some yourself. When
> you are trimming celery, cur away some of the tops where the stems are quite
> small. Tear it into small pieces with your hands then spread it out and dry
> it as you would another herb, however you prefer. When dry put it in clean
> jars with screw tops. Toss it in to flavor things. It's not like celery
> choipped or sticks, it is celery flavor for broths, soups, beans and stews.
> Costs $0 if you usually throw those out.

I put celery leaves in the freezer when I get them. They're still good
used exactly as you wrote when tossed into foods.

its easier to me to cook larger dishes then portioning and freezing, for one
can suck if its much over a salad, Lee
"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
...
> Which do you think is easier?
>
> My Family Living teacher said it was hard to make a really good salad for
> one. And by really good I mean assorted greens with all sorts of
> toppings, like you might be able to make on a salad bar. And in those
> days (late 1970's) I think that was true. Because to get all those things
> you wanted, you'd have tons of leftovers you would have to either deal
> with or throw away.
>
> But these days? You can get bagged salads. You can get more kinds of
> tomatoes than just one big beefsteak or a whole container of cherry. Many
> stores (at least here) will sell you one rib of celery, three baby
> carrots, two crowns of broccoli, etc. That makes it a lot easier.
>
> When I was single I was usually perfectly happy to eat the same thing all
> week. I could make a big pot of soup or chili and eat that all week.
> Sure I did eat out sometimes. So it wasn't the same thing all seven days.
> But if I had to come up with a brand new meal each night just for one, I
> think it could be a problem. I know I could do it. It would just take
> careful buying and planning. I also did not eat meat or fish (not usually
> anyway) in those days. I do know some people who as single people would
> just stop at Pike Place Market on their way home from work and buy a piece
> of meat or fish, some produce and maybe something prepared. And these
> days (at least here), most of the grocery stores now have a butcher
> counter where you can buy smaller amounts of seafood or meat. But back
> when I was single (at least where I lived) this was not an option. So if
> I did buy meat, I had to come up with a plan for it and it often meant
> making more than I needed and either inviting friends over, freezing
> leftovers or coming up with other ideas for the rest of the week.
>
> Now I usually either cook for 2 or 3. The thing that is gone is being
> able to cook just to please myself. What I like to eat is not necessarily
> what they like to eat. So I have to come up with things that we either
> all like or at least do not dislike. And it can sometimes be tricky to
> scale a recipe for 2 or 3 because of the way things are packaged. Which
> is why I don't necessarily follow the recipe to the tee. My finished dish
> might have a little more sauce (like tonight), a little more meat, a few
> more veggies. No big deal. But I always wonder about those families of 5
> (and I do know some) who make Hamburger Helper. That serves 4. What do
> they do? Give each person a little less and round out the meal with other
> things? Make two packages and hope someone eats the leftovers?
>
> But I think the easiest of all was the times I used to cook for my
> husband's extended family. I might be cooking for 12 or 20 people. I
> could take advantage of bulk packs of things I wouldn't normally buy. And
> I really did think I was saving money per person. Plus it wasn't *that*
> much more prep time and work overall. Granted it would depend on what I
> was fixing. I never did try to do a turkey dinner with lots of sides.
> When cooking for that many I usually did one dish things. Like lasagna,
> ravioli, roast beef with potatoes and carrots. And maybe a big tossed
> salad (FIL had an excellent garden) and a few other sides, mainly to use
> up some things my MIL had that were getting a bit old and needed to be
> used up.
>
> Also I never had to worry about leftovers when I cooked for that many
> people. I just always assumed there would be some. And it was not a
> problem because with that many people stopping by, somebody was sure to
> eat it.
>
> So what amount of people do you think it is easier to cook for?
>

it doesn't matter if i like it or not, if dh asked for it i would cook it, i
hate to cook and if he is asking me to then i will... but i do hope he never
asks for live lobsters, Lee
"merryb" > wrote in message
...
On Jan 24, 7:57 pm, "Polly Esther" > wrote:
> "Julie Bove" <> Which do you think is easier?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > My Family Living teacher said it was hard to make a really good salad
> > for
> > one. And by really good I mean assorted greens with all sorts of
> > toppings, like you might be able to make on a salad bar. And in those
> > days (late 1970's) I think that was true. Because to get all those
> > things
> > you wanted, you'd have tons of leftovers you would have to either deal
> > with or throw away.
>
> > But these days? You can get bagged salads. You can get more kinds of
> > tomatoes than just one big beefsteak or a whole container of cherry.
> > Many
> > stores (at least here) will sell you one rib of celery, three baby
> > carrots, two crowns of broccoli, etc. That makes it a lot easier.
>
> > When I was single I was usually perfectly happy to eat the same thing
> > all
> > week. I could make a big pot of soup or chili and eat that all week.
> > Sure I did eat out sometimes. So it wasn't the same thing all seven
> > days.
> > But if I had to come up with a brand new meal each night just for one, I
> > think it could be a problem. I know I could do it. It would just take
> > careful buying and planning. I also did not eat meat or fish (not
> > usually
> > anyway) in those days. I do know some people who as single people would
> > just stop at Pike Place Market on their way home from work and buy a
> > piece
> > of meat or fish, some produce and maybe something prepared. And these
> > days (at least here), most of the grocery stores now have a butcher
> > counter where you can buy smaller amounts of seafood or meat. But back
> > when I was single (at least where I lived) this was not an option. So if
> > I did buy meat, I had to come up with a plan for it and it often meant
> > making more than I needed and either inviting friends over, freezing
> > leftovers or coming up with other ideas for the rest of the week.
>
> > Now I usually either cook for 2 or 3. The thing that is gone is being
> > able to cook just to please myself. What I like to eat is not
> > necessarily
> > what they like to eat. So I have to come up with things that we either
> > all like or at least do not dislike. And it can sometimes be tricky to
> > scale a recipe for 2 or 3 because of the way things are packaged. Which
> > is why I don't necessarily follow the recipe to the tee. My finished
> > dish
> > might have a little more sauce (like tonight), a little more meat, a few
> > more veggies. No big deal. But I always wonder about those families of 5
> > (and I do know some) who make Hamburger Helper. That serves 4. What do
> > they do? Give each person a little less and round out the meal with
> > other
> > things? Make two packages and hope someone eats the leftovers?
>
> > But I think the easiest of all was the times I used to cook for my
> > husband's extended family. I might be cooking for 12 or 20 people. I
> > could take advantage of bulk packs of things I wouldn't normally buy.
> > And
> > I really did think I was saving money per person. Plus it wasn't *that*
> > much more prep time and work overall. Granted it would depend on what I
> > was fixing. I never did try to do a turkey dinner with lots of sides.
> > When cooking for that many I usually did one dish things. Like lasagna,
> > ravioli, roast beef with potatoes and carrots. And maybe a big tossed
> > salad (FIL had an excellent garden) and a few other sides, mainly to use
> > up some things my MIL had that were getting a bit old and needed to be
> > used up.
>
> > Also I never had to worry about leftovers when I cooked for that many
> > people. I just always assumed there would be some. And it was not a
> > problem because with that many people stopping by, somebody was sure to
> > eat it.
>
> > So what amount of people do you think it is easier to cook for?
>
> I enjoyed your post, Julie. See lots of things to think about. Sure,
> cooking for a dozen or twenty is really not much more effort than for
> two -
> and you get to enjoy their company and pleasure in the meal. On the other
> hand, leftovers is a good thing. I either quickly chill and refrigerate or
> freeze ours. Wonderful to have something that just needs a side and good
> bread.
> I see something you said that I can give you hope about. You wrote:
> " What I like to eat is not necessarily what they like to eat. So I
> have to come up with things that we either all like or at least do not
> dislike. "
> You can change that a little and it may take some time. My sweetheart
> 'thinks' he hates chicken. He doesn't really. He just hates the way his
> moma cooked it. He 'thinks' he hates cheeses that stink but loves my quite
> mad pizza creations. Loves!
> On the other hand, I hate liver. Ain't gonna eat it if you have a gun
> pointed at my head. No way to enhance or persuade me
> You just pick your battles. Polly

Polly, you should be a diplomat Does Mr. Ester like liver? If so,
do you cook it for him, or is that one of the things he orders when
you go out? I'm curious as I don't cook things I don't like- tuna
casserole comes to mind first- ICK!!!
Picking your battles is what Jules needs to do!