What Did We Eat Today?

[MargeGunderson]

Pierogi, roasted garlic chicken sausage and sautéed Brussels sprouts.

[biakbiak]

Having a picky 7 year old over who is in the beige food is good food mode, so roast chicke, madhed potatoes, glazed carrots-some are purple hope that doesnt put her off. And even though they're not beige brownie sundaes with homemade fudge sauce.

Edited February 18, 2018 by biakbiak

[harrie]

Lobster and steamed taters tonight.

[annzeepark914]

~sigh~ We were going to a performance at Wolf Trap tonight but then decided to stay home as the weather got worse (sleet, snow, freezing rain, etc) and the roads got bad.  What a wacko winter we're having.  So, we rummaged around and ate leftover this and leftover that.

[chessiegal]

23 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

~sigh~ We were going to a performance at Wolf Trap tonight but then decided to stay home as the weather got worse (sleet, snow, freezing rain, etc) and the roads got bad.  What a wacko winter we're having.  So, we rummaged around and ate leftover this and leftover that.

Bummer. What was playing?

When I saw the forecast, I went out this morning to grocery shop, evidently with everyone else. MD DOT says the roads will freeze overnight. Good night to be an indoor kitty.

[annzeepark914]

2 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Bummer. What was playing?

When I saw the forecast, I went out this morning to grocery shop, evidently with everyone else. MD DOT says the roads will freeze overnight. Good night to be an indoor kitty.

A tribute to Gershwin program, featuring a 17 piece band + a singer.  

[annzeepark914]

3 hours ago, harrie said:

Lobster and steamed taters tonight.

Now, do you have the vendor steam the lobsters or do you take home live lobsters and cook them?  

[harrie]

52 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

A tribute to Gershwin program, featuring a 17 piece band + a singer.  

Sounds like it would have been really fun. Hope your evening at home was pleasant enough.

1 minute ago, annzeepark914 said:

Now, do you have the vendor steam the lobsters or do you take home live lobsters and cook them?  

We cook the lobsters - or more accurately, the hub does the deed.  I love to eat them but can't bear to see them go into the pot (which makes me a bit of a hypocrite, I admit).  We have a winter farmers' market, and today the fish lady had lobsters, so the original plan for clam chowder went out the window.

[harrie]

Ropa Vieja tonight.

[BW Manilowe]

22 hours ago, harrie said:

Lobster and steamed taters tonight.

Regarding lobsters as sources of human food, this article from Newsweek (& other sources) says it's now illegal in Switzerland to kill lobsters by the traditional "plunge into boiling water" method. This is because there's supposedly mounting evidence that lobsters/crustaceans do feel pain when being put to death, & boiling them alive is thought to be rather cruel, & a painful way to die if you're aware it's happening. Chefs & others who want to cook lobsters in Switzerland are now being advised/encouraged to stun the animal with electricity or take a knife to its brain, to destroy it, or to use some other method that renders it unconscious/unable to feel pain before plunging it into their pot full of boiling water.

According to the same article, lawmakers/government ministers in at least the United Kingdom are also apparently drafting a measure to present through the proper channels which, if made law, would also make it illegal in the UK to kill lobsters for consumption via dropping them in pots of boiling water without using a more humane method--such as exposing them to electricity or plunging a knife into their brain, stunning them so they can't fight their impending doom prior to exposure to the boiling water.

[harrie]

2 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

Regarding lobsters as sources of human food, this article from Newsweek (& other sources) says it's now illegal in Switzerland to kill lobsters by the traditional "plunge into boiling water" method. This is because there's supposedly mounting evidence that lobsters/crustaceans do feel pain when being put to death, & boiling them alive is thought to be rather cruel, & a painful way to die if you're aware it's happening. Chefs & others who want to cook lobsters in Switzerland are now being advised/encouraged to stun the animal with electricity or take a knife to its brain, to destroy it, or to use some other method that renders it unconscious/unable to feel pain before plunging it into their pot full of boiling water.

According to the same article, lawmakers/government ministers in at least the United Kingdom are also apparently drafting a measure to present through the proper channels which, if made law, would also make it illegal in the UK to kill lobsters for consumption via dropping them in pots of boiling water without using a more humane method--such as exposing them to electricity or plunging a knife into their brain, stunning them so they can't fight their impending doom prior to exposure to the boiling water.

I agree that a critter's death by boiling is likely unnecessarily cruel; we put the lobsters in the freezer for about 15 minutes, then they go right into the pot.  Over the years I've read up on cooking and/or handling methods that may make the experience less painful for all involved.  Many people who know more than I maintain that because lobsters don't have a central nervous system, they don't actually feel pain - but what if they're wrong?  Hypnotizing/relaxing the lobster seemed to be in fashion a while back; right now, it appears that the two quick, sharp cuts with a good knife, one behind the eyes and one down the middle of the body, sometimes icing the critter for a while beforehand, is the way to go.  I'm just not a steady hand when it comes to striking that death blow, and neither is the hub; and I think that botching those two quick knife moves could cause more trauma than being dunked in boiling water.  A U of Maine study comparing these methods concluded that chilling the critters appeared to cause the least amount of discomfort, assuming that the discomfort is expressed in thrashing about.

[annzeepark914]

@harrie:  ~shudder~I try to rationalize all this by thinking that lobsters are not very nice & I sure wouldn't want one to grab onto my toe in the ocean. Hmmmm.  I do love lobster, though.

[Mindthinkr]

I’m thinking of making a quiche tonight. I have a lot of leftover mashed potatoes from a dinner party I threw Saturday night. Thinking of using them as the crust instead of a pastry rolled out one. Ha, there are no leftover vegetables though. Seems they all loved my roasted Brussels Sprouts! Guess I’ll use some bacon and Jarlsburg cheese...tradition of Lorraine. I’ll let y’all know how the potato crust came out. If anyone has done it please let me know if I should use eggs with the potatoes to help hold the, together. Thanks. 

[MargeGunderson]

31 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

I’m thinking of making a quiche tonight. I have a lot of leftover mashed potatoes from a dinner party I threw Saturday night. Thinking of using them as the crust instead of a pastry rolled out one. Ha, there are no leftover vegetables though. Seems they all loved my roasted Brussels Sprouts! Guess I’ll use some bacon and Jarlsburg cheese...tradition of Lorraine. I’ll let y’all know how the potato crust came out. If anyone has done it please let me know if I should use eggs with the potatoes to help hold the, together. Thanks. 

What are these “leftover” mashed potatoes you speak of?  I have not heard of them. ?

Do tell how the crust turns out!

[DeLurker]

Tonight will be my first attempt at pork tonkatsu at my daughter's request.

[Mindthinkr]

Just now, DeLurker said:

Tonight will be my first attempt at pork tonkatsu at my daughter's request.

That is a favorite meal in my family. My SIL learned to make it when they were living in Japan. If I wasn’t having company over I’d ask you to set another place lol. Do you have the Bulldog sauce? 

[DeLurker]

No to the Bulldog sauce, but I have to run an errand that is not too far from the small Asian market near me so I will probably stop by and grab some.  Also wanted to check if they had the yakisoba noodles so I can try making that later this week.  Not a fan myself, but both kids love the stuff.  I bought some of the noodles for Hong Kong Style pan fried noodles last time and made some at home.  That was a first try too, but I will definitely be putting that into rotation. 

Dinner Update The tonkatsu turned out pretty well.  I used pork tenderloin as I prefer that over pork chops in general.  I used a cast iron pan to give each piece a good smack to flatten them out, but next time I'll get them a bit thinner because by the time I was certain the pork would be done, the crust was darker than I prefer. 

I use a mixture of flour and corn starch (about a 2/3 to 1/3 blend) to coat stuff before the egg dip and panko or breadcrumbs.  It gives the cooked food a slightly smoother mouth feel and supposedly a crisper crust.  A lot of Asian recipes go full corn starch, but that results in a too velvety texture in my book.

The tonkatsu was pretty tasty, but could have used more seasoning.  I skipped getting the Bulldog Sauce because my daughter said she never eats it with sauce anyway, so mixed up a small condiment of ketchup, Worcester sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, splash of mirin, garlic powder and white pepper for myself.  Next time I'll go with less ketchup and add a touch of dijon mustard.

In any event, both kids enjoyed it.

Edited February 20, 2018 by DeLurker

[Zola]

Since I will be on my own tonight I have decided to go for something very simple and very basic - Welsh Rarebit, which I will make myself and consists of:-

Cheddar Cheese, 

butter

Worcestershire sauce

mustard

flour

black pepper

a splash or two of ale or Guinness 

toasted wholemeal bread

[fairffaxx]

Thanks, Zola -- I used to make Welsh Rarebit with English muffins (are those known/used in England at all?).  I'd forgotten about it, but it's such a good meal for cold weather*, & so easy (for extra protein, add some kind of egg, or sausage/bacon for carnivores).  I always like recipes that require just a little beer or Guinness, so that I can follow the advice of the late, great Peg Bracken to figure out something to do with the rest of the bottle ....

 

* I'm in the San Francisco Bay area, where last night's barely freezing temperatures have caused hysteria among TV meteorologists & outdoor cats are looking puffier than usual. 

[Zola]

Just now, fairffaxx said:

Thanks, Zola -- I used to make Welsh Rarebit with English muffins (are those known/used in England at all?).  I'd forgotten about it, but it's such a good meal for cold weather*, & so easy (for extra protein, add some kind of egg, or sausage/bacon for carnivores).  I always like recipes that require just a little beer or Guinness, so that I can follow the advice of the late, great Peg Bracken to figure out something to do with the rest of the bottle ....

 

* I'm in the San Francisco Bay area, where last night's barely freezing temperatures have caused hysteria among TV meteorologists & outdoor cats are looking puffier than usual. 

oh yes, English muffins are hugely popular over here, that and scones with whipped or clotted cream and a dash of strawberry jam.

In fact you have just encouraged me to make my own. Will do some shopping tomorrow and bake both scones and muffins. 

Thanks!

[JTMacc99]

On 1/28/2018 at 7:31 PM, MargeGunderson said:

Please share the [Crockpot lasagna] recipe! I’ve always been skeptical of trying it in the crockpot but I’m willing to give it a try on you recommendation.

Okay, so I'm a little late on the reply here. I think I tried to find a link to the simple recipe I got out of a book, and then all I found was a bunch of recipes that had 5-10 extra ingredients or steps. 

The one I make is super simple:

1 28 oz jar of tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

6 Lasagna noodles

16 ounce Ricotta Cheese

2 cups shredded Mozzarella

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1 egg

1 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach defrosted and squeezed out

Combine the Ricotta cheese, the egg, 1 1/2 cups of Mozzarella, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, and the spinach in a bowl.

Coat the inside of a 4 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Mix tomato sauce with water, and spread one cup of the sauce on the bottom of the crock pot. Break up two noodles and spread them evenly over the sauce. Spread half of the cheese mixture over the noodles and then spread another 1/2 cup of sauce over the top. Break up 2 more noodles and spread evenly over the sauce. Spread the remaining cheese mixture over the noodles and cover with another half cup of sauce. Break up the last two noodles, spread them evenly and then cover with the remaing tomato sauce. Cook on low for 4-6 hours (5 did the trick for me) and then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan on top. Cook covered for another 5 minutes or so until the cheese melts and then serve. 

[Mindthinkr]

Thanks for that recipe @JTMacc99  I just copied and pasted it into an email for my daughter who is always pressed for time to cook on weekends when it’s sports season and she’s coach, taxi/carpool driver and Mom. 

[JTMacc99]

31 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

Thanks for that recipe @JTMacc99  I just copied and pasted it into an email for my daughter who is always pressed for time to cook on weekends when it’s sports season and she’s coach, taxi/carpool driver and Mom. 

Once softball season kicks into gear, that's pretty much the way it works for me as well. 

Having said that, I made this on Sunday because there was a musician performing at the local brewery that afternoon and coming home with a couple beers in me at 4:45 and knowing that dinner was already prepared and going to be tasty makes the entire day so much better. 

So not so much pressed for time as time reorganized in a way that I won.

Edited February 20, 2018 by JTMacc99

[Mindthinkr]

37 minutes ago, JTMacc99 said:

Once softball season kicks into gear, that's pretty much the way it works for me as well. 

 

That’s already begun where we live! 

[MargeGunderson]

Cookies, because I made chocolate snickerdoodles (OMG best cookies ever) and peanut blossoms, the peanut butter cookies that usually have a chocolate kiss on the top,  which I made with leftover Valentine’s hearts. I may also have a cheese stick for the protein.

[scriggle]

Crab rangoons because I've been craving them and I finally gave in and satisfied that craving.

[JTMacc99]

13 minutes ago, MargeGunderson said:

Cookies, because I made chocolate snickerdoodles (OMG best cookies ever) and peanut blossoms, the peanut butter cookies that usually have a chocolate kiss on the top,  which I made with leftover Valentine’s hearts. I may also have a cheese stick for the protein.

Are the chocolate snickerdoodles still covered in cinnamon sugar?

[MargeGunderson]

15 minutes ago, JTMacc99 said:

Are the chocolate snickerdoodles still covered in cinnamon sugar?

Yes they are! It’s a delicious combination. Here’s the recipe.

[Mindthinkr]

Update: The potato crust on the quiche was out of this world. I did reheat it somewhat with a TBS of milk before adding a beaten egg, then putting it into the pie plate and shaping it with a spatula. I filled it with shredded Swiss, Gruyere and Jarlsburg cheeses with some small ham bits. Liquid was the usual eggs, half and half, and a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg. I would definitely recommend trying this. Unusual but tasty. 

Edited to add spray the pie plate for easy removal. 

Edited February 21, 2018 by Mindthinkr

[harrie]

Searing a hunk of Costco's finest ahi tuna and building a salad around it. 

[BooksRule]

Oven-BBQd pork chops, some kind of chicken-y, cheesy, noodle-y mixture out of a pouch and a big lemon bar for dessert (there was a student group having a bake sale outside of my building at lunch and I never pass up lemon bars). 

[Zola]

I will be entertaining a couple of American friends over the weekend, and have been Googling like mad trying to find some traditional American dinner recipes.

So for Saturday evening I will be putting together a "Make Your Own Tacos Bar" idea, which will involve Chipotle Turkey Taco Filling, Pork and Bell Pepper Filling, Yellow Pico de Gallo and various other toppings.

And for Sunday I am going to step up to the challenge of cooking Pot Roast with Roasted Vegetables.

And for desserts - well, I quite fancy making some chocolate brownies, or chocolate chip cookies. But I'm also tempted to try those "S'mores" things. But I don't know how to cook those in a kitchen (aren't they eaten on open flames at camp sites?)

Anyway, i hope they like what I have to offer.

Edited February 23, 2018 by Zola

[BW Manilowe]

7 hours ago, Zola said:

I will be entertaining a couple of American friends over the weekend, and have been Googling like mad trying to find some traditional American dinner recipes.

So for Saturday evening I will be putting together a "Make Your Own Tacos Bar" idea, which will involve Chipotle Turkey Taco Filling, Pork and Bell Pepper Filling, Yellow Pico de Gallo and various other toppings.

And for Sunday I am going to step up to the challenge of cooking Pot Roast with Roasted Vegetables.

And for desserts - well, I quite fancy making some chocolate brownies, or chocolate chip cookies. But I'm also tempted to try those "S'mores" things. But I don't know how to cook those in a kitchen (aren't they eaten on open flames at camp sites?)

Anyway, i hope they like what I have to offer.

 

If you can convert the oven temps from F to C, here's a whole page of recipes from Google oven s'mores recipe (Link is futzed & I can't get it unfutzed--just Google oven s'mores recipe).

Or this might be easier/less intimidating: oven s'mores dip (This link is futzed too & I can't get it unfutzed either--just Google oven s'mores dip). You get the idea of s'mores, only this might be easier to do; the dip is the chocolate & marshmallow part & you dip the Graham crackers (or Graham cracker substitute) into it.

This article (this link works) actually talks about someone (an American ex-pat, it turns out) trying to make s'mores in the UK. Apparently you have almost all the necessary ingredients available there, though you may not have the same brands that might be mentioned in any recipe from the US; EXCEPT you apparently don't have the Graham crackers there (unless things have changed since this article was written, I think it said, in 2009, or unless you have some sort of store which carries foods imported from the US & they might carry Graham crackers).

If you can't find "the real deal", the article suggests substituting Lotus Caramelised Biscuits (though they apparently might need to be bigger, according to the author) or McVittie's Digestive Biscuits, which are big enough, but may not taste quite right compared to a s'more made with Graham crackers... Basically substitute anything you'd use to make a "Graham cracker crust" on a cheesecake, if you don't have real Graham crackers. The writer of the article thinks the Lotus Biscuits taste better (closer to a Graham cracker taste) than the McVittie's; there are also some who say the McVittie's taste close/are better too. If you're doing the dip, I suppose (if you can) you could get a package of Lotus biscuits & a package of McVittie's & let everyone try it with 1 or more of each biscuit or with whichever individual brand they like.

Hope this helps, & you find a reasonable cracker substitute.

Edited February 23, 2018 by BW Manilowe
Trying to fix a couple of links which aren't going where they're supposed to.

[Zola]

5 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

If you can convert the oven temps from F to C, here's a whole page of recipes from  Google http://oven smores.

Or this might be easier/less intimidating: http://oven smores dip. You get the idea of s'mores, only this might be easier to do; the dip is the chocolate & marshmallow part & you dip the Graham crackers (or Graham cracker substitute) into it.

This article  actually talks about someone (an American ex-pat, it turns out) trying to make s'mores in the UK. Apparently you have almost all the necessary ingredients available there, though you may not have the same brands that might be mentioned in any recipe from the US; EXCEPT you apparently don't have the Graham crackers there (unless things have changed since this article was written, I think it said, in 2009, or unless you have some sort of store which carries foods imported from the US & they might carry Graham crackers).

If you can't find "the real deal", the article suggests substituting Lotus Caramelised Biscuits (though they apparently might need to be bigger, according to the author) or McVittie's Digestive Biscuits, which are big enough, but may not taste quite right compared to a s'more made with Graham crackers... Substitute anything you'd use to make a "Graham cracker crust" on a cheesecake, if you don't have real Graham crackers. The writer of the article thinks the Lotus Biscuits taste better (closer to a Graham cracker taste) than the McVittie's; there are also some who say the McVittie's taste close too. If you're doing the dip, I suppose (if you can) you could get a package of Lotus biscuits & a package of McVittie's & let everyone try it with 1 or more of each biscuit or with whichever individual brand they like.

Hope this helps, & you find a reasonable cracker substitute.

@BW Manilowe Thanks so much for this incredibly useful information!

I have only skim read it at present because I'm due to go out clubbing shortly (its 9:15pm here), but will definitely read it in greater detail in the morning (hangovers permitting)

Thank you again for taking the time and effort!

Edited February 23, 2018 by Zola

[BW Manilowe]

Just now, Zola said:

@BW Manilowe Thanks so much for this incredibly useful information!

I have only skim read it at present because I'm due to go out clubbing shortly (its 9:15pm here), but will definitely read it great detail in the morning (hangovers permitting)

Thank you again for taking the time and effort!

Cool. For some reason, I don't think the recipe links (first 2) are working right. I'm trying to fix that. If I don't get working links, just Google "oven s'mores recipe" &/or "s'mores dip recipe"--only without the quotes (LOL).

[EllieH]

Homemade buttermilk waffles and bacon

[annzeepark914]

12 hours ago, Zola said:

I will be entertaining a couple of American friends over the weekend, and have been Googling like mad trying to find some traditional American dinner recipes.

So for Saturday evening I will be putting together a "Make Your Own Tacos Bar" idea, which will involve Chipotle Turkey Taco Filling, Pork and Bell Pepper Filling, Yellow Pico de Gallo and various other toppings.

And for Sunday I am going to step up to the challenge of cooking Pot Roast with Roasted Vegetables.

And for desserts - well, I quite fancy making some chocolate brownies, or chocolate chip cookies. But I'm also tempted to try those "S'mores" things. But I don't know how to cook those in a kitchen (aren't they eaten on open flames at camp sites?)

Anyway, i hope they like what I have to offer.

That's very nice of you to go to all that effort to feed Americans some food that they're familiar with.  I hope they also get to try your country's various foods as well (like the real deal fish & chips and all those cream cakes at a fancy tea).  As it is, you're making some yummy food!!

[Sandman87]

Today I had to cut wood for the wood stove (supposed to be a hard freeze tonight), so I was sore enough to want a simple dinner. Rather than going for something like instant ramen noodles, I decided to put on my Mad Scientist Chef Hat and experiment with whatever was available.

• 6 Italian style frozen meatballs, microwaved & diced
• 1 small potato, microwaved & diced
• 1/4 bag of mixed shredded coleslaw vegetables
• 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing

Result: Meatball and potato salad. It sounds awful, but was actually pretty good.

[biakbiak]

I made eggs benedict and hashbrowns and sparkling rose because why not? 

[Zola]

9 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

Cool. For some reason, I don't think the recipe links (first 2) are working right. I'm trying to fix that. If I don't get working links, just Google "oven s'mores recipe" &/or "s'mores dip recipe"--only without the quotes (LOL).

 

3 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

That's very nice of you to go to all that effort to feed Americans some food that they're familiar with.  I hope they also get to try your country's various foods as well (like the real deal fish & chips and all those cream cakes at a fancy tea).  As it is, you're making some yummy food!!

My two New England friends have been in the UK now for about 10 days sightseeing and checking up on other friends of theirs. I think they've already sampled most of our local foods including good old fish & chips. So I figured they might be getting a little home-sick for some American recipes, hence the ideas for this weekend. Which reminds me, I really need to get a shopping list together and get ready for a quite intensive shopping spree looking for all the required ingredients (and there is a local store that sells Graham Crackers, yay!)

Should be an interesting weekend - I just hope they like what I have to offer :-)

[Mindthinkr]

6 hours ago, Zola said:

Should be an interesting weekend - I just hope they like what I have to offer :-)

I can’t imagine them not loving you for it.  When traveling for long periods of time people miss their comfort foods and you have such a wonderful assortment of good dishes planned. Remember first though that they are coming to see you, their friend. All that good food is icing on the cake so to speak. Have a wonderful time with them. 

[DeLurker]

7 hours ago, Zola said:

Should be an interesting weekend - I just hope they like what I have to offer :-)

I don't know about others, but having s'mores is always a great treat and not one that happens too often (at least not around here).  I would think your friends should consider themselves lucky to have such a considerate hostess!

[Zola]

58 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

I can’t imagine them not loving you for it.  When traveling for long periods of time people miss their comfort foods and you have such a wonderful assortment of good dishes planned. Remember first though that they are coming to see you, their friend. All that good food is icing on the cake so to speak. Have a wonderful time with them. 

Well they should be arriving at my home in the next hour. I have got all the ingredients for my Taco Buffet later this evening, and while shopping I bought some Oreos and an "Apple Pie Ice Cream Pie" for dessert tonight.  It's taking one huge effort not to dip in before they arrive, lol

 

11 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

I don't know about others, but having s'mores is always a great treat and not one that happens too often (at least not around here).  I would think your friends should consider themselves lucky to have such a considerate hostess!

I love that word "S'mores". Another word is I like is "Guacamole" - might try my hand at that alongside tonight's taco choices.

 

Just out of interest, and this may sound like a dumb question. but do Americans still give thanks before a meal? And if so who gives it, what does one say, and should it be said for any particular meal or a proper cooked dinner like a pot roast? (it's not a custom in the UK, but I wouldn't want to appear rude if my American friends were expecting it)

[DeLurker]

18 minutes ago, Zola said:

but do Americans still give thanks before a meal?

I grew up saying grace (a prayer) before dinner, but that is because we were Catholic.  We weren't required to say it before other meals, but my dad always said it quietly to himself before breakfast and lunch.

I'd think of it as a pre-meal toast to having the chance to spend some time with friends from so far away.

Edited February 24, 2018 by DeLurker

[Mindthinkr]

I agree with @DeLurker.  More of a pre meal toast. I live in the south and most people always say grace but I haven’t seen it as often in other parts of the country. Doing what she suggested should be enough. Don’t try to please so hard that you lose sight of what this should be for you...fun. 

Edited February 24, 2018 by Mindthinkr

[Zola]

28 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

I agree with @DeLurker.  More of a pre meal toast. I live in the south and most people always say grace but I haven’t seen it as often in other parts of the country. Doing what she suggested should be enough. Don’t try to please so hard that you lose sight of what this should be for you...fun. 

Thanks for the tips. And you're right, it should be about fun rather than formality. But my problem is that I always over-think my obligations when having guests round: I just aim to please while forgetting to enjoy myself at the same time. 

Anyway, thanks again!

[BW Manilowe]

11 hours ago, Zola said:

 

My two New England friends have been in the UK now for about 10 days sightseeing and checking up on other friends of theirs. I think they've already sampled most of our local foods including good old fish & chips. So I figured they might be getting a little home-sick for some American recipes, hence the ideas for this weekend. Which reminds me, I really need to get a shopping list together and get ready for a quite intensive shopping spree looking for all the required ingredients (and there is a local store that sells Graham Crackers, yay!)

Should be an interesting weekend - I just hope they like what I have to offer :-)

Yay! So glad you can use real Graham crackers with whichever type of s'mores you're doing (s'mores or the s'mores dip).

I just found this webpage which says if (you're in the UK, or even if you're not, &) you need a substitute for Graham crackers, they suggest:

1. digestive biscuits & rich tea biscuits combined (but that wouldn't work if you needed a solid cracker, like for s'mores; it would work best, probably, if you were making, like, a Graham cracker crust, which uses cracker crumbs, for a cheesecake or something).

2. ginger biscuits (which I'm not sure works because the biscuit tastes like ginger & isn't plain/neutral tasting--you wanna be able to taste the chocolate & marshmallow &, at least to some extent, the Graham cracker, which should taste a little bit sweet because most are made with honey; I'd think the ginger in the ginger biscuits might overpower the rest of the flavors).

3. shortbread (not really knowing what digestive biscuits taste like--I think that's pretty much a UK thing--but knowing what the Lotus biscuits taste like; I love 'em, but don't think they're quite right for s'mores, I think the shortbread substitute would be my choice, because they can probably be found in a big enough size to hold the chocolate & marshmallow; they're everywhere in the UK, as far as I know, & they have a plain/neutral enough taste so as not to overpower any of the other important flavors).

Oh... in case nobody else has mentioned it, the s'more apparently gets its name from people usually wanting more after they've had 1.

[Quof]

Digestives = Arrowroot/baby cookies.

[annzeepark914]

If it were me, I'd wait a second or two before diving in to the yummy food, just in case one of them wants to say grace.  We don't say grace in our home but in my MIL's home and my sister's home, grace is said before dinner.  The American foods you're serving are considered treats here--fun foods that everyone loves (especially the s'mores which got its funny name because people who have one s'more always want s(ome)more.  Wish we could all stop by and enjoy this great food!

[Mindthinkr]

I ate Indian for late lunch so dinner is M&M’s with peanuts.